Arcil Presents the A7 – The Next Generation FFS Machine
Less than a year after it joined Barry-Wehmiller Companies, Arcil is launching a new generation of FFS machines that results from a completely revised design method.
Assigned to the widest multidisciplinary team ever in Arcil’s history, the project was brought to life within 9 months and sets the guidelines of the french company’s future development.
Relying on Arcil’s fundamentals, the A7 is a highly competitive state-of-the-art equipment that brings maximum flexibility in desserts and fresh dairy products manufacturing.
The A7 was born in the mind of Arcil’s salesteam as a top-class solution for the demanding dairy market industry. Since the very early stage of the project, the A7 was assigned the task to retain the best of Arcil’s efficiency and hygiene in a modular, flexible and evolutive FFS machine with fully mastered design. The aim was here to offer an highly competitive state-of-the-art equipment while reducing the delivery lead time that applies to the tailor-made packaging lines usually designed by Arcil.
Customer insight and design to cost were the two guidelines that the multidisciplinary team set up for the project had to stick to at all stages, and that led to the successful development of this next generation FFS machine in 9 months only.
Maximum On-site Flexibility
The A7 has been designed to allow on-site capacity and cup size adaptation, so that manufacturers can react quickly to new markets requirements and reduce the global downtime of their lines. In 10 days only, the line can for example evolve from 24 to 32 cups per stroke or process 63×63 mm cups instead of 48×48 mm ones.
Arcil team members who worked on the A7, the next generation of FFS Arcil machine.
The A7 is also prefitted to process any kind of plastics (PS,PLA,PET or PP) as the standard heating frame accepts up to 9 pitches.
Finally, the A7 does not require to anticipate the need of additional dosing units, as a modular frame allows to easily extend the filling station when needed.
User-centric Design: Improved Ergonomics
Sticking to operator’s well-being as a core value, Arcil’s development team endeavoured to improve ergonomics wherever possible. The A7 provides more transparency for a better visibility as well as an easier access to all intervention areas. Handling operations are all carried out at chest height for a better comfort. For example, in order to simplify the unreeling path of the lid and improve visual checking, a camera placed at the right place relays the checking picture on the HMI screen.
The A7 is gifted with the individual talent of every member of the project team, a blend of young and older open-minded staff members with a large variety of backgrounds and technical skills. Their work raised enthusiasm amongst their colleagues who, together with partner suppliers, were invited to participate by sharing their ideas. This extended collaboration pushed the team beyond its creative limits and resulted in additional innovations. Just to name one, Arcil’s machines are now more simple to move around the world, as they are composed of 3 modules that can easily be disconnected for transport purposes.
With 350 FFS machines installed all over the world, Arcil has established itself as the world leader for single portion, ultra-clean packaging of milk products and desserts.
The delivery of the first A7 has been celebrated by the entire company as a decisive step towards an ambitious future. For further information visit www.Synerlink-engineering.com or www.arcil.fr.
