Like many other industries, the packaging industry has experienced a remarkable pace of technological advancement.
Technologies that were once considered advanced, such as high-efficiency control devices and high-accuracy servo motors, have become commonplace. Furthermore, with the adoption of AI technology, the operating speed and settings for multiple products can now be changed at the touch of a button.
With those advanced electrical control, some may wonder if there is a need for the mechanical adjustment by skilled craftworker we have relied on. There is still great importance of mechanical adjustment as we would like to share the three key points as follows.

The importance of machine adjustment

In domestic distribution in Japan, corrugated box　is commonly used to pack snack bags or small packages after primary packaging. The good thing about corrugated box is protection during distribution and easy to handle for stacking and moving, but the material cost has been increasing over the years.

As briefly mentioned in our previous blog on air evacuation and inflation equipment, many confectionery and snack manufacturers, particularly in Southeast Asia, package their primary-packed products in PP/Pe (mono-material film) bags instead of corrugated boxes.  

The biggest benefit is the reasonable cost, and also other advantages such as the material is light weight, and recyclable.

This packaging format has become widely known as an alternative to corrugated box for transportation. After delivery, this multipack packaging is often used directly for retail display, or the bags are hung as-is at street stalls and individual items are sold separately—an application that is particularly characteristic of Southeast Asian markets.

Here, we introduce an outer-bag packaging machine. It is a collaboration with TAM and our partner in overseas and it already has many installation records.

Operation process

1. Pillow bags are produced in previous process by VFFS or pouch packaging machine,
2. Outer-Bag machine receives the pillow bags, align and accumulate those bags,
3. Pe bag is sucked from the tray and opened,
4. Then bags are inserted into Pe bag,
5. Finally, the Pe bag is impulse sealed.

Benefit of Automation

1. Productivity is improved comparing to human-power and cost of human resources are reduced.
2. Customized packaging pattern can be arranged on customer’s request.
3. Flexible layout can be suggested even the installation space is limited.
4. Change electrical component such as PLC, Servomotor or touch panel to Japanese manufacturer is possible. (Optional)
5. Accordion stacking device for chain-bags can be adapted.
6. Change of machine specification and layout is possible according to the speed of previous process.
7. As a post process, palletizer can be combined after outer bag machine.

The outer-bag machine will be demonstrated in Tokyo Pack 2026 in the coming October in Tokyo Big Sight. We are looking forward to welcoming you!

Tam Contact to: tam-overseas@tam-tokyo.co.jp