The new technology was developed through a careful re-engineering of Cloud's transfer wheel, which is used in the collation process. The transfer wheel allows for exact count as the pouches are dropped in a repeating prescribed pattern into the carton. A signal is given to index the carton and pouches will follow the carton as it slowly indexes to complete the desired count. Upon completing the desired count, pouches will start falling into the unfilled trailing carton. Cloud also designed a new filling wheel and took advantage of centrifugal force that increases the speed by 30 to 40 percent compared to the old technology. Even under these faster conditions, Cloud managed to improve fill accuracy with new coatings and fill processing technology for various powders and flowable pieces.
Cloud currently offers this new technology in the Performa SP - a high-performance, extremely efficient multi-axis servo drive HFFS pouch machine. The Performa SP can be integrated with blending, cartoning and conveying machines to form a complete manufacturing line.