AmeriVacS for MED/FOOD/PHARMA Products
AmeriVacs vacuum sealing solutions for Medical, Food, & Pharmaceutical industries have a significant amount of overlap so we’ve decided to group these industries under the same banner.
Here are some tips and considerations to keep in mind when selecting an AmeriVacs Vacuum Sealer for Medical, Food, and or Pharmaceuticals products.
SIZE, TYPE, & THICKNESS OF BAG: Regardless of whether your vacuum bag is 3 or 6 mils, flat or stand up, a clear poly nylon vacuum bag or foil (Mylar) bag, the width of your bag will determine the size of your vacuum sealer, and is, therefore, an excellent place to start when shopping for a vacuum sealing solution. In any event, AmeriVacS vacuum sealers, capable of sealing all of these bags and more up to 50” in width (independent of length), have you covered.
QUICK TIP 1 – Size & Model Name: AmeriVacS model numbers denote the widest bag they can seal, so if you’re sealing a bag 20” wide or smaller, any machine with a dash 20 in the model number will suffice. The same is true as you increase bag size.
Vacuum Sealing for the Food Industry: Upgrades
The special requirements associated with vacuum sealing food products vary from program to program, but as organic matter, most of them boil down to regulating oxygen & moisture. AmeriVacS offers a number of vacuum sealers that are up to the task, from impulse sealers, which simply seal your bag, to retractable nozzle-modified atmosphere packaging systems like our AVS & AVN models. In the case of the latter two, AVS vacuum sealers & AVN vacuum sealers with gas purge, the following upgrades are popular amongst our food industry clients. First, our Vacuum Filter (VF) upgrade protects your machine from ingesting debris from inside the vacuum bag during the vacuum process. Second, for products like leafy greens or other delicate pressure-sensitive consumables, AmeriVacS recommends our Vacuum Regulator (VR), which allows you to precisely and repeatably regulate the pressure (tightness) of the vacuum that is pulled around your product.
Pro Tip - Further Protecting AmeriVacS Vacuum Sealer: Some of our earliest clients (yes, dating back to the last century!) report that they are still using our vacuum sealers almost 25 years later! To keep your vacuum sealer in good working order, we recommend our Vacuum Filter, which protects your machine from taking in debris from inside the vacuum bag during the vacuum process. We also recommend our Coalescing Air Filter, which protects your sealer from moisture and contamination from your air supply.
Vacuum Sealing for Medical & Pharmaceutical Products
Due to their sensitive nature, Medical and pharmaceutical products often require special consideration regarding their packaging. After decades of providing solutions to these industries, AmeriVacS has developed a few technical upgrades that our Med/Pharma customers may use to regulate seal integrity, mitigate against contamination, and address other special requirements unique to their industries.
PRO TIP: Seal Integrity & Precision Temperature Sealing
AmeriVacS offers a Digital Temperature Control (TC) upgrade for customers seeking heightened precision for their packaging program. AmeriVacS’ Digital Temperature Control uses the fastest thermocouple-based control available, guaranteeing a 100% repeatable seal and 99% accuracy on all heat-sealable materials: Tyvek, Nylon, Teflon, Kapton, and even vinyl or other materials that require higher sustained seal temperatures. The increased precision and control of the sealing process delivered by the digital temperature control also extend the heating element and Teflon insulator life, thus reducing downtime service.
Vacuum Sealing Med/Pharma Products & The Clean Room Environment:
While AmeriVacS’ standard vacuum sealers are all suitable for a clean room environment, here are a few accessories and upgrades that amplify their performance under the most exacting clean room environments. All AmeriVacS machines can, for example, be provided with stainless steel chassis. Due to its highly sterile nature and ability to withstand rigorous cleaning protocols, the stainless steel upgrade is often selected by Med/Pharma customers with especially stringent hygiene requirements.
Clean Room Feature Upgrade: All AmeriVacS machines can also be configured with a Ported Exhaust (PE) system. AmeriVacS’ PE system upgrade provides an added safeguard against contamination by directing exhaust air from inside of our vacuum sealers to a rear port for plumbing to an outside area, keeping the air in your cleanroom, well, clean.
Pharma Spotlight: Achieve Extremely Low Oxygen & Moisture Levels
Our standard vacuum sealers and vacuum sealers with gas purge can deliver when very low levels of oxygen & moisture are required for your packaging program. However, when oxygen & moisture reduction is at a premium, AmeriVacS can retrofit certain vacuum sealers with the ability to provide an additional gas or vacuum cycle (EC upgrade) when extremely low oxygen/moisture levels are required.
- Vacuum sealing solution for Covid Testing
- Pharmaceutical ingredients
Note the EC upgrade is only available on our AVN Vacuum Sealers with Gas Purge models.
Vacuum Sealing Liquids & Powders
Vacuum sealing liquids and powders, a requirement common to pharmaceutical and food packaging industries, can be difficult without the proper tools. A common problem when vacuum sealing liquids & powders is that most nozzle-type vacuum sealers create a current of air when pulling a vacuum. This airflow could drag liquids or fine powders into the nozzle, damaging the sealer. If liquid content is minimal or powder content is sufficiently coarse enough not to become airborne, one solution to this problem is adding a vacuum filter.
AmeriVacS has developed Chamber Vacuum Sealers with and without gas purge for packaging with high amounts of liquid or fine powders. Chamber sealers differ from nozzle-type sealers in so much as, during the sealing process, your bag sits inside a chamber (hence the name) instead of around a nozzle. Furthermore, air is removed from the entire chamber (with your packages inside) rather than directly from the bag during a chamber sealing. These two unique aspects of chamber sealing reduce airflow to a negligible amount, thereby making the possibility of liquid or powder spilling out of your bag extremely remote. (Note: As a result, the vacuum filter upgrade is not required for these systems.)
AmeriVacS Recommends:
- Type & Size: Our AVS and or AVN model (relative to your bag size)
- For powders & Liquids: Chamber Sealer AVC & AVCG models
- Accessories & Upgrades to consider:
- Extra Cycle: Adding a cycle of vacuum or gas (when extremely low oxygen/moisture levels are required).
- Vacuum Regulator: regulates seal tightness and protects your electronics products against over-vacuuming.
- Stainless Steel Chassis: Allows for complete cleaning and sterilization required for harsh environments in all industries.
- Ported Exhaust System: Clean room upgrade. Directs exhaust air inside the machine to a port on the back for customer plumbing outside the area.
- Vacuum Filter: Keeps the vacuum pump free of any debris from your product that the nozzle might suck in, making your sealer inoperative. AmeriVacS must install it.
- Coalescing Air Filter: protects your vacuum sealer from dirt and/or moisture in the compressed air supply line.
