OPERATING MANUAL

SHRINK BUNDLING SYSTEM SW-3614

READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE OPERATING EQUIPMENT

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Machine Specs ................................................................... .3

Shipping & Warranty ........................................................... 4
Installation ........................................................................... 5
Machine Controls ................................................................ 6
RS-5 Plus Features & Controls .......................................... 8
Preliminary Setup .............................................................. 15
Operating Instructions ...................................................... 17
Maintenance & Cleaning ................................................... 18
Troubleshooting Guide ..................................................... 19

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MACHINE SPECS

BASIC SPECIFICATIONS
POWER REQUIREMENTS 115V, 18A, Single Phase
OPTIONAL 220V, 9A, Single Phase
HEATER (HOT KNIFE) Two (2) 500W, 1000W Total
AIR PRESSURE 2 Cu. Ft. per min. @ 80 psi
MACHINE DIMENSIONS 47” L x 53” W x 63.5” H (70.5 W/FILM)
WORKING/CONVEYOR HEIGHT 34.7-39”
SEALING LENGTH 36” (W) X 15” (H)
FILM CAPACITY 36” W, 10” OD on 3” core

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SHIPPING AND WARRANTY

SHIPPING DAMAGE CLAIMS

Upon the arrival of your new machine, inspect the crate for any visible damage and then carefully
uncrate or unpack the machine and inspect it for any visible damage or missing parts.
If any damage is found, it is your responsibility to contact the carrier and immediately file a claim. Heat
Seal is not responsible for any damages to the machine incurred during the shipment once it leaves our
facility in Cleveland, Ohio. If there are any missing parts, contact Heat Seal Customer Services
immediately.

HEAT SEAL LIMITED WARRANTY

Heat Seal will warrant its equipment against defective parts for a period of one year from the shipment
date to your address unless specified otherwise.
Parts will be replaced by Heat Seal to your Authorized Distributor upon the receipt of the defective part
at our factory at Cleveland, Ohio. Any related labor, service or expendable parts such as sealing bars,
cut-off rules, sealing pads, and belting material are not included.
Any part not manufactured by Heat Seal carries the manufacturer’s warranty.
THE WARRANTY WILL BE VOIDED IF THE EQUIPMENT IS NOT INSTALLED BY A HEAT SEAL
AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTOR SERVICE TECHNICIAN. THE PURCHASER IS SOLELY
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFE INSTALLATION AND OPERATION OF THE EQUIPMENT. DAMAGE
DUE TO MISUSE, MISAPPLICATION, OR MODIFICATIONS WILL NOT BE COVERED BY THIS
WARRANTY.

HEAT SEAL WARRANTY RETURN PROCEDURE

Have your service technician examine the application, the machine and the parts to determine if they
can be covered by the above warranty.
Next have the technician call Heat Seal Customer Services (See back page for contact information) and
request a Return Authorization number (RA#).
Place an order for the replacement part(s). On the order, refer to the RA number and model/serial
numbers (found on the nameplate on the machine). Heat Seal will ship FedEx Ground. Provide carrier
account for next day air shipments.
Return the defective part or parts pre-paid to Heat Seal. The customer service department will examine
the returned part or parts and issue a credit should the part be found defective.

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INSTALLATION

PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
 The SW-3614 Shrink Bundling System is a semi-automatic system that is designed to package
bundles in a complete overwrap of bundling film.

 The system utilizes two rolls of single wound polyethylene film which are heat sealed together by a
seal bar assembly to form a web of film. The bundle to be packaged is pushed through the web of
film and placed onto a powered take away conveyor. The seal bar is lowered and it draws the film
webs together behind the bundle. The seal bar simultaneously seals and cuts the film web to
produce a sleeve of bundling film around the bundle and the film web that is ready for the next
bundle.

MACHINE SET UP
The Sleeve Wrapper/Bundler is shipped as a complete unit and requires minimal installation. To set up
the system, proceed as follows:

 Remove the machine from the shipping pallet and inspect it for any damage. Then move the
machine to its desired location, it is equipped with casters for easy movement.

 Lower the four adjustable levelers (1) to raise the machine off the casters and to your desired
height. Make sure that the seal pad is level.

 Connect the pneumatic assembly to your compressed air supply (2). The compressed air supply
must be capable of delivering 2 CFM at 80 PSI. Set system air pressure to 80 PSI (3).

 Plug the power cord into a dedicated, grounded 110/120 volt AC circuit with a minimum capacity of
20 amps. It is highly recommended that the electrical circuit be checked prior to installation to insure
adequate voltage is available to the machine.

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MACHINE CONTROLS
(LAYOUT AND DESCRIPTION)

MAIN POWER SWITCH

Turns the machine on and off.
MAIN CONTROL PANELS
 RS-5 Plus Digital Controller: Controls the functions of the sleeve wrapper.

 Emergency Stop

 The instructions for setting the machine controls are included with this manual. Please refer to these
instructions to set the functions of the system.

MACHINE CYCLE BUTTONS

Located on the sides of the infeed conveyor.

 CYCLE START BUTTONS: Both buttons must be pressed at the same time and held in until the
seal bar down in the sealing position.

SEAL BAR OPENING

HEIGHT LIMITING PINS

EMERGENCY STOP

RS-5 PLUS
CONTOLLER

INFEED CONVEYOR CYCLE START BUTTONS

ELECTRICAL BOX

AIR SUPPLY POWER SWITCH

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 MACHINE CONTROLS
(LAYOUT AND DESCRIPTION)

UPPER/LOWER FILM UNWIND CRADLES

 Hold single wound film. Film passes around a “Dancer Bar”, that, when lifted, actuates the film
unwind motors.

SEAL BAR
 Always on, temperature controlled Hot Knife style seal bar that cuts and seals upper and lower film
layers.

 Equipped with two safety sensors that will stop and reverse the motion of the seal bar if it makes
contact with an object in the seal area while the bar is being lowered.

PRODUCT SENSOR
 Detects product as it passes through the seal area and actuates the PTA conveyor to continue
carrying product until it is beyond the seal area.

UPPER FILM UNWIND

CRADLE

PRODUCT SENSOR
SEAL BAR

PRODUCT TAKE AWAY

CONVEYOR, (PTA)

LOWER FILM UNWIND

CRADLE

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RS-5+ FEATURES & START UP

The RS-5 Plus is a programmable digital controller

designed to control adjustable machine settings with
the easy to use control pad. The digital controller is
configured to control impulse or hot knife L Sealers 1
equipped with or without a shrink tunnel as well as
the Heat Seal sleeve wrapper.

MENU SCREEN (1) 2 3 4 5

The Menu Screen displays the programmed machine
settings.
NEXT (2)
The ‘NEXT’ button navigates through menu options.
DOWN/UP (3/4)
Both the ‘▼& ▲’ keys are used to make changes to individual variables within the menu options. By
pressing the ‘▲’ key, the value of the menu option will increase, and pressing the ’ ▼’ key will decrease
the value.
ESC (5)
The ‘ESC’ key gives the operator access to the parameters. When in the ‘RUN’, or home menu screen,
the ‘ESC’ key is used to access the parameters. To exit the parameter screen, the ‘ESC’ key is used to
return back to the ‘RUN’ screen. After 10 seconds of inactivity the display will automatically revert to the
‘RUN’ or home screen.

POWERING ON AND WARM UP

When the ON/OFF switch is ON, the machine is beginning the warming up process. This is the screen
that will show in the warm up mode:

 For Sleeve Wrapping Machines—the menu screen read ‘MACHINE ELEMENTS WARMING UP,
PLEASE WAIT’.
Upon reaching the temperature set points, the home screen will read ‘RUN’. The operator may now
begin the packaging process.

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OPERATING THE CONTROLLER

SEAL TIME
‘SEAL TIME’ is the amount of time the seal bar is held in the sealing position. This setting ranges from 0
(Off) to 2 (Max) seconds. The factory default setting is 1.2 second. Press the ‘▼or ▲’ keys to decrease
or increase the value of the menu option.

KNIFE TEMPERATURE
This menu option shows the temperature reading for the hot knife versus the setpoint. The first
temperature reading is the Set Point, the second temperature reading is the Actual temperature. The
factory default setting for the Set Point is 300°F, and the Max setting is 375°F. Press the ‘▼or ▲’ keys
to decrease or increase the value of the menu option.

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OPERATING THE CONTROLLER

PTA LOAD SPEED

The factory default setting for the PTA LOAD SPEED is set at 8 on a range from 0 (Off) to 20 (Fast).
Press the ‘▼or ▲’ keys to decrease or increase the value of the menu option. This setting determines
how quickly the conveyor runs when the product sensor is triggered.

PTA EJECT SPEED

The factory default setting for the PTA EJECT SPEED is set at 10 on a range from 0 (Off) to 20 (Fast).
Press the ‘▼or ▲’ keys to decrease or increase the value of the menu option. This setting determines
how quickly the conveyor carries the product away after a cut/seal.

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OPERATING THE CONTROLLER

CONVEYOR EJECT TIME

The CONVEYOR EJECT TIME is the time the sealing conveyor runs after the seal has been made to
transfer the product away from the seal area and/or into the Shrink Tunnel. The factory default setting is
5 seconds on a scale from 0 (Off) to 10 (Max) seconds. Press the ‘▼or ▲’ keys to decrease or increase
the value of the menu option.

LOAD STATE
When LOAD FILM STATE is turned on, the machine only allows the user to cycle the seal arm. The
conveyor is dormant and the upper and lower power film unwind motors are actuated by the proximity
switches only. The factory default setting is OFF. Press the ‘▼or ▲’ keys to alternate between ‘ON’ and
‘OFF’.

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OPERATING THE CONTROLLER

AUTOMATIC FILM FEED

When AUTOMATIC FILM FEED is turned on, the upper film unwind motor will begin feeding film when
the palm buttons are pressed to call the seal arm to descend. The motor will stop feeding when the seal
arm has completed its downward motion. Otherwise, both the upper and lower power film unwind motors
will feed film based upon when proximity sensors for each are tripped. The factory default setting is ON.
Press the ‘▼or ▲’ keys to alternate between ‘ON’ and ‘OFF’.

SEAL HEIGHT ADJUST

When SEAL HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT is turned on, the palm buttons may be used to lower the seal arm
without the arm retracting upwards once the buttons are released. This feature allows the operator to
relocate the pins used to control how far the seal arm raises. The factory default setting is OFF. Press
the ‘▼or ▲’ keys to alternate between ‘ON’ and ‘OFF’.

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OPERATING THE CONTROLLER

CYCLE COUNTER
This menu option is used to display the number of cycles the machine has successfully completed. The
counter may be reset by pressing the ‘▲’’key.

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RS-5 PLUS ALARMS

There are three alarms that can occur anytime the

controller is powered. The L Sealer will not operate
during any of these alarm conditions. The alarms will
1
show on the screen until the solution is fixed.

1. ‘KNIFE HEAT SIGNAL LOST, CHECK RTD’

 This alarm signals when the RTD for the
hot knife is disconnected or malfunctioning.

2. ‘OBSTRUCTION IN SEAL BAR PATH, PRESS UP

TO RESET’
2  This alarm signals when an object
interferes with the film clamps before the
film clamps hit the seal pad.

3. ‘MACHINE ELEMENT TEMPERATURE OUT OF

SPEC, PLEASE WAIT’
 This alarm will signal when the hot knife is
3 out of spec. ‘OUT OF SPEC’ refers to the
temperature being more than 15 °F above
or below the set point. This could mean
the heating element is still warming to
temperature, or there may be an issue with
the RTD or heating element. Call a local
Heat Seal distributor to properly diagnose
and fix this issue.

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PRELIMINARY SETUP

THREADING THE FILM

The sleeve wrapper/bundler utilizes two rolls of single wound bundling film and is equipped with upper
and lower powered film cradles. To thread the film from the upper cradle, proceed as follows:
UPPER FILM ROLL CRADLE
 Place a roll of film in the center of the upper cradle so that the edge of the film rolls out from the
bottom of the roll.

 Adjust the guide brackets and tighten the thumb screws to lock the brackets to the shaft. Leave about
1/8” clearance between brackets and the film roll.

 Pull about three feet of film from the roll to thread to rollers.

NOTE:
Please refer to the upper cradle diagram (below) as your guide. (Full Diagram is on upper film cradle of
machine on the film unwind power box)
(To thread Lower Film Cradle, see next page)

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PRELIMINARY SETUP

LOWER FILM ROLL CRADLE

 Place a roll of film in the center of the lower film cradle so that the film unwinds from the bottom of
the roll and towards the sealing bar.

 Adjust the guide brackets and tighten the thumb screws to lock the brackets to the shaft. Leave
about 1/8” clearance between the brackets and film roll.

 Pull about three feet of film from the film roller.

NOTE:
Refer to the threading diagram on the lower cradle (below) as a guide. (Full diagram is located on the
lower film cradle on the switch box for the film unwind)

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OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

SEALING THE FILM

 Pull about two to three feet of the upper and lower film webs through the sealing area.

 Then straighten out both ends of the film web and let them rest on the power take away conveyor and
the sealing pad, then simultaneously press the cycle start push buttons located on the sides of the
infeed conveyor to activate the sealing process to close the end of the film web to prepare film for
wrapping.

 After the sealing bar has sealed and cut the film and returned to its open position, inspect the seal
quality on the film web. If the seal is unsatisfactory, adjust the seal temperature and time, but only one
setting at a time to insure that the minimum settings are used.

 If the seal temperature is adjusted, be sure to allow the seal bar sufficient time to reach the new
settings before activating the sealing process.

 To begin sealing your products, place the items to be wrapped neatly onto the infeed rollers in front of
the sealed film web.

HOW TO PACKAGE A BUNDLE

 After placing the bundle to be wrapped onto the Infeed rollers, slide the bundle onto the Outfeed
conveyor. Once the bundle is detected by the product sensor the PTA conveyor will start running.
Continue pushing the bundle until it is properly supported by the PTA conveyor. Once the bundle is
passes the product sensor the conveyor will stop.

[IF THE PTA CONVEYOR DOES NOT START WHEN PUSHING THE BUNDLE THOUGH
THE SEAL AREA THE CYCLE NEEDS TO BE RESET. THIS CAN BE DOWN BY PERFORMING A
SEAL CYCLE OR BY TURNING ON AND THEN OFF THE FILM LOADING OR SEAL HEIGHT
ADJUSTMENT STATES]

 Check that the hot knife has warmed to the preset sealing temperature. Adjust using the RS-5 Plus
Digital Controller only if the seal made is unsatisfactory for your needs.

 Then press the start buttons on the side of the Infeed platform to start the cycle. The seal bar comes
down and seals the open end of the film leaving it ready for the next bundle.

 Once the open end has been sealed, the PTA conveyor will move the bundle at a preset rate to the
end and either shrink the wrap in a shrink tunnel or the package can be moved by a gravity
conveyor to its next destination.

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MAINTENANCE & CLEANING

To extend the life of the bundler/wrapper, occasional maintenance should be performed to keep the ma-
chine running smoothly. The following are regular maintenance suggestions:

Knife Blade and Seal Bar:

Clean daily with a clean, soft and damp cloth while the seal bar assembly is warm.

Seal Pad:
Clean daily with a clean, soft cloth.

Infeed/Outfeed conveyors:
Clean daily with a clean, soft cloth and degreaser.

Base, Uprights and Rollers:

Clean weekly with a multi purpose cleaner.

Linear Bearings:
Lubricate bearings every 6 months.

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TROUBLESHOOTING

PROBLEM: Film Roll Overruns

Possible Solution: A.) Check for proper film threading.
B.) Check for excess film sag along path.

PROBLEM: Too Much Film Roll Tension

Possible Solution: A.) Check for proper film threading.
B.) Readjust the film roll guide collars.

PROBLEM: Incomplete Cut

Possible Solution: A.) Check and clean the knife insert.
B.) Check and replace the seal pad and Non-Stick tape.
C.) Check for even arm pressure.
D.) Increase the seal time.
E.) Increase the seal temperature.

PROBLEM: Incomplete or Weak Seal

Possible Solution: A.) Check and clean the knife insert.
B.) Check the seal pad and Non-Stick tape.
C.) Check for proper film threading.
D.) Slow the speed that the seal bar closes.
F.) Increase the seal time.
H.) Increase the seal temperature.

PROBLEM: Seal Bar Assembly Reverses Before Sealing

Possible Solution: A.) Reduce film tension.
B.) Cycle start switch is too low.
C.) Slow the speed that the seal bar closes.
D.) Check and adjust the film clamp switches.

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