Packaging

Air Preparation, Valves and Pumps for Packaging Machinery

Case erectors, cartoners, form-fill-seal machines, labelers and palletizers all run on compressed air, and most of them cycle many times a minute. Each stroke depends on air arriving clean and at a steady pressure: a sagging supply slows cylinders and throws off timing, and dirt or water in the line wears valves and blocks the small passages in vacuum generators. The ARO range on this page is sized for that machine-level work, with filters, regulators, filter-regulators, lubricators and pre-assembled FRL combinations from 1/8" to 1/2", low-pressure regulator ranges for light-touch motion, in-line valves for cycle timing, and Compact Series diaphragm pumps for glue, ink, solvent and cleaning fluids.

One Air Station per Machine

Plant air often travels a long way from the compressor before it reaches a packaging line, picking up pipe scale and condensate and losing pressure on the way. A dedicated air preparation station at the machine inlet is its last line of protection, and on most packaging equipment it has the same few components:

• Filter Removes particles and liquid water that the distribution piping adds. 5 micron particulate filters here run from the 1/8" F35111-400 (38 SCFM) to the 1/2" F35341-411 (197 SCFM).
• Regulator Holds the machine at one pressure whatever the plant header is doing, so cylinder force and speed stay the same from shift to shift. Regulators and filter-regulators with a gauge (suffixes starting with 6, such as -600) let operators confirm the setting at a glance.
• Lubricator Adds oil mist for valves, cylinders and air motors that are specified for lubricated air. Lubricators here cover 1/8" (32 SCFM) to 1/2" (L36341-110, 156 SCFM).
• Filter-regulator or combination A piggyback filter-regulator, or a pre-assembled 2-piece or 3-piece combination, puts the whole station in one compact assembly that is simple to mount on a machine frame.

Size for Peak Demand, Not the Average

Average air consumption on a packaging machine is misleading. When several cylinders extend at the same moment, demand spikes, and an undersized station lets pressure sag exactly when the machine needs it most. Size the station for that peak. Because air passes through every stage of a combination unit, its rating is well below that of a single component of the same port size:

Reading a Combination Unit Part Number

On the ARO-Flo 1500 and 2000 Series combination units on this page, the three digits after the dash describe the build:

• First digit 6 = 2-piece (filter-regulator plus lubricator), 8 = 3-piece (separate filter, regulator and lubricator)
• Second digit 0 = poly bowl, 150 psi maximum inlet; 1 = metal bowl, 250 psi maximum inlet
• Third digit 0 = manual drain, 1 = automatic drain

C38341-811, for example, is a 1/2" 3-piece unit with metal bowls and an automatic drain. On a line that runs around the clock, an automatic drain saves an operator from opening the bowl by hand every shift.

Low-Pressure Ranges for Light-Touch Motion

Not every motion on a packaging line needs full plant pressure. Positioning a carton, guiding film or pressing a label needs a light, controllable force, and a regulator whose range sits close to that working pressure makes the setting easier to find and hold. Alongside the standard 0–140 psi models, this range includes:

Finer Filtration for Vacuum Generators and Small Valves

Venturi vacuum generators on pick-and-place heads and the small valves that drive them have very fine internal passages, and oil aerosols or fine particles gradually block them, weakening grip and slowing response. A 0.3 micron coalescing filter after the particulate stage protects these branches:

Valves That Set Cycle Timing

Once the air is clean and regulated, ARO In-Line Composite valves tune how each motion behaves, which is often where a line's cycle time is won or lost.

• Flow control Sets how fast each cylinder extends or retracts, so pushers, gates and transfer arms move in step. 1/8" to 3/4", from 18 SCFM (104104-F01) to 100 SCFM (104104-F06).
• Needle Meters small, steady flows for blow-off jets and purge lines. Uni-directional, from 18 SCFM at 1/8" to 100 SCFM at 3/4", including the stainless-needle 104104-NS2.
• Check Lets air pass one way and blocks backflow, for example to hold pressure in part of a circuit. 1/8" to 1/2", from 18 SCFM (104104-C01) to 90 SCFM (104104-C04).

Pumps for Glue, Ink, Solvent and Cleaning Fluids

Corrugate, carton and flexible packaging production moves a lot of fluid besides air: adhesive to the glue station, ink to the printer, solvent for cleaning and flushing, and on a lubricant packaging machine, the oil being filled. Compact Series 1/2" air-operated double diaphragm pumps run on the same plant air as the machines, self-prime and pass small solids, which suits feeding individual machines. The right model depends on the fluid:

Frequently Asked Questions

Steady Air, Steady Cycle Times

On a packaging line, air quality and pressure show up directly in output: in how consistently cartons fold, labels land and seals close. Sizing each machine's air station for its peak demand, matching regulator ranges to the motion, and protecting vacuum and valve branches with finer filtration keeps that output steady from the first shift to the last.

Order the packaging range above, or browse all ARO combination units, piggybacks, regulators, filters, lubricators, flow control and needle valves and diaphragm pumps. For plant-wide air distribution and larger 3/4" and 1" units, see general manufacturing, and for food packaging lines, food and beverage.