Indian Journal of Fibre & Textile Research
Vol. 33, March 2008, pp. 93-96
Design of an automatic parallel type jute bag hemming, feeding to stitching machines, mid-folding
making machine of bags and herackle stitching are carried out
manually. Hence, the existing system cannot avoid the
Abhijit Mahapatraa, Umesh S Patkar & drawbacks in the manufacturing of jute bags. Firstly,
Rajesh W Lanjewar the quality production rate depends on the efficiency
Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, and willingness of the operators. Secondly, the above-
Durgapur 713 209, India mentioned operations are labour intensive. Thirdly,
and the manufacturing plant occupies large floor area. To
Shibendu Shekhar Roy overcome these drawbacks, fully automated bag
making machines have been a long felt need.
National Institute of Technology, Durgapur 713 209, India
However, from prior art details, it is found that there
Revised received 3 July 2007; accepted 20 September 2007
is no exclusive machine of this type specified for bag
An attempt has been made to design a jute bag making making which is capable of doing all operations right
machine in which all operations, like fabric cutting, hemming, from mouth hemming with edge folding to parallel
mid-folding and herackle stitching, are carried out automatically side stitching in a single set up automatically in a
in a single setup to produce parallel type jute bags of industrial
standards. The salient design features of indigenously developed
synchronized manner. However, there are few designs
first prototype of an automatic jute bag making machine have of semi-automatic or partly automatic machine for
been described. The proposed machine comprises four major making bags from plastic mesh, fabric, cloth, etc. One
units, like fabric cutting and conveying unit, simultaneous mouth US patent 1 discloses a bag making machine wherein
edge folding and stitching unit, mid folding and material guidance bag is made from flat tubular web of plastic. Another
unit, and simultaneous parallel side stitching unit. The motor
drives, sensors and actuators are synchronized and automated by US patent 2 describes a bag stitching machine wherein
programmable logic controller. The proposed machine can a fabric material is transported to a fixed sewing
produce bags of uniform quality with mouth edge folded, hemmed machine. Here, one seam of the bag is sewn followed
and parallel side stitched in one single integrated setup at higher by transportation at 90° for sewing of next seam. Such
productivity compared to present manual system.
types of bags are commonly known as ‘L’ type bags.
Keywords: Actuator, Jute bag, Parallel type bag, Programmable This machine is not suitable for parallel sides stitched
logic controller, Sensor and mouth hemmed bag that is commonly known as
IPC Code: Int. Cl.8 D05B parallel type bag. Other related patents3,4 show an
apparatus for producing pillowcases, bags and the like
Jute bags are being preferred to replace plastic bags wherein continuous material is cut into individual
for packaging of agricultural products, like sugar, sections before folding. The bags are sewn by moving
vegetable and fruits, because of growing awareness sewing machines. This system may be suitable for
about the harmful effects of plastic bags. The present manufacturing pillowcases and bag made of stiffer
demand of jute bags cannot be met with the existing fabric but not suitable for manufacture of jute bags of
state-of-the-art followed in jute industries for bag the intended specifications from coarse and less stiff
making because the bags are manufactured by stand- jute fabric. The machine does not have any provision
alone cutting and sewing machine with the help of for mouth edge folding which is essential for the
number of operators and helpers. An industrial survey parallel type jute bag. Another patent 5 shows the bag
reveals that a balanced setup for making parallel type making machine in which the fabric material is
jute bags consists of one shear cutting machine, unwound and folded before being taken to other
twelve numbers of single needle double thread chain operations, such as cutting and two side stitching. In
stitching machines and six machines for single needle this machine, simultaneous hemming and parallel
double thread overlock stitching. All operation, such sides stitching are not possible. Hence, this machine is
as material movement, edge folding or mouth not suitable for producing parallel type bags.
___________
a
To whom all the correspondence should be addressed. Therefore, in the present work, an indigenous
E-mail: [email protected] parallel type jute bag making machine has been
94 INDIAN J. FIBRE TEXT. RES., MARCH 2008
designed to provide integration of sequential process
through computerized control in order to achieve full
automation. This will facilitate manufacturing of
parallel type jute bags in a single setup from
continuous supply of fabric material by controlled
process of unwinding, cutting of fabric to required
length, simultaneous both edge folding and stitching
to form hemmed mouth followed by mid-folding and
parallel side stitching.
Description of New Machine
The machine (Fig. 1a) comprises several
successively arranged work stations, namely cutting
station, hemming station and herackle station at which
various operations are performed in the manufacture
of the bags. The process starts at cutting station where
a bale of fabric roll is wound on the mandrel (1). The
availability of feedstock is monitored by a photo
sensor and controlled by programmable controller
(PLC). The fabric is unwound continuously from the
fabric roll at required feed rate by the pull of two
rubberized rollers of feed roller assembly (2). Then
the fabric is made to pass through the guide roller
assembly (3) and dancing roller assembly (4) that
minimizes the misalignment and maintain required
tension in the fabric. The conveyor assembly I (5)
consists of a set of top and bottom flat belts running
over two pairs of rollers respectively to pull the fabric
intermittently. This assembly ensures perfect tension
in the fabric material and aid smooth flow of the
fabric. The fabric flows underneath the top shearing
blade in shearing assembly (6). The infrared sensor Fig. 1 — (a) Schematic view and (b) perspective view of
automatic jute bag making machine [1-mandrel, 2-feed roller
positioned on the grippers of gripper assembly I (7) assembly, 3-guide roller assembly, 4-dancing roller assembly,
senses the fabric end and actuates the pneumatic 5-conveyor assembly I, 6-shearing assembly, 7-gripper assembly
grippers to grip the fabric and pull it. The I, 8-gripper assembly II, 9-stitching machines and 10-mid-folding
pneumatically actuated gripper slides on a pair of rail unit]
and is connected to a motor driven timing belt for
back and forth motion. After a required length of the the fabric moves through a set of top and bottom
fabric is pulled by the gripper (as indicated by conveyor belts in the hemming station, the edges pass
position sensor), the pneumatic cylinder attached to through simultaneous multi-edge folding and stitching
the top blade of shearing assembly is actuated. The unit. In the mean time, the pair of gripper of cutting
top blade shears off the fabric on the edge of the station returns back to its home position at twice the
bottom blade. The cut length fabric is pulled further speed of the forward movement.
till the gripper position reaches another infrared In hemming station, as the fabric comes out of edge
sensor such that the cut fabric is aligned with the folder device, fabric edges get folded and at the
hemming station (in transverse direction with respect entrance to the stitching unit, the appropriate sensor
to the cutting station). The grippers of gripper enacts the single needle two threaded chain stitching
assembly I (7) releases the fabric after the material is machines (9) to operate in tandem so that both the
sensed by infrared sensors positioned on the second folded edges are chain stitched at a pitch of 10 mm.
pair of grippers of gripper assembly II (8). The cut The stroke of stitching units and speed of material
length fabric is transferred to the hemming station. As movement are synchronized to ensure smooth
SHORT COMMUNICATION 95
functioning all along the process. After stitching, the Total power consumption : 6.0 kW
thread cutter sensor senses the position of the fabric Overall size : 6000×3000×1750 mm
and actuates the thread cutter. The extended thread Output from the machine : Mouth edge folded hemmed and
parallel side stitched bag
from the fabric is cut and the hemmed fabric moves
Size of the bag : 940mm × 570mm
into the mid-folding unit (10). If there is thread
breakage during stitching of edges, the thread The proposed machine (Fig. 1b) is provided with a
breakage sensor operates and brings the system to a unique design of automatic edge folding of the jute
halt. When the hemmed stitched material is perfectly fabric with the help of spiral shaped tapered dual edge
aligned in the mid-folding zone, the gripper releases folder at simultaneous multi-edge folding and
and the position sensor in the mid-folding unit stitching unit. Also the mid-folding unit, which folds
actuates the solenoid of the pneumatic cylinders. The the jute fabric automatically, and the material
vertical plunger cum mid-folder, actuated by guidance are some of the unique features in the
pneumatic cylinder, moves downward. The mid- design.
folding arrangement is so designed such that the set of A comparative study of the proposed system and
spring loaded rollers holds the material under tension. present system has been made. Based on the industrial
As the plunger descends vertically, it folds the survey, in the present system a total of 12 manpower
material exactly at the mid portion of the fabric. The is involved for manufacture of single line production
folded fabric is pushed in between conveyors of mid- facility jute bags of given specification. The total time
folding unit and is then carried downward in the consumed for the production of one bag per man is
longitudinal direction to the herackle station. approximately 75 s and the total bags produced per
In the herackle station, the top and bottom man per hour is approximately 48 bags.
conveyor belts pull, press and orient the fabric in
In the proposed system, the independent operations
longitudinal direction. As the fabric reaches the
are synchronized to perform sequential operations
stitching unit, the sensors are activated for switching
through PLC. The total cycle time programmed to
on a pair of over-lock sewing machines to perform
produce one bag of similar kind is 24 s, i.e. the total
over-lock stitching operations at 12 mm pitch on both
cycle time per bag per man will be approximately
the parallel edges. Similar to hemming stitching head,
24 s. The total bags produced per man per hour will
the combination of thread breakage and thread cutting
be approximately 150 bags. The proposed machine
sensors will ensure proper functioning of the process.
has the following advantages: (i) the bags will be
The combination of 6 motor drives (3 phase AC) with
produced with all operations automated in a
frequency controllers, 13 pneumatic actuators and 53
single continuous line of production, (ii) the
sensors at various positions (provide a perfect feed
productivity of the proposed machine will be three
back signal to PLC) in the machine is synchronized
times more that of the manual process in terms of per
and automated by PLC to form a complete bag. It is to
man hour, (iii) the quality of the bag will be high and
be noted that the entire operation for producing a bag
consistent due to elimination of human intervention,
is performed through closed loop control system with
(iv) the machine requires one operator and a helper
flexibility for various interactive modes of operation,
for the whole operation, and (v) the machine is energy
such as fully automatic, semi-automatic and manual
efficient and occupies comparatively less floor space
mode.
area.
The key features and specifications of the
developed prototype are: The developed automatic machine will provide
complete solutions for appropriate mechanization and
Type of input material : Jute fabric roll
synchronization to minimize manual operation and
Width of the jute fabric : 570 mm
the drawbacks present in the manual operations for
making jute bags. The new machine will provide
Type of edge fold : Dual fold
uniform quality of mouth edge folded, hemmed and
Pitch of chain stitch at mouth
hemmed
parallel side stitched machine in one single integrated
: 10 mm
machine at more than 3 times higher productivity
Pitch of over-lock stitch at compared to present system and most importantly will
parallel side : 12 mm reduce manpower requirement to a single person for
Number of bags per hour : 150 complete operation.
96 INDIAN J. FIBRE TEXT. RES., MARCH 2008
Acknowledgement 2 Berg Harold Bernard, Bag stitching machine, US Pat 3459142
The authors gratefully acknowledge the hard work (to Burd, Maccachron, Bradddock, Bartz & Schwarty), 5
August 1969.
put by Mr S Muralidhar, Dr N P Mukherjee and other
team members for the development of this machine. 3 Elwyn D Jones, Robert Lauzon & Bruno Wetter, Bag folding
The authors are also grateful to National Centre for machine, US Pat 4840609 (to Glopak Inc., Montreal, CA), 20
June 1989.
Jute Diversification, Kolkata for their financial
support and to Ghanashyam Singh Lotey (GSL) 4 Gregory A Ball, Byron E Moore & Hoyt W Beam, Apparatus
Textile, Ludhiana, for manufacturing the prototype. for fabricating pillowcases, US Pat 4621585 (to Cannon Mills
Company ‘Kannapolis, NC), 11 November 1986.
References 5 Scott A Brewer & David E Frye, Bag making machine,
1 Takeo Yanai, Bag making machine, US Pat 5009740 (to US Pat 5590612 (to Wagner & Middlebrook ), 7 January
Nippon Flute Co., Ltd., Irumagun, Japan), 23 April 1991. 1997.
