New Upgrade for AirPouch® Express 3™ Void-Fill System

Reduces Maintenance by Eliminating Common Wear Item

STREETSBORO, OH – June 9, 2009 – The AirPouch® Division of Automated Packaging Systems has introduced a new engineering upgrade that eliminates the need for a common wear item found on void-fill air pillow systems. An innovative engineering design has replaced the cutting knife that these systems use to slit the film material just prior to filling each pillow with air.

Now, a new vertical perforating process used exclusively in the manufacture of the preformed AirPouch pillows allows the Express 3™ Void-fill system to run without a knife, therefore significantly extending the length of time between  

maintenance cycles. This engineering upgrade makes the AirPouch Express 3 the most reliable and productive void-fill air pillow system available.

This engineering upgrade is available for units currently installed, and all new AirPouch Express 3 Void-fill Systems will now come standard with the unique knifeless system design. Overall performance specifications for speed and ease of operation remain the same.

“The cutting knives used in preformed air pillow systems tend to get dull under high usage, and can require replacement as often as four times per month in larger applications,” says Dan Fogg, Director of Operations for AirPouch. “The AirPouch Express 3 System has been a very reliable product and this engineering improvement further extends its best-in-class performance,” Fogg added.

The AirPouch Express 3 is a portable, tabletop unit that produces strips of air pillows at speeds of more than 50 feet per minute. This compact system weighs 35 pounds and has a footprint of 21” x 9”, making it one of the most versatile and user-friendly packing systems on the market. The Express 3 system is quiet and its all electric design requires no compressed air to operate. AirPouch pillows are available in sizes 8 or 10 inches wide and a variety of standard lengths. AirPouch uses EarthAware™ Biodegradable LLDPE and Recycled Film.