As the economy is still fighting to recover, I'm encountering more and more customers with questions about equipment which they've bought second-hand.  I was recently at a customer who purchased a unit which originally shipped in 1993.  Questions arose about whether the system would work for their closure, if parts are still available, and how much would it cost to get the unit up and running. 

The answers were:  Yes, it should work.  Yes, that unit is still fully supported.  And (in their case), it will cost close to half of the price of a new unit to get it up to snuff.

I get plenty of phone calls each month about the same thing.  The good news is any unit with a digital meter is still fully supported.  If the unit has an analog meter, you could run into trouble in case of a failure.  WE can't even get most of the parts any more.  Don't get me wrong....Our older systems still give quality seals, but I'll give an analogy using video game systems.  Just because I have a working Atari 2600 at home, it didn't stop me from buying a Wii. 

There are several advantages of going with new rather than used.  First, we will work with you to determine the best sealer for your specific needs.  Second, our top-rated support team is ready to help you with any challenge.  Support includes help with setup, installation, seal questions, or any 'silly' questions you may have.  (Believe me, I've heard them all!)  One big advantage of new equipment is that the system will have a full warranty.  Used equipment makes me nervous....You never know how the last owner took care of the unit.

But, if you are in a position where you are looking for used units, please contact us and let us know what system you are looking at.  If you have the serial number, we can tell you the unit type, original ship date, and the sealing head it originally shipped with.  We do have the occasional used unit here and may be able to offer you a comparable deal.  Plus, the unit will have been gone through by our service technicians, so you will have the peace of mind knowing that it is in fine shape.  Of course, we'll also be more than happy to give you a quote on a new system!

We all know that change-over time is becoming more and more critical every day. Enercon has paid close attention to the ways we can minimize your time required to switch from producing one package to the next.

Our versatile All-in-One universal sealing head is designed specifically to be able to seal standard closures from a 28mm to 120mm in diameter. Ever our standard sealing heads ared designed to fit a targeted range of closures that many packagers tend to fit in.

Say you have a variety of different size and style closures and cannot get away with just using one sealing head, we've thought about that too. Changing over a sealing head takes about 10 minutes tops and you can do it in these simple steps:

1. Locate the four allen head screws that attach the sealing head to the mount bars. There are two on the front and two in the back.
2. These screws can be removed using a 4 mm allen wrench. Make sure to support the bottom of the sealing head before removing the final screw.  Failure to do so may result in the coil dropping, risking damage to the sealing head.
3. Once all screws are removed, gently wiggle the sealing head loose in a downward direction.  Be sure to have a firm grip on the coil.
4. Place this sealing head off to the side.
5. Install your sealing head of choice by reversing this procedure.

A few weeks ago I mentioned in my blog "What do I do if I have leaking caps" how critical the alignment of the induction sealer is to insuring the consistency of seals. I frequently get asked, "What is the proper way to align my sealer?"

Here is how I go about setting a system up. First, make sure the bottles track down the center of the head. Adjust any guide rails as necessary and lock them into place. Adjust the unit and sealing head to make sure it is parallel to the conveyor. It doesn't matter if the sealer is level, so long as the head is level with respect to the conveyor. Then, set the gap between the top of the bottle and the sealing head to 1/8". Verify that the gap is consistent for the whole length of the head.

Of course, there are a few exceptions to the above setup. For a Universal head, perform the above steps. Then, pivot the head to the proper position for your closure, using the markings on the head as reference. For Deep tunnel heads, there are extra labels indicating the foil height on the sides of the head. Get the foil as close to the height of those markings as you are able instead of worrying about the 1/8" air gap. The rest is all the same.

For a more in-depth description of the above steps, check out "Positioning Your Sealing Head."

As an additional note, I recommend checking the alignment every shift change, every product change, and especially every package change. Most of the time there will be no need of adjustment. But should you find something out of line, you can potentially save lots of rework or discarded product. This is a great way to set yourself up for success!

Several years ago, one of our salesmen told me, "Without the Sales Department, you'd be out of a job." I quickly responded with, "True—But without the Service Department, you might not get the next sale at a customer."

When was the last time you received excellent service? I'll bet you have to think about it. Now, when was the last time you received poor service? You can probably rattle off the entire story of that experience and also will warn everyone about what you went through. Why is good service so hard to come by and, more importantly, what is Enercon doing to make sure you receive top-of-the-class support?

First, we have real live people manning the phones 24/7. Call (262) 255-6070 during business hours and you can talk to anyone who is in. We'll handle any question you may have, ranging from technical things to application issues to 'silly' questions. If you call after hours, we have a rotating group of experienced service engineers who can help you out. (I'm the rookie of that group, with *only* 12 years at Enercon!)

We strive to minimize your down time-if something should go wrong with a system. If you know what parts you need, we can usually ship them out the same day. Most equipment sent in can be repaired and shipped out two business days after we receive it. If that's not fast enough for you, we have field engineers who can perform on-site troubleshooting and repair. They are also available for start-up assistance, preventative maintenance, and training.

Of course, for you do-it-yourself types, we have a wealth of service information on our website. You can also e-mail questions directly to our Service Department.

So, give us a call sometime. I look forward to it!

One of the great things about the equipment that we sell is that it keeps getting easier to use and maintain.  That doesn't mean that you're off the hook completely on maintenance, though! Luckily, our air-cooled systems really only have one thing that needs to be done regularly.  Underneath the power supply are some cooling fans.  Those fans need to be inspected to make sure they are clean and rotating freely.  Depending on your atmosphere and product, you may just have to blow the fans off with compressed air.  In extreme environments, you may have to use a brush and some cleaning fluid.  If you remove the sealing heads from the unit, it make the fans much more accessible.

Of course, the next question you'll ask is:  "How often so I need to do this?"  It depends on your particular setup.  I usually suggest to start by checking the fans quarterly.  Based on how they look, you can adjust your check frequency from there.  I see equipment in for repair every week from customers who never check on the fans, and it always amazes me how much they pay for a repair which could have been prevented with 15 minutes of prevention.