Clipping machines 

Clipping machines are devices which apply staples, clips, or adhesive to the edges of packaging for food products. They work on either a pneumatic or manual basis. They serve to pack products into netting or bags by clamping the package ends closed. Use of a clipping machine ensures that product packaging can be sealed shut in a fast, reliable, and convenient way. These machines are easy to use, robust, and compact, and they also help reduce packaging time and increase products’ shelf life.

Their highly sanitary stainless-steel design, with smooth surfaces and readily accessible areas, means that they can be cleaned easy and thoroughly. Maximum safety and ease of operation are a key focus of their design.

Synonyms: clipper, pressing machine, professional clipping machine, clipping and packaging machine, sausage clipper, clipper for bread, packaging of food products.

In the food industry clipping devices are used for packaging sausages, bread, fruits and vegetables, minced meat, butter, condensed milk, cheese, and ice cream. Bakeries and catering businesses can use clipping machines for packaging baked goods and confectionery products.

How a clipping machine for bread works: the machine uses the action of compressed air to feed out a spool, cut the clip to a given length, and close the clip around the bag. The machine is straightforward and requires minimal maintenance – just lubrication once a month.

The clipping machine for sausages allows you to fasten steel clips around a sausage casing and then cut off the end of the casing. With the help of a clipping machine for sausages, even a small family business can produce and package meat products. The device consists of a control handle, a guide with brackets and weight, an adjusting screw, and a supporting frame with a notch in it for a punch.

A manually operated clipping machine for sausages can also be used to seal packaging containing minced meat or poultry. Polyethylene packaging seals tightly, and therefore the product will enjoy a long shelf life.

Clipping machines can work with various types of casings, from 40 to 120 mm in diameter. In general they apply welded joints for natural casings or round fasteners for artificial casings.

Types of clipping machines

These pieces of equipment differ in how their mechanism is driven, in their output, and in their size (tabletop clipping machine, industrial machine, etc.).

Manual clipping machine

This machine operates in a fully manual mode. The device itself consists of a stapler press, which has grips for manual tension. To seal the product in the packaging, a clip must be inserted. Manual clipping machines can be divided into pneumatic and muscle-powered types. Pneumatic drive makes a clipping machine much easier to operate. In home-based businesses and small enterprises, muscle-powered machines are often used

The manually operated machine is driven by human effort, which is transmitted by a crank and connecting rod to the movable press. The operator must perform a single smooth movement until reaching the stop, and the force is transferred to move the punch and apply a clip.

For each new type of casing used, the machine must be adjusted. Manual clipping machines allow you to reliably crimp any packaging using adhesive tape. Such packaging for products is particularly simple and lightweight. Adhesive guarantees a hermetic seal of the greatest strength.

Semiautomatic clipping machines

This type of machine is the most versatile. It is equipped with a pneumatic drive and a manual lever. How it works: when the lever is pressed, a pneumatic actuator presses a clip around the packaging.

To automate this process, the clipping machine can be connected to an additional device, which will make your whole packaging process significantly smoother. This means that each function will be activated in turn: the product is fed, the clipping machine does its work, and then the packaging is done.

Automatic clipping machine

This type of machine is used in large enterprises with continuously running production lines, for example, for packaging sausages, soft cheeses, butter, etc.

In this automatic mode of operation, a loop is fed, crimped, and then cut. These machines provide great time savings and allow you to speed up your package-sealing process by tenfold.

Tabletop clipping machine

This type of machine can be used in small enterprises or home businesses; these clippers are rarely used in large enterprises. Its main advantage is its low cost compared to semiautomatic or automatic models.

Tabletop clipping machines come in two types: single clippers and double clippers. However, with these machines only the fastening process can be mechanized. These devices can also be used for packaging loose and bulky products, vegetables, etc.

Benefits of these machines

Clipping machines offer a number of advantages, the biggest of which is that they save time when packaging products. These devices allow you to speed up the process of packaging your goods in the production line or even fully automate the entire process. Thanks to these high-quality clipping machines, your products will be hermetically sealed and their shelf life will be extended.

Clips for clipping machines come in different versions for different kinds of casings, for natural or collagen casings, for protein-based casings, as well as for sausage nets:

Cellulose casings, 45–60 mm in diameter;

Fibrous casings, 45–110 mm in diameter;

Synthetic casings from polyamide, 45–85 mm in diameter;

Artificial casings made from PVDC, 45–85 mm in diameter;

Natural thick-walled casings;

Linen casings, up to 110 (120) mm in diameter;

Skin casings, up to 90 mm in diameter.