Automatic aluminum tube bagging and stacking line

Executive summary

An automatic aluminum tube bagging and stacking line seals each tube in its own film bag, then a gantry stacks the bagged tubes layer by layer, with no hand contact on the finished surface. Bagging protects anodized and polished tubes from scratches and dust; automatic stacking removes the step where most of those scratches happen. This page covers the bagging cycle, film and bag sizing, stacking geometry and the buyer checklist.

Bagged aluminum tubes build up layer by layer inside a yellow mesh-fenced cell. Above them, a gantry with a row of grippers picks each layer from the infeed table and sets it on the stack, while long tubes wait on the roller conveyor beside the cell.

Table of Contents

• Why bag each tube
• The line cycle
• Bagger ranges
• Bag width and output
• Stacking geometry
• Selection checklist
• Safety
• Engineering FAQ
• Next step
• Related reading
• Sources

Why bag each tube

Aluminum tube for furniture, frames and fittings is sold on its surface. Tubes rubbing against each other in a bundle leave marks that customers reject. A sealed bag per tube keeps the surface apart from its neighbors, keeps dust out, and lets the bundle be handled without paper interleaving.

The line cycle

1. Infeed: tubes arrive one by one on the roller conveyor.
2. Bagging: the bagger forms a film tube around each tube, and the bag is sealed automatically at a precisely controlled sealing temperature.
3. Count: bagged tubes are counted into a layer on the gathering table.
4. Stack: the gantry picks the layer with soft-contact grippers and places it in the stack, layer by layer; timber can be fed between layers.
5. Out: the full stack or basket is released, and an empty basket is loaded automatically.

Why not magnets? Aluminum is not magnetic, so the electromagnetic chuck stacking used on our steel pipe lines does not apply. The gantry uses soft-contact mechanical grippers instead; gripper pads and the bag seal method are matched to your tube finish and confirmed at quote.

PLC control, inverter speed adjustment and manual or automatic modes run the whole line from one panel.

Bagger ranges

Larger tube sizes, other lengths and the stacking pattern are confirmed at quote.

Bag width and output

Bag lay-flat width ≥ π × tube OD ÷ 2, plus seal and clearance. A 50 mm tube has a circumference of π × 50 ≈ 157 mm, so the flat bag must be at least 79 mm wide before the seal allowance (example only). Too tight and the tube drags in the film; too loose and the bag wrinkles.

Output = bagging speed ÷ tube length. At 30 m/min with 6 m tubes, the bagger passes 5 tubes per minute, or about 300 per hour, before gaps between tubes (example only).

Stacking geometry

Tubes per layer = stack width ÷ tube OD. A 600 mm wide stack of 50 mm tubes holds 12 tubes per layer. If layers nest into each other, the layer pitch is about 50 × 0.866 = 43 mm; square layers on timber stay at 50 mm plus timber (example only). Ten layers of 12 give 120 tubes per stack. Nested stacks are denser; square stacks with timber are easier to unload by forklift.

Selection checklist

1. Tube OD, wall, length and finish?
2. Film type and thickness?
3. Required output in tubes per hour?
4. Stack size, pattern and tubes per layer?
5. Timber between layers, or basket stacking?
6. Link to an existing cutting or anodising line?

Safety

The line is designed to EN ISO 12100:2010 for risk assessment, EN 415-10 for packaging machine safety and EN 60204-1 for electrical equipment. The gantry and grippers are the main hazards, so the stacking cell is fenced with interlocked doors. The bagger has sensors and mechanical stoppers, and the motors have over-current protection.

Engineering FAQ

Q: What film does the bagger use? A: BOPP or PE film, 30–60 micron thick.

Q: What tube sizes does it bag? A: Our bagger handles 9.5–50 mm OD and 6,000 mm length; other sizes are confirmed at quote.

Q: How are the tubes stacked? A: A gantry picks each counted layer with soft-contact grippers and stacks it layer by layer.

Q: Can it put timber between layers? A: Yes, automatic timber feeding is available on our stacking machines.

Next step

1. Send your tube sizes, lengths, finish and output to info@fhopepack.com.
2. We size the bagger, counting table and stacker.
3. We reply within 24 hours with a proposal and quotation.

Related reading

• Aluminum profile stacking machine (product)
• Aluminum profile stacker (product)
• Pipe bagging machine (product)
• Automatic aluminum film applicator and bag packing line
• Aluminum profile bundle bag packing machine

Sources

• FHOPE product pages: automatic aluminum profile bagging machine; aluminum profile stacking machine
• EN ISO 12100:2010; EN 415-10; EN 60204-1
• The aluminum tube bagging and stacking line shown above

Last reviewed: 2026-10-20