A Guide to Simmons’ Packaging Knives

If you’ve bought blades from Simmons before, you know that we manufacture bandknife and bandsaw blades for applications like foam, bread, meat, and produce. What you might not know is that Simmons is also a provider of high-quality packaging knives for end-of-line operations. If you think that makes us the perfect industrial blade partner who can support your cutting operations from start to finish, well, who are we to say otherwise?

Unlike the usual high-end, expensive knives that require frequent changing, our knives are made from state-of-the-art materials such as D2 HCHC, M2 HSS, M4 HSS, M42 HSS, powdered metal, and solid carbide. In case you were wondering why that matters, using premium materials results in longer blade life, which reduces the rate of changeovers and helps maximize productivity.

Knives for Vertical Form, Fill & Seal Machines

Simmons regularly stocks standard packaging knives for Vertical Form, Fill & Seal machines, including bagger knives, heat seal bands, pouch knives, and sealing jaws among others. Most standard VFFS knives can be ready to ship the next day.

If you need custom VFFS knives, all we need from you is an OEM description or part number. Failing that, you can send us a sample which we’ll use to create your specific knife. Simmons can supply VFFS knives with serrated, scalloped, zigzag, and EZ open tooth profiles among others. We can also add rivets or slotted guides to fit any machine, and we offer tear notches, material upgrades, and coatings to meet your requirements.

Knives for Horizontal Form, Fill & Seal Machines

Simmons can provide you with a wide range of packaging knives for flow wrapping, shrink-wrapping, overwrapping, diamond wrapping, diefold wrapping, and horizontally fed pouch-filling machinery.

Our packaging knives are compatible with entry-level, low-speed machines to ultra-high-speed HFFS machines. All knives are manufactured using premium steel and with your OEM’s stringent tolerance requirements in mind. We also heat treat all HFFS knives, but if you need an extra durable knife or one with non-stick qualities, we’ll work with you to fulfill your needs.

Knives for Cup and Tray Sealing Machines

If your operations require tray-sealing knives, cup-sealing knives, single-serve cup knives, or pod knife punches, we’ve got you covered. Using high-precision CNC formers, we can configure any knife to meet your exact specifications. We can also apply wear coatings to ensure longer blade life.

When it comes to cup and tray sealing knives, selecting the right knife material and tooth profile to cut your film, laminate or foil can be challenging. That’s why our team will work with you to create your required blade and provide recommendations as needed.

Standard tray and cup-sealing knives can be manufactured in as little as 3 to 4 weeks. If that’s too long for you to wait, contact us today and we’ll work with you to meet your desired lead time.

Knives for Vacuum Packaging Machines

Blister packaging, thermoformed, and vacuum packaging materials can be 3-4 times thicker than shrink wrap or other wrapping materials, making them far more difficult to cut. As a result, those materials require knives made from the correct material with a specific degree of hardness.

Fortunately for you, Simmons can easily provide high-quality, durable knives to cut through more demanding vacuum packaging applications. Our vacuum packaging knives are compatible with standard OEM, but we also offer custom knife designs, including serrated, perforated, EZ open knives, cross cutoff knives, circular slitters, notched slitters, air punches, shaped cutters, star punches, circular hole punches, Euro punches, and piercing blades.

Tape Knives for Case Sealers

Simmons consistently stocks a wide selection of tape knives in standard, hardened, premium, and M2 HSS grades. We can also provide powdered metal knives for maximum wear resistance if adhesive build-up is not an issue. Standard and premium non-stick wear coatings to ensure long-lasting quality are available as well.

For those with customization needs, Simmons can provide tape knives for case-sealing machines with any assortment of rivets or slotted guides. All we’ll need from you is an OEM description or part number, or a sample of the specific tape knife.

Whether it’s bandsaw blades or packaging knives, Simmons’ goal remains the same: to provide high-quality blades for our customers’ cutting and end-of-line operations. Our commitment to using premium stainless steel and use of the precision crush-ground technique ensures a consistent tooth profile and superior performance for each packaging knife.

Depending on your application, there can be dozens to hundreds of knives to choose from. If you don’t have firsthand experience, it can be difficult to know which one is the right fit for your specific operations. Working with a blade manufacturer like Simmons can take some of the trial and error out of your search though.

To learn more about Simmons’ packaging knives, contact us today!