During its three decades on American soil, German machinery firm Rovema Packaging Machines has staked out the vertical form/fill/seal packaging space. The company's Lawrenceville, Ga., division enhanced that position at the recent Pack Expo Las Vegas show with the North American introduction of two innovative machines.

Rovema's VPI-260 intermittent motion f/f/s handles a variety of pillow-style bags, flat-bottom bags and other packaging configurations, but its claim to fame lies with FlexCan, a four-sided pouch developed in conjunction with film manufacturer Amcor Flexibles Europe. With FlexCan, "You can start substituting can applications for snacks, dried fruit and powders and use a lot less film than a conventional pouch," says Luis De la Mora, Rovema's international sales manager. "European manufacturers have moved away from bag-in-box because of the environmental issues. FlexCan represents a further reduction in source materials."

Changeovers are accomplished in 20 minutes, a rate that seems sluggish compared to the firm's new VVI-200 vertical intermittent pouch machine. The VVI-200 is designed to produce package types associated with horizontal f/f/s units in less than half the floor space. The most innovative feature, though, is the fixed sealing jaws, rotated 90