Machines with Magnetic Personalities: Bartelt’s MAG Series Redefines Flexible HFFS Packaging with Mechatronics
- Brooke Robison
- Apr 23
- 7 min read
Bartelt Packaging redefines flexible, hygienic pouch packaging with XTS and software-driven automation from Beckhoff
Pouch packaging lines come with their own kind of complexity. Webs of film must be precisely formed, filled, sealed, and handled at high speed, all while accommodating a greater variety, smaller batch sizes, and ever-persistent skilled labor shortages. From powders and snacks to cheeses and consumer goods, today’s pouching operations demand equipment that can shift quickly, maintain consistent seal quality, and meet increasingly strict hygienic standards, often within a shrinking factory footprint. Turning a continuous roll of film into thousands of shelf-ready pouches per hour is a carefully choreographed process, and in this competitive landscape, motion control, sanitation, and flexibility are every bit as critical as raw speed.
Headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, Bartelt Packaging started in 1941 as a machine shop in Rockford, Illinois under the direction of brothers Harold and Donald Bartelt. Seven years later, the company would make their mark on the packaging industry by producing what the company says is the world's first horizontal form, fill, and seal (HFFS) pouching machine to automate and simplify previously complex and labor-intensive pouching processes. These automated pouch packaging systems continuously convert rollstock film into pouches and can form, fill, and securely seal products at high speeds. The invention changed and expanded the ways that food and other products reached consumers, and Bartelt has been running at full speed ever since.
Today, as part of the renowned ProMach family of processing and packaging brands, Bartelt continues to deliver best-in-class pouching and cartoning solutions across a wide range of industries. Nearly every grocery store aisle in the U.S. displays packaging produced on their equipment.
Stress test for packaging’s best
A growing market requirement in the packaging industry is the ability to run a broad range of package sizes and products on a single machine. Traditional chain-driven systems with fixed speeds and formats often require multiple dedicated machines or force operators to experience extended downtime to change over pouch widths and motion profiles. To close this growing gap, Bartelt sought a technology partner who could help them build a highly flexible hygienic system designed with rapid, push-button changeovers to create application-specific packaging solutions that can keep pace with evolving customer demands for years to come.
These requirements led Bartelt to adopt Beckhoff automation and mechatronics technologies for the company’s flagship MAG Series. Increasing hygiene and performance demands in food packaging, where a customer application requiring high-level sanitation exposed the limitations of previously used track and control systems in washdown environments. This challenge prompted Bartelt to explore alternative technologies and ultimately partner with Beckhoff, kicking off a deliberate, multi-year evaluation process that began in 2023.
Rather than moving straight into implementation, Bartelt conducted extensive in-house testing of a Beckhoff solution that pushed the limit of what the application could encounter in real production conditions: the stainless steel, IP69K rated XTS Hygienic. “We beat up that demo system with days of continuous testing, including the addition of weights to each carrier to simulate maximum product weight,” says Tom Tomac, Vice President and General Manager, at Bartelt. “We put everything on it that we possibly could and put the XTS through its paces. We provided Beckhoff our detailed feedback and their dedicated engineers reworked and refined the solution for Bartelt and shipped another XTS Hygienic that took all the team’s testing feedback into account. More testing ensued, which we upped to another level with sticky, sugary gummy bears and more, but the new and improved system could not be beat."
“That made a big impact on us,” says Tom Brooker, Vice President of Engineering at Bartelt. “Beckhoff was willing to listen to our feedback and actually act on it.” The collaborative development process gave Bartelt the confidence to commercialize the Beckhoff-based solution within the MAG-B, which launched in 2025. The ongoing support since then has reinforced the partnership’s value and the long-term robustness required for modern, high-speed packaging systems.
Mechatronic motion changes the rules forever
The Bartelt MAG-B compact, MAG-L linear, and MAG-R rotary HFFS packaging machines are designed for a wide range of flexible packaging applications that demand high throughput, adaptability, and efficient use of space – capabilities made possible by the XTS technology at the core of each system. Each iteration of the machine features the GFX Guidance System from HepcoMotion to ensure higher payloads and duty cycles. According to Tom Brooker, “The advent of the magnetic track systems has allowed us to up our game in terms of providing our customers with the best possible packaging solutions.”
Using intelligent linear transport systems as the foundation of the machine, MAG Series platforms can be configured in straight-line, rotary, or dual-lane layouts. This approach allows Bartelt to tailor each system to a customer’s specific production goals and facility requirements rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all design.
Engineered to meet the evolving demands of modern pouching applications, the MAG Series places a strong emphasis on sanitation, sustainability, and efficiency. The machines are designed for maximum packaging flexibility, handling a wide range of pouch sizes all on one platform with minimal changeovers. Each configuration supports both rollstock and/or pre-made pouches, providing versatility across a broad range of applications. By accommodating numerous pouch sizes and filling configurations within a single machine, the MAG Series offers a distinct advantage as product variety increases and batch sizes grow smaller in high-mix production.
The MAG Series consists of multiple magnetic track-based configurations, each optimized for different production requirements while maximizing efficiency and minimizing footprint. The first iteration to reach the market was the MAG-L (Linear), which provides an in-line process flow layout, filling pouches along the machine’s length at speeds up to 150 pouches per minute. The XTS Hygienic-equipped MAG-B (Back) fills pouches on both the front and back of the machine to maintain the same output as the MAG-L but in a more compact design.
Meanwhile, the smallest iteration, the MAG-R (Rotary), utilizes the XTS in a rotary process to optimize floor space while delivering high production speeds. The XTS delivers precise, high-speed product transport with a v-profiled rail design that is self-cleaning, self-aligning, and notably quiet. In the field, Bartelt has also seen reduced wheel and track wear compared to competing systems, even after months of operation, along with simpler diagnostics enabled by integrated LED status indicators.
Built to run. Built to adapt.
In an industry characterized by high production volumes and tight margins, uptime is critical. Rapid changeovers and minimal cleaning time are essential as CPG manufacturers cannot afford extended downtime between products or formats. This is where the MAG Series shines by providing digitally-controlled machine adjustments for fast and repeatable format changes.
Overall, the MAG Series delivers compact, high-performance pouch packaging equipment, offering customers a flexible, future-proof solution. The machine architecture built around intelligent transport technology supports higher speeds, variable timing between stations, and advanced pouch handling, including on-the-fly clamping, controlled shaking for product settling, optimized nitrogen filling, and scalable operation from simplex to triplex pouch indexing.
The MAG Series packaging machines leverage Beckhoff’s XTS to deliver the flexibility, precision, and uptime demanded in these environments. With pitchless, independently controlled wireless movers, the XTS enables seamless transitions between bag sizes and filling processes while maintaining maximum throughput. Across the variations of MAG Series machines that use the XTS, magnetically driven linear motion provides smooth, accurate transport along a predefined path, ensuring precise and consistent motion control and product handling.
Another defining factor is sanitation, particularly as certain food applications require full washdown capability rather than dry operation. To meet these demands, Bartelt offers IP69Kk-rated construction for key components, enabling thorough washdown in high-sanitary environments. This capability is especially important in highly regulated food applications such as cheese packaging.
By combining advanced mechatronics and servo control technology from Beckhoff, the MAG Series meets the evolving demands of modern packaging operations. Unlike traditional mechanically indexed machines with fixed pitch and limited adaptability, the MAG Series machines’ use of XTS allows pouch indexing to be adjusted dynamically based on the product being run, giving the process exceptional flexibility to accommodate changing package sizes and formats.
This higher level of automation further reduces reliance on increasingly scarce skilled labor. Automated repositioning of axes and tooling streamlines setup, while an integrated, in-house-designed auto-splicer, semi-automatic zipper splicer, and unwinder enable continuous operation during film roll changes. This design maximizes the effective use of film roll down to the core and reduces floor space by eliminating the need for third-party equipment.
Automation, motion control, and networking in one package
Compared to previous designs, one of the most significant advancements Beckhoff brings to the MAG Series is the ability to deliver high-performance mechatronic motion control within a truly hygienic, IP69K-rated solution. Beckhoff PC-based control hardware and software form the backbone of the MAG-B, MAG-L, and MAG-R packaging machines, managing all aspects of automation and motion control. This tightly integrated control platform delivers impressive gains in performance, usability, and reliability.
From a development standpoint, Bartelt engineers point to Beckhoff’s TwinCAT software as a key differentiator. Chris Conley, Electrical Engineering Manager at Bartelt, affirms, “I really like their programming software – it is intuitive to use, simplifies programming and saves me engineering time.” TwinCAT provides a straightforward programming environment with built-in XTS track simulation and ‘Open from Source’ functionality, allowing code to be verified, updated, and debugged directly on the machine with confidence. The ability to run applications through a remote Windows connection to the controller further streamlines commissioning and support.
Control and computing tasks for the machines are handled by the ultra-compact C6032 industrial PC, which provides significant processing power while occupying minimal cabinet space. The whole system is tied together by high-speed EtherCAT communication, enabling real-time motion control and I/O performance, automatic device recognition, along with rapid configuration and commissioning.
Built for tomorrow, today
Looking ahead, Bartelt sees packaging industry pressures on machine builders only accelerating: higher throughput, greater product variety, tighter quality expectations, and added features. Meeting these demands will require automation platforms that are inherently flexible. By incorporating XTS and PC-based control, the MAG Series was designed with exactly that future in mind, with adaptability and long-term scalability built into the platform from day one.
At the same time, advances in digitalization and artificial intelligence are expected to fundamentally change machine operation, moving toward self-correcting, self-optimizing systems that require minimal operator intervention. This software-centric approach positions the TwinCAT-enabled MAG Series to evolve alongside Beckhoff’s automation and mechatronics technologies, supporting increasingly intelligent operations. Bartelt is also exploring other Beckhoff solutions like the MX-System for fully cabinet-free automation systems that can be mounted directly onto machines to further reduce footprints and dramatically increase installation efficiency.
The renewed success of the MAG Series underscores the value of close collaboration between machine builder and automation partner. Driven by a desire to redefine what’s possible and equipped with the ability to work together openly and deliberately, Bartelt and Beckhoff were able to move beyond the limits of linear transport technology and create truly innovative HFFS machines engineered for long term value in the field.
Ready to redefine flexible packaging with Beckhoff? Contact your local Beckhoff sales engineer today.
Brooke Robison is the Social Media Specialist at Beckhoff Automation LLC
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