May - Machinery Update

Transcription

Issue 3, Volume XVII. May/June 2006
The only ‘machinery only’ journal for processing and packaging
FLOW-WRAPPING
Electronics
in full flow
CASE AND TRAY PACKING
Retail-ready
route revived Empty
case feed
lifts ergonomics
CONVEYORS
CONTENTS
I S S U E 3 , V O LU M E X V I I . M AY / J U N E 2 0 0 6
FEATURES
THE JOURNAL OF THE PPMA
Editor: Michael Maddox
Sales Manager: Angela Rosenberg
Production Manager: Bill Lake
Production: Miriam Naisbett
ISSN 0969-4145
A PPMA Publication. PPMA Ltd,
New Progress House, 34 Stafford Road,
Wallington, Surrey SM6 9AA
Tel: 020 8773 8111 Fax: 020 8773 0022
E-mail addresses: [email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Web site: www.ppma.co.uk
Applications for free copies of Machinery
Update are considered from specifiers,
managers and purchasers of processing and
packaging machinery in the UK. Annual
subscription £33 (UK), £45 (Continental
Europe), £55 (rest of world).
The Processing and Packaging Machinery
Association assumes no responsibility for the
statements or opinions, whether attributed
or otherwise, in Machinery Update.
Typeset and printed by: Manor Creative,
7-8 Edison Road, Highfield Industrial Estate,
Hampden Park, Eastbourne BN23 6PT.
Tel: 01323 514400.
12 Foodex Meatex
report
New machinery shown in
March by PPMA members.
17 Achema preview
Shelf-ready packs for Rachel’s Dairy
are produced on equipment from
DS Smith Packaging Systems. 22
The Achema chemical
engineering, processing and packaging machinery show
takes place in Frankfurt during May.
23 Case and tray packing
Empty shelves boost the retail-ready route: Moves to
reduce the cost of empty shelves and in-store handling have
fuelled renewed interest in shelf-ready packaging.
33 Conveyors and mechanical handling
News on the latest conveyor systems, feeders,
unscramblers and product handling equipment.
41 Flow-wrapping
Electronics in full flow: Today’s electronic flow-wrapper is
a very different animal from earlier mechanical units with
electronic enhancements.
DIARY DATES
sponsored by
and automation
NEC, Birmingham, UK, February 14 & 15, 2007
Forthcoming events. 30
REGULAR FEATURES
6 News and people
Technology seminar looks to CIP efficiency: High speed
thermoformer for sandwiches: Company news: Appointments.
8 Machinery in action
High efficiency denesting: Shrink-wrapping for paper cuts
damage: Twin cartoning lines speed seafood packing.
47 Component matters
Empty case feeding system built
for Chivas, Newbridge, by
Conveyor Systems. 33
Networks in the air: Pneumatics suppliers are finding end-user
acceptance of more networking difficult to achieve.
50 Labelling, coding, marking
Drugs tracking system in successful trials: Weigh-price labellers
give fast changeover for poultry: Handling tall slim bottles.
52 New machinery
Mini flow-wrapper: Twin drive capper loads triggers: Mobile
weigh station: Medium volume tablet press.
CLASSIFIED
53 Machinery and services
BUYERS’ GUIDES
54 Ancillary equipment 56 Processing equipment
58 Packaging machinery
Rose Forgrove’s latest electronic,
servo driven flow-wrapper is the
starter level Merlin HSE. 41
Machinery Finder:
ppma.co.uk
UPDATED DAILY
M A C H I N E R Y U P D AT E • M AY / J U N E 2 0 0 6
3
P P M A M AT T E R S
Expansion in process
month the PPMA hosted a meeting of
equipment suppliers to discuss how
Lbestastprocessing
to cater for their particular needs, alongside those of packaging machinery suppliers.
This latest move is part of a long-term project by the Association to encourage more suppliers of processing equipment into membership. The aim is not only to extend the support
of a trade association where none currently
exists but, perhaps even more important, to
ensure that the Association’s activities and
membership mirror the evolving needs of the
market.
Those demands can be quite simply seen
from a survey carried out by Pira in 2002,
which showed that processing and packaging
functions had merged or were merging in 74 per cent of end-user companies.
This is an important message not only for our exhibitions – where over 60
per cent of visitors now have responsibility for both processing and packaging –
but also for all other PPMA services.
Already, our seminar programme for 2006 has been adjusted to provide
broader appeal to users and suppliers of process equipment and, over the next
year, a higher number of pages within Machinery Update will similarly be
devoted to processing topics.
However, let’s not forget that two of the key activities for a trade association – providing a voice to government and the legislators while also supporting export initiatives – are common to both processing and packaging equipment. So the 350 members of the PPMA, which now account for about 95 per
cent of packaging machinery sold in the UK, provide a pretty solid base from
which to expand the number of members, currently around 80, who supply
processing machinery.
Precise definitions of ‘processing’ are often difficult. For example, the
Process Industries Centre for Manufacturing Excellence states that: “The
process industries include those companies whose primary activity is adding
value to substances by making physical and/or chemical changes to them.”
However this is a fairly generic expression and translates none too well into the
machinery world.
This is because it is also often difficult to divorce the term ‘process’ from
the industry in which the machinery is employed. Certain types of basic vessel
apart, the equipment tends to be for food or chemicals or pharmaceuticals, not
usually all of them. Indeed, what has a meat-processing machine got in common with a pharmaceutical tablet press or a bakery oven?
On the surface, it has to be said, very little. But if one looks deeper, they are
all subject to the same type of health and safety regulations, the same requirements on hygienic design, process control and even electromagnetic compatibility.
Here in Britain, outside PPMA, there is no coherent trade association representing mainstream processing equipment suppliers, although there are plenty concerned with related components, such as pumps and valves.
So there is a clear need for some co-ordinating body to represent companies making process equipment in Britain, as well as those who supply the
British market. Otherwise they simply have no voice at all – no influence and
no channel of communication to express views on the issues that will certainly
affect their businesses. Equally, machinery users will find unwelcome restrictions and, inevitably, the unintended consequences that can so easily bedevil
legislation within the European market.
So the PPMA’s message is very simple. PPMA exists to make sure that the
views of its members and members’ customers are heard. So far it has been a
very effective champion of packaging machinery suppliers and already works
hard on behalf of its processing members. But if we can encourage even more
to join then the team gets stronger.
Chris Buxton
Chief Executive, PPMA
NEWS AND PEOPLE
PPMA S EMINARS
C OMPANY N EWS
Technology seminar looks
to high efficiency in CIP
Robbins & Myers
sells Romaco’s
Laetus and Hapa
companies
The PPMA’s new 2006 series of
technology seminars sees the
summer event devoted to high
efficiency in-place cleaning, with a
one-day review of the process at
the Campden and Chorleywood
Research Association, Chipping
Campden, on 20 June.
“In place cleaning is one of the
most effective ways to clean
process equipment and ensure the
integrity of the product,” points
out PPMA technical consultant
Martin Keay. “However the time
taken for effective cleaning can be
considerable, so the time spent on
in-place cleaning can significantly
reduce the production efficiency of
the equipment.”
Automatic, effective but quicker
in-place cleaning is not just a
product security issue, it can also
contribute to increased profits.
But when is it appropriate? How
much does it cost? And does it
really work?
This seminar looks at in-place
cleaning from all angles, a
chemical engineering approach, a
hygienic design approach and the
practical aspects of supply and
operation.
Dr Mike Bird from Bath University will be presenting the findings
O RDERS
cycle in a three lane format at 17
cycles a minute to give 153
sandwiches a minute – over 9000
an hour.
In-flight meals supplier Superior
Food Group, Southall, has bought
two Packaging Automation PA182
tray sealers and hired a third to
help in the production of over
120,000 meals a day.
Kliklok-Woodman is supplying
Arla Foods UK with two TL5
trolley loaders for its dairy in
Hatfield Peverel. Both can run 4
and 6 pint bottles, changing over
between the two in less than 5
minutes.
Tray denesting specialist Ixia
UK has been chosen by French
manufacturer Mecaplastic to
supply Dragonfly denesters for its
new range of high speed tray
sealing machines. The denesters
can be changed over in less than 2
minutes via the Snapdragon
cassette system.
Course sponsors: Technology courses
are sponsored by Elau and those
concerned with regulations by Pilz
AND INSTALLATIONS
High speed
thermoformer
packs Ginsters
sandwiches
Mecaplastic has supplied one of
the largest and fastest thermoformers in the world for sandwich
packing. To be used for sandwiches
prepared under the Ginsters brand
name, the 12-metre long Meca FS
650 machine seals nine packs per
6
Tony Hasting, of Hasting
Consultants, will be giving a
general and user perspective from
his experience with Unilever.
Additional case history reports
will include filling machinery and a
review of specific CIP systems and
accessories.
Meanwhile, next in the new
PPMA series of seminars on
regulatory matters is Health and
Safety Legislation for Maintenance Engineers on 18 May.
This course is designed to give
delegates a thorough grounding in
the key items of legislation that
affect the work of maintenance
and service engineers, explaining
the main aims of each regulation
and providing checklists for their
essential requirements.
The seminar is followed on 15
June by a one-day course
Designing Safe Machinery,
intended for both machinery
manufacturers and machine users
who create assemblies of machines
or modify specific items of
equipment.
Delegates will be provided with
a thorough understanding of the
Machinery Directive (Supply of
Machinery (Safety) Regulations
1992) and the European standards
that support this legislation.
Delegates will also receive
training on how to use European
standards to design guards for
machines and how to select the
interlocking devices needed for
moveable guards.
Further information from John
Cowdrey: 020 8773 8111,
[email protected].
from his research into improving
the effectiveness of in-place
cleaning by altering the chemicals
used for cleaning and the
temperatures and flow rates of the
cleaning media.
Andy Timperley from Campden
and Chorleywood Research
Association will be describing the
research work done by CCRA to
measure the cleanability of process
equipment and the techniques the
association has developed to
improve and specify the hygienic
design and therefore cleanability of
process plant.
Robbins & Myers has sold two
Romaco companies – on-line pack
printing specialist Hapa and
pharmaceutical packaging security
equipment supplier Laetus – to
Coesia SpA. Peter Wallace,
president and ceo of Robbins &
Myers said: “This strategic
divestment of non-core businesses
is an important step forward in
reducing our complexity and
becoming better focused.”
Coding and marking machinery
specialist Overprint Packaging has
taken over Preston Printers, one of
the oldest established coding and
marking companies in the UK.
Overprint will continue to support
all Preston’s existing customers.
P EOPLE
New group md
for Spectrum
Inspection
Simon Spencer
(right) has been
appointed group
managing director
of Spectrum
Inspection
Systems, the
holding company for inspection
specialists Loma Systems and
Cintex. He joined Loma Systems
last year as sales and marketing
director after a spell as general
manager of Avery Berkel in Ireland.
Paul Jennings has joined
cartoning machinery manufacturer
T Freemantle as area sales manager.
He was previously with Bradman
Lake.
Ann South has retired from
Cermex UK after 21 years looking
after spares and company
administration. She joined the
company in June 1985 when it set
up in the UK.
MACHINERY IN ACTION
FP PACKAGING M ACHINERY
MSK PACKAGING
Twin lane tray
denesters give
efficiency over
99 per cent
Shrinkwrapper for paper
cuts damage to pallet loads
An automatic tray feeding system,
giving in excess of 99 per cent
efficiency for ready meals
produced at 120 trays a minute,
has been supplied to a principal
manufacturer by FP Packaging
Machinery.
To obtain the efficiency
demanded, FP employed two twin
lane denesters placed each side of
the twin lane tray feed conveyor.
This meant that with four
magazines to replenish, a single
operator could look after the tray
magazines on both machines.
Paper manufacturer Tullis Russell,
at Markinch, Scotland, has taken
delivery of the first MSK Flowtech
shrinkwrapping system to be
installed in the UK, replacing a
spiral stretch-wrapper. Paper
makers Sappi in the USA and
Nordland Papier in Germany are
also now using the system.
MSK says the move from spiral
wrapping to shrinkwrapping is
driven by the need to minimise
transport damage. “Since the
Flowtech machine handover Tullis
Russell customer complaints for
wrapped pallets have dropped by
95 per cent.”
The Flowtech was designed
specifically for the paper industry
and at Tullis Russell the paper is
compressed with a force of up to 5
tons to press out air between the
sheets and provide optimum load
process around 40 pallets an
stability. Shrink-wrapping also
hour.”
ensures load protection in a single
Mr Tindal adds that Tullis
operation, as John Tindal, coated
Russell’s site acceptance tests
and industrial papers engineering
manager at Tullis Russell explains: proved the system could deliver
“When wrapping our bulk paper 100 pallets an hour. “This extra
performance is often used to clear
using the spiral-wrap system, we
the floor in the finishing area
had to strap it first to make the
thereby reducing some of the
load stable, and then stretch-wrap
storage problems that had existed
to protect the load from moisture
previously,” he explains.
ingress – two operations.
“The Flowtech uses
only one operation
because it abolishes the
need for strapping. The
old spiral wrapper could
handle up to 30 pallets
an hour but normally ran
around 20 an hour. With
other process
improvements and
improved tonnage from One operation: Pallets of paper are now wrapped
the cutters we now
in a single operation at Tullis Russell
S CHUBERT UK
Tray packing
line handles
900 chocolates
a minute
High efficiency: Twin lane tray infeed
system from FP Packaging
Trays are delivered onto the twin
lane conveyor, which incorporates
a gating and queuing system. “This
ensures high efficiency because
since trays are released into the
flighted conveyor passing under
the food dosers, there is always a
queue of trays waiting,” points out
FP Packaging.
Alternatively the vacuum
controls of the two denesters are
able to deliver trays to the tray
conveyor only on demand.
T: 01483 532811
E: [email protected]
8
Confectionery manufacturer
Thorntons, at Alfreton, Derbyshire,
is now using a Schubert TLM-F44
robotic top loading machine to
pack trays with its Continental
range of chocolates at speeds up to
900 items a minute.
The machine is equipped with
Schubert’s vision system,
developed specifically to perform a
quality control check on each of
the chocolates packed. It also
makes sure that each tray is
correctly filled before it leaves
each of the packing stations.
Schubert’s TLM-F44 picker
line incorporates a TLM-F2
robotic tray de-nesting facility,
Tray loading: Schubert machine includes a quality control check
which places trays onto a product
loading conveying system, and a
series of four-axis robots that each
pick and place 90 chocolates a
minute into trays.
Also working on a three-shift
programme at the Alfreton plant
are two further Schubert systems,
used to pack chocolate bars and
bags of toffees into cartons.
T: 01676 525825
MSK Flowtech line: This system is installed at Nordland Papier, Germany
MSK Packaging points out that
the shrink ring of the Flowtech has
two gas management systems,
allowing the amount of shrink on
the sides and ends of the ring to be
controlled independently.
As a result, various sizes of
products can be handled on the
machine using the same shrink ring.
The shrink ring is encapsulated
and dispenses high volumes of air,
but with no open flame, so that
lower gauge shrink film can also be
used, saving film costs.
T: 01509 264338
PACKAGING A UTOMATION
Tray sealer has custom system
for denesting and feeding
range of products, the Vision 400
North Yorkshire based Marlow
is able to run at speeds up to 72
Foods, which makes the Quorn
packs a minute while tooling and
range of meat-alternative
product changes are said to take
products, has chosen a Packaging
just 2 minutes.
Automation Vision 400 for its
T: 01565 755000
first venture into automatic tray
sealing equipment.
The machine
was supplied with
a bespoke
carousel-based
auto loading
denester that
holds up to 800
trays at a time to
ensure production
speeds can be
maintained and
labour reduced.
Suitable for
sealing a wide
Tray sealing: Marlow Foods has chosen a PA Vision 400
9
MACHINERY IN ACTION
B RADMAN L AKE
AUTOMATED PACKAGING SYSTEMS
Twin fish
cartoning lines
speed seafood
packing
Counting and
weighing for
bagging hooks
Bradman Lake has designed and
built two robotic top load packing
lines for the Wilhelmshaven,
Germany, factory of Danish
processor Royal Greenland
Seafood in what Knut Guhr, the
company’s director of operations
calls “the biggest single
investment our company has ever
planned”. And for Bradman Lake
Germany, says managing director
of marketing Friedrich Kern, the
project has been “the biggest
single order in the company
history”.
Royal Greenland processes
coated fish fillets and breaded
fishcakes as well as bagged
products. Until last year, all
except fish fingers were packed by
hand, but increased sales and
competition demanded increased
efficiency and performance in both
production and packing.
In each of the Bradman Lake
lines now in operation, a sequence
of six pick-and-place robots, a
product locating vision system,
triple head carton erector, a high
speed carton closer and
wraparound case packer are
integrated to pack eight of
Wilhelmshaven’s product groups
into retail cartons and bulk
catering packs.
Including private labels, the two
robotic lines pack more than 100
products with different recipes in
varying formats and toppings.
Carton sizes range from 106 x 100
x 40mm or 148 x 148 x 22mm up
to corrugated cases 495 x 140 x
190mm. Indeed, in order to allow
the robots to work at optimum
10
Faster packing: (Above) FlexPicker robots
feed the cartoners. (Left) One of the
packs. (Below) products are brought to
the line from the freezer via a Bradman
Lake product orientation feeder
efficiency it was
necessary to change
some of Royal Greenland’s pack formats
and sizes to take full
advantage of the
robots’ capabilities.
Products arriving
at each packing line are distributed
as evenly as possible but in no clear
order across the 600mm wide
picking belts where vision systems
locate the position of each product
and check its geometry. Picking
tasks are then distributed equally
to each line’s row of six ABB
FlexPickers, which load the
cartons and corrugated catering
packs.
Bradman Lake points out that a
high level of precision was required
with the 9 metre long picking belts
since no variation can be accepted
in either length or width. Any shift
could change the product positions
established by the camera, putting
products out of register for picking
when they reach the robots.
Erected folding cartons and
corrugated bulk packs ready for
loading are transported between
side belts in a carton management
system (CMS) parallel to the
picking belt. A servo drive controls
the exact positioning of the open
boxes and adjusts the CMS speed
to the flow of products arriving.
In both the Wilhelmshaven lines,
cartons are erected by servo-driven
triple head AMI carton formers,
each with a performance of 210
cartons a minute, equipped with
adjustable magazines and lock
style forming tools made of
weight-saving carbon fibre. The
corrugated packs are also erected
by a servo erector using hot melt.
After loading, the cartons are
closed by two high-speed Bradman
Lake FCC Tri-Liner three-flap
closers, checkweighed, passed
through a metal detector and
coded ready for final packaging.
This is carried out on two
wraparound traypackers supplied
by Europack, another Bradman
Lake company.
T: 0117 971 5228
E: cartoningsales@
bradmanlake.com
JBS Hardware, Nottingham, has
installed a combined counting and
weighing system to overcome the
tendency of picture hooks to stick
together when being counted for
bagging using a conventional bowlfed counting machine.
Working with Comcount,
Automated Packaging has
equipped an existing Autobag
bagging machine at JBS with a
Comcount BRW650 combined
weighing system, with automatic
reject.
For low counts the system
optically counts the components,
using an inbuilt weighing facility to
check the completed batch. Higher
counts are handled by an initial
weigh-count, with a drip feed to
add the remainder for an accurate
final count.
T: 01684 891400
I NTERCAPS
Caps for Coke
travel via dustfree conveyor
One of the main Coca-Cola plants
in Italy has equipped four filling
lines with a Klinkaps cap feeding
system, which runs under vacuum
to eliminate dust contamination
while the closures are delivered to
the capping machine.
The system operates by
extracting air from a sealed
cyclone on top of the capper, then
creating negative pressure to suck
in the caps from the loading bin,
which is fitted with an air filter to
remove all dust.
When the cylone is full the caps
are automatically released into the
capper’s sorting mechanism and
the process repeated. Exhaust air
is ducted to outside the plant.
T: 0131 335 3335
FOODEX MEATEX
REPORT
NEW EQUIPMENT LAUNCHED BY PPMA MEMBERS AT THE EXHIBITION IN MARCH.
I SHIDA E UROPE
E ASIWEIGH
Compact tray sealer offers
speed up to 200 a minute
Linear counter
and weigher
join new
checkweigher
The QX1100 tray sealer
introduced by Ishida offers twin or
single track operation, with speed
up to 200 or more trays a minute,
and incorporates a particularly
operator friendly control panel in
which, for example, video clips can
be called up for guidance on a
series of topics including
changeover.
Servo driven, the new QX 1100
employs timing belts to pitch the
incoming containers on the infeed
conveyor before the gripper arms
transfer the trays to the sealing
station. In this way, explains
Ishida, the trays are controlled
rather than brought against a stop,
providing smoother action and
eliminating risk of liquids slopping.
Tools for the machine have an
in-built chip that identifies them to
the machine, allowing conveyor
speeds and other parameters for
the particular product involved to
be set automatically from memory,
helping reduce changeover time.
The tools themselves, a new
lightweight design, are loaded
from a trolley and connect without
manual intervention to electrical
The new Easicount linear counter
can be fitted with up to 12 lanes to
handle a range of product shapes
and sizes and provide speeds up to
60 packs a minute for both frozen
and fresh produce.
The machine employs an optical
counting system and uses quick
release product contact parts for
ease of cleaning and maintenance.
Twin or single lane operation: Ishida QX1100 tray sealer
and gas supplies via a plug and
socket arrangement.
There is also a sleep mode for
the tools during washdown, which
brings them together to avoid
condensation.
Printers for the lidding film and
a gas analyser are housed within
the machine itself, which employs
gull-wing guards that hinge and
slide vertically upwards to reduce
floorspace required. The gas
analyser operates on every cycle
and automatically adjusts the mix
to ensure that the modified
atmosphere is correct.
At the control panel, a pendant
arrangement, the operator is
guided by a menu and can call up
video clips for help as required.
Each product is identified also by a
picture, which can be taken using a
built-in webcam.
The webcam can also be set up
to take a picture of any operator
instituting a change, and record it
on the change log, so helping
prevent unauthorised use of the
security key that gives access to
machine settings.
T: 0121 607 7700
B IZERBA (UK)
Weigh-price labelling for awkward shaped items
A weigh-price labelling system
developed for awkward shaped,
non uniform products was
introduced by Bizerba.
It uses a V-belt transport
system, which adjusts to suit the
particular product such as swede
12
or other round vegetables, to feed a
dynamic weighing station and the
Bizerba GLM-I high speed rotary
label applicator.
Overhead photocells check the
position of the product before and
after weighing to confirm that the
labelling position is correctly
calculated, while the operating
software monitors the size of each
product, ensuring the label is
applied in the correct position.
T: 01442 240751
Linear counter: The Easicount can
be fitted with up to 12 lanes
Also new is the Midilite entry
level linear weigher. A compact
machine measuring 1200mm long
x 300mm wide x 1000mm high,
the Midilite operates automatically but can also be operated
manually if required.
It works to average or minimum
weight settings and a maximum
product weight of 2kg with volume
up to 3 litres as standard.
A third new product from
Easiweigh is a checkweigher for
packing environments with high
humidity levels. Speed is up to 300
items a minute to an accuracy said
to be ±0.3g.
T: 01905 28075
Vision system control: PolySlicer Vision adjusts slice to product contours
AEW D ELFORD
Vision system
adjusts slicer
to product
contours
The new PolySlicer Vision is said
to set new standards in slicing
cheese, cooked meats and chilled,
fresh product thanks to its vision
and laser system, which follows
contours closely at the cutting face
to detect virtually any variation in
product composition.
Holes in cheese, voids in ham,
areas of fat and even lean/fat
ratios are all measured at the
blade, slice by slice which, explains
AEW Delford, means high on-
weights, low giveaway, consistently
accurate grading and good product
presentation with minimal manual
intervention.
The PolySlicer Vision is able to
handle difficult products and is
available with gripper or
continuous feed. Product feed
tracks and twin jump conveyors
produce stacks, shingles and
shaved product.
The machine is also said to be
ideal for chilled fresh product, such
as pork loin or beef, which can be
automatically shingled ready for
placing automatically into trays or
thermoformers.
T: 01603 700755
J ENTON I NTERNATIONAL
Converging
system and
ultra-violet air
sterilisation
The latest version of the Ariana
converging system shown by
Jenton is able to create a single
lane from two, three or four
infeeds.
A variety of pack types can be
handled at speeds up 160 a
minute, with driven side belts to
maintain orientation. An inverter
provides variable speed on all
conveyors to adjust product
spacing prior to downstream
operations such as checkweighing
and labelling.
Plc controlled, the system is
built in stainless steel and
protected to IP65.
Also introduced by Jenton was
the latest Gru-v ultra-violet air
sterilisation system, aimed at food,
healthcare and pharmaceutical
manufacturing as an aid to
reducing surface contamination
from airborne bacteria.
T: 01256 892194
13
F O O D E X M E AT E X R E P O R T
S ELO -B OLLANS
Band slicer and meat former
join high speed tray wrapper
A band blade slicer, a co-extrusion
system for sausage and casing, a
small batch microwave, and a
continuous low-pressure forming
machine for ground meat were
among items of food processing
equipment launched by SeloBollans.
Packaging machinery included a
new twin-frequency metal detector,
a flow-wrapper capable of
gusseting at high speed, and a
purpose-built checkweighing line
for produce in punnets.
The new continuous band slicer is
built by Selo in Holland and is able
to arrange slices on
a conveyor belt, tray
or any other target
such as a ready
meal or pizza.
Blades run in a
ceramic blade guide
designed by Selo,
which is said to
achieve high
accuracy over a
wide temperature
range.
Product to be sliced is held in
vertical magazines on a frame
which swings across the blade at up
to 120 strokes a minute to give,
typically, some 500 or more slices
of salami a minute.
The sausage and casing coextrusion system, built by French
manufacturer Nijal, is said to
provide considerably lower
production costs by filling the meat
into a casing co-extruded
simultaneously from a vegetable
based alginate gel.
The completed product is then
passed through a calcium rich
water bath to set the casing before
twisting and cutting takes place.
Production rates up to 1000kg an
hour can be achieved.
14
Above: Masterform low pressure
former produces 3D products from
ground meat. Left: Sausages in
co-extruded cases produced on the
Nijal machine
Also from Nijal is the
Masterform low-pressure former
for creating 3D shaped products
from ground meat such as beef,
pork or poultry prepared with, for
example, vegetables or rice.
Based on a conveyor belt, which
forms the bottom of the mould, the
continuous motion machine
employs a series of split food-grade
plastic moulds to form the sides of
the product and a shaped top platen
to press the material down. During
the forming process portions of, for
example, cheese, frozen sauce or
garlic butter can be introduced and
fully enclosed within the meat.
As the forming process is
completed, the side moulds and
platen part to leave the product
ready for transfer to a packaging
machine, cooking or freezing plant.
Output is up to 300 items a
minute and, says Selo-Bollans, the
low pressure nature of the
Masterform forming process
produces a higher quality product
with improved texture compared
with traditional high-pressure
systems.
The new MIP4 small batch
microwave introduced by SeloBollans is built by US
manufacturer Ferrite and is aimed
in particular at food processors
that need to condition small
quantities of food or ingredients, up
to 40kg at a time.
Typical applications include
defrosting frozen fruit or compote
for depositing into yoghurt pots.
Equally, the machine can be
employed to temper small batches
of deep frozen meat or poultry,
bringing temperature up to
between -3 and -2deg C in minutes,
giving improved production
flexibility and reducing the load on
downstream equipment such as
bowl cutters, mincers and dicers.
Hourly capacity is around 680kg.
Among packaging machine
developments from Selo-Bollans
was the new Japanese-built Anritsu
KD8113AW metal detector, one of
a series of self-calibrating
machines based on the use of dual
search frequencies. As a result,
optimum settings for a variety of
products – including dry or wet
goods and those within metallised
film – are achieved automatically
while sensitivity to non-ferrous
metals is said to be improved by up
to three times.
Also shown was a new gusseting
attachment for the Omori S5100ABX flow-wrapper, allowing trays to
be handled at speeds up to 140
packs a minute. This is achieved by
using a combination of mechanical
and air jet gusseting, directing a
short blast of compressed air at the
film as the fingers move in from
either side to create the gusset.
With the film tucked in
pneumatically rather than
mechanically, the travel of the
fingers is reduced to give a shorter
cycle time.
The purpose-built checkweighing
line on demonstration has been
built for a major UK mushroom
packer to provide checkweighing
and correction of over or underweight punnets before wrapping.
It consists of a checkweigher
linked to a three-way diverter that
sends correct weight packs forward
for wrapping and under and overweight packs off on a return spur –
overs to the left, unders to the right
– for manual adjustment before
being returned to the checkweigher
infeed.
In this way, labour is reduced
and the need to unwrap overs or
unders is eliminated.
T: 0151 644 9393
Top-formed trays: Multivac R550 LipForm makes trays with a raised lip
M ULTIVAC UK
In-line
thermoforming
offers pre-made
look for trays
Multivac unveiled a thermoformfill-seal machine able to create the
raised lip or rolled edge traditionally associated with pre-made
trays, allowing existing shapes and
sizes of pre-made tray to be copied
and transferred to in-line
production with potential savings
in storage, handling and materials.
The new R550 LipForm
machine employs Multivac’s topforming technology to create a
raised flange above the bed of the
machine. Width, depth and incline
can all be varied.
Also, since inclined tray side-
walls are no longer required for
denesting, the machine can
produce a pack with virtually
vertical sides, potentially reducing
pack size relative to volume for
increased shelf utilisation and
lower material costs.
Depending on the shape and size
of the pack, the dies of the R 550
LipForm machine can be
configured to have multiple lanes
and multiple rows so that, for
example, four lanes of three rows
could be employed to give 120
packs a minute from the machine’s
cycle speed of 10 a minute.
The R550 LipForm can run all
standard materials such as
apet/pe, eps, mono or multi-layer
polypropylene and pvc.
T: 01793 425800
AEW D ELFORD S YSTEMS
P-s labeller
operates with
no need for
backing paper
A compact pressure-sensitive
labeller that operates without a
web of silicone backing paper,
using the inter-label microperforation system developed by
Catchpoint, was shown by AEW
Delford, the company’s partnerfor
the food market.
The labels are parted neatly
from each other by the new Delford
Catchpoint 2010 applicator and
transfer onto a belt, which delivers
them to the point of application.
Speed is up to 60 metres a minute.
With no liner involved, reels of
labels can hold virtually twice as
many for the same diameter, costs
are reduced and there is no waste
material for disposal – particularly
important in terms of recycling
problems associated with silicone
impregnated paper.
Although designed specifically
to handle the Catchpoint labels,
the new Delford machine can also
be readily equipped to handle reels
of traditional liner-based labels,
allowing users to run-down
existing stocks, particularly those
for seasonal or short run jobs.
T: 01255 241000
15
ACHEMA PREVIEW
THE ACHEMA CHEMICAL ENGINEERING EXHIBITION TAKES PLACE IN FRANKFURT, 15-19 MAY.
the world at the local dispensary.
The machine offers a resultion of
1200dpi in the speed range of 0.520 metres a minute, in up to four
colours.
UK: BWPharma
T: 01277 356560
ALL-FILL INTERNATIONAL
Powder filling
auger range
Auger-based powder filling systems
on show include the AFI Series
100, a single head in-line automatic
machine capable of over 50 fills a
minute.
It will handle a wide range of
containers – cylindrical,
rectangular or square – all via
simple and fast adjustments, with
no tools or changeparts. The filling
station features container lift for
progressive bottom-up compressive
filling of fine powders, and
container vibration to settle
granular products.
It is shown filling fine powder
into narrow neck bottles, with bottle
neck location and neck-entry lift for
dust-free filling.
Also to be seen are examples of
the floor-standing pedestal Series
10 semi-automatic filler: a servodriven weigh-filler filling coffee with
high-speed bulk fill and slow speed
top-up for optimum speed/accuracy
and a standard drive volumetric
unit filling free-flowing granules.
In addition there is a Series 1
Micro-fill unit, a high accuracy
bench-top micro-doser, demonstrated filling 200mg to ±2mg.
T: 01767 691100
BOSCH PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY
Micro-dosing
capsule filler
New equipment from Bosch
Pharma Solid includes a capsule
filling machine for micro-dosing
applications, a weighing system for
tablets, and a cartoning machine
for blister wallet applications.
Bosch Pharma Liquid is
presenting two new filling machines
for pre-sterilised syringes, a new
machine for powder filling, a new
ENERCON INDUSTRIES
Induction cap
sealing
Enercon Industries: Superseal Deluxe induction cap sealer
integrated filling/isolator/
processing machine and a new fill
and close machine for liquid
pharmaceuticals.
Denmark-based Moeller &
Devicon is introducing a new
inspection system for
pharmaceutical applications.
T: 01332 626262
E: gary.anderton@
boschpackaging.com
tablet press, in both a simple and a
fully instrumented version.
In addition there is the In-Pack
semi-automatic blister packing
machine for producing both cold
formed and thermoformed packs in
small quantities.
UK: Isopak
T: 01780 410093
CSAT
DOTT BONAPACE
Benchtop fillers
and presses
Three new items of benchtop
equipment are being shown for the
first time: the In-Cap HS
automatic capsule filler, capable of
up to 6000 capsules an hour, the
CPR-25 automatic rotary tablet
press with a stainless steel turret,
and the DSP-3 powder filler for
micro-dosing of product from as
little as 8mg.
Further exhibits include the InCap benchtop capsule filling
machine, with a liquid filling
station, linked to the BD 3000
capsule banding and sealing
machine – running up to 3000
capsules an hour – and the CPR-6
single punch benchtop automatic
Digital print
aids security
The DTS 1200 digital print system
from CSAT is an anti-counterfeiting
measure that allows each pack to be
printed with a randomly generated
unique number, which is completely
traceable to its origin of time, date
and location of packing.
This can be combined with other
colour, bar code, graphic and ultraviolet security features to provide
products that are readily
identifiable as genuine anywhere in
The PPMA is on stand S5-S6 in
hall 3.1 where information on
British manufacturers and UK
agents for equipment built
overseas is available, as well as
the full range of PPMA services.
The Deluxe is the smallest and most
powerful induction cap sealer in
Enercon’s Superseal range and can
run at line speeds up to 30 metres a
minute, handling closures of 20120mm diameter. It is being shown
by German representative King
Verpackungsmaschinen.
The Deluxe is supplied ready to
install into a production line and
incorporates an operator friendly
interface that provides feedback
control.
An assortment of plug-in custom
sealing heads is available for the
machine, matching the equipment
to the application for optimum
efficiency.
T: 01296 330542
FEIGE
Robot filler for
bulk liquids
The latest robotic liquid filler from
Feige automatically handles
containers such as jerrycans, drums
and IBCs using a six-axis robot and
a vision system.
This provides fully automatic
location of the containers’
bungholes and full quality control
over sealing, with the plug of the
automatically filled drum checked
for bunging depth and the cap
checked for correct closure.
The robot filler also has a flexible
tool change system that allows the
17
ACHEMA PREVIEW
filling valve to be changed in
minimum time, just-in-time filling
or automatic multi component
dosing.
A second new machine from
Feige is the Type 34, for filling
smaller containers such as pails and
cans, while there is also the
SlimLine machine for filling valve
bags and open bags.
In addition, the company is
highlighting its new empty drum
handling and storage system in
which, using a four way pallet and
two lightweight slip sheets, 12
drums can be safely handled in
three layers for transport.
UK: Springvale Equipment
T: 01420 542505
I HOLLAND
Tabletting tools
and aftercare
Tablet compression tooling
manufacturer I Holland marks its
60th anniversary this year and is
highlighting punches and dies for
every type of tablet press including
IMA Comprima, multi-tipped,
interchangeable and Rotahead
tooling.
The range of PharmaCote tooling
on display incorporates new
treatments and coatings to combat
common problems such as sticking,
wear and corrosion. Associated
tooling accessories such as bellows
and drip cups can also be seen.
In addition there is the
PharmaCare maintenance and
aftercare range of products for
maximising the life of tablet tooling
through correct cleaning, polishing
and storage.
This includes the MF Polisher for
micro-finishing tablet punches,
polishing up to 60 in one 20 minute
cycle; Approve punch and die
measurement software; ultrasonic
cleaners for removal of punch
residue; and Versatool bespoke
storage for punches and dies.
T: 0115 972 6153
18
IMA - SWIFTPACK
Tablet counter
doubles speed
IWK: The TFS80-1 is IWK’s latest servo tube filler, capable of 100 a minute
IMA GROUP
Capsule banding
to blister packing
Equipment on show includes a
number of new machines and
complete lines for the pharmaceutical industry.
In particular, the recent
acquisition of Vima Impianti means
that IMA can also supply an
additional range of powder
handling, washing systems and
dedusting equipment.
New in solid dose equipment is
the Hermetica capsule banding
machine for tamper evident sealing.
The machine has a balcony
structure for good accessibility and
employs sealing and drying capsule
transport plates that handle a
double row of capsules, so reducing
machine downtime for changeover
and cleaning.
Two models are available for
maximum speeds of 40,000 and
100,000 capsules an hour.
Blister packing equipment
includes the new Giant 1 integrated
monobloc micro blister line which is
just 6 metres long and yet is capable
of production speeds up to 350
blisters and 175 cartons a minute.
The machine can be changed over
rapidly – particularly for handling
small batches – and, says IMA, is
designed to ensure simplicity in
operation and cleaning.
Among cartoning machines on
show is the new high speed
Dynamica capable of handling up to
450 cartons a minute
T: 01189 772323
IMA: New Dynamica cartoning machine offers speeds up to 450 a minute
The SwiftPharm electronic tablet
and capsule counting machine from
Swiftpack Automation (a division
of IMA Italy) is said to offer twice
the speed of conventional linear
feed tablet counters, with the
benefit of format free product
contact parts and a smaller
footprint.
The machine requires no tools for
changeover and incorporates
intuitive screens for quick and easy
set up by line operators.
Tablets are fed automatically to
the machine by the Swiftlift tablet
elevator, which improves efficiency
by being controlled directly from
the counter hopper level sensor.
The Swiftlift can also be
employed for elevating tablets to
blister packaging machines.
T: 01789 400880
IWK
New machines
for shorter runs
German manufacturer IWK
Verpackungstechnik is extending its
range of tube fillers, blister packers
and cartoners with new low to
medium speed machines aimed at
shorter run production within the
pharmaceutical, cosmetics and
healthcare industries.
All of the new machines employ
servo drive and intelligent controls
to reduce downtime for product
changeover.
Exhibits include the IWK BP10
blister packing machine, linked to
an SI10 cartoning machine,
capable of running at speeds of 330
blisters/165 cartons a minute. The
line is just 7.8 metres long and is
said to take a maximum of one hour
for cleaning and changeover.
There is also the latest IWK tube
filler, the TFS80-1 for speeds up to
100 a minute, both plastic and
metal. This machine is based on the
Koerber Medipak: LA400 sachet machine now has ultrasonic sealing
same principal as the servo driven
IWK TFS80-2 and TFS80-6 tube
filling machines, able to reach
speeds of 150 and 500 tubes a
minute respectively.
IWK Fabrima is showing the HiPro blister machine suitable for
forming depths up to 24mm.
UK: IWKA PacSystems
T: 0870 011 3794
KLEE
Pilot plant for
freeze-drying
German manufacturer Klee
specialises in freeze-drying plants
for the pharmaceutical industry as
well as the associated loading and
unloading systems.
On show is a pilot plant giving a
shelf area of 0.6sq metres. The
system is ATEX compliant for
drying solvent-based materials and
has a clean-in-place system. In
particular, there is a new
mechanical system that allows the
contents of each of the three shelves
to be stoppered independently.
This, explains the company,
makes it possible to select which
vials on which shelf are to be
stoppered at different points in the
freeze-drying process.
UK: FJ Pistol Machine Services
T: 01727 823461
KOERBER MEDIPAK
Security in late
customisation
MediSeal is demonstrating its Late
Stage Customisation System –
which separates blister packing,
printing and cartoning operations –
with a new security concept.
This is based on the use of a 2D
matrix code as a unique identifier to
guarantee pharmaceutical
packaging security even when the
working processes are decoupled.
MediSeal is also presenting a
new flexible feeding solution on its
CP400e blister machine, enabling
tablets with dimensional tolerances
and tablets of different sizes to be
fed into larger pockets using a
single format set.
In addition there is an LA400
sachet machine fitted with a new
ultrasound sealing module which
allows packaging materials that
cannot be heat-sealed – such as PP
fleece material or PP films – to be
welded.
Dividella, which specialises in
packaging systems for parenteral
products and blisters in wallets, is
showing the high-performance
NeoWallet machine used to
produce packs that provide easy
access to the blisters and tablets
and can be easily re-closed.
T: 07841 678122
19
ACHEMA PREVIEW
LOCK INSPECTION SYSTEMS
High sensitivity
metal detection
Metal detectors on show include the
21 CFR, Part 11 Touchscreen Panel
PC for tablets and the Vertical Fall
machine for powders and granules.
The machine for tablets is the
most sensitive in Lock’s Met 30+
range of metal detectors and
operates at speeds up 30,000 a
minute.
It can be equipped with a touch
screen control panel interface which
acts as a user-friendly panel for
viewing metal detector data onscreen rather than from a PC.
The MET 30+ Vertical Fall
metal detector is usually installed
upstream to inspect incoming raw
materials or formulations in
granular or bulk powder form.
This removes metal contaminants
and is said to achieve sensitivity
levels up to 0.5mm for stainless
steel and 0.3mm for ferrous metals.
T: 0161 624 0333
MANESTY
Tablet press
range extended
A new, fully automatic single
station tablet press capable of
producing single, bi-layer and trilayer tablets is being shown for the
first time by Manesty.
Aimed specifically at R & D work
the FlexiTab is fully adjustable,
allowing users to study and
experiment with all aspects of the
compression cycle.
Also on demonstration are the
Manesty Xpress 300 and 700
presses, showing bi-layer tablet
manufacture on the Xpress 700 and
the turret removal sequence on the
Xpress 300.
Coating equipment is represented
by a contained version of the
Premier 500 machine for medium
to large scale production.
T: 0151 547 8000
20
Marchesini: Neri BL600 in-line bottle labelling machine
MARCHESINI
Sterile packing
and robotics
The Steril 400, a filler-capper for
sterile applications, and the
ML646/2 sterile filling machine for
medium level production are two of
several new machines being
introduced by Marchesini.
There is also the Robovision fouraxis robot with carbon-fibre arms
and an integrated vision system,
developed to pick up loose items
from a belt and feed them
continuously to a cartoner.
Solids packaging equipment
includes the MB430 blister packer
equipped with a new universal
feeder, the MST200 Mini strip
machine from Packservice, the
MS235 sachet filler machine with a
new screw feeder dosing unit, and
Vasquali’s FTC12 electronic tablet
counter for coated tablets, or hard
and soft capsules.
In addition there is the ML55
capper and the MTP10 stickpacking machine.
Further exhibits are the FSP10
syringe filler and RSF2 ampoule
filler produced by Corima, the
FB320 tray thermoformer from
Farcon which packs vials in a tray,
and the Millennium 120 tube filler
equipped with a new feeder.
Neri machines on show include
the BL600 in-line bottle labelling
machine, RL300 rotary ampoule
and vial labeller and the NTL60R
sterilising tunnel.
T: 01525 216201
legislation. It can be used up to a
maximum pressure of 2 bar and is
said to be ideal for bulk powder
applications.
Assembly and dis-assembly of the
unit are achieved using a simple
tool supplied with the sieve, which
allows quick and simple cleaning
between batches. FDA approved
materials and surface finishes are
also available for food applications.
Also shown is the Compact
Airlock Sieve, which uses a
validatable pneumatic clamping
system for improved product
containment, and the new Mini
Sifter, an entry level screener.
T: 020 8818 2000
GERHARD SCHUBERT
Top loading
wallets
Thermoformer for blister
The TLM robotic top load machine
syringe blisters on demonstration is packing tablet
ROHRER
Swiss manufacturer Rohrer is
demonstrating its new R950
automatic blister machine which is
set up and configured with plugassisted 35mm deep draw
thermoforming tools for large
syringe blisters.
The machine conforms to cGMP
requirements and is equipped with
Rohrer’s patent-pending, kiss-cut
and seal system for the lidding foil.
UK: BWPharma
T: 01277 356560
RUSSELL FINEX
Sieve operates in
air conveyors
Sieving and filtration specialist
Russell Finex is launching the Blow
Thru Sieve for use in pneumatic
conveying lines, enabling processors
to check-screen powder during
dilute-phase positive pressure
pneumatic conveying, so
eliminating double handling.
The Blow Thru Sieve is a fully
certified pressure vessel and meets
international pressure equipment
blisters into wallets and then
placing the wallets into a patient
pack with varying contents.
The machine is said to offer
flexibility with simple mechanics
and exchangeable tooling.
T: 01676 525825
SIGPACK SYSTEMS
Flow-wrapping
for blister packs
Sigpack, part of Bosch Packaging
Technology, is presenting a new
integrated line for secondary
packaging of blisters, incorporating
a pick-and-place feed system, a
flow-wrapping machine and a topload end-of-line system.
This combination is said to offer
a flexible and economic solution.
Sigpack is also able to provide
information on new stick pack and
flat pouch systems, for primary and
secondary packaging of non-aseptic
pharmaceutical powders.
T: 01332 626262
E: gary.anderton@
boschpackaging.com
ADVERTORIAL
QUIN BUILDS A BETTER CASE
PACKER FOR NORTHERN FOODS
AUTOMATING CASE PACKING, THE LAST MANUAL PROCESS ON ITS PRODUCTION LINE, WAS PROVING A CHALLENGE
FOR NORTHERN FOODS, THE MANUFACTURERS OF FOX’S BISCUITS, UNTIL A RADICALLY NEW CASE PACKER FROM
QUIN SYSTEMS PROVIDED A CONVENIENT AND VERY COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION.
A
t Northern Foods, biscuits are produced
at a rate of over 100 packets per minute.
The production line has, for some time, been
fully automated except for the final step of
case packing – loading the finished packets of
biscuits into the cardboard boxes (cases)
which are used for shipment. Recently, the
company decided that it was time to automate this last remaining manual process.
This is not as simple as it sounds. The case
packer must handle the packets of biscuits
gently to avoid damage, and must place them
accurately within the outer cases. Further,
the pattern of placement varies with the type
of biscuit being produced. And, of course, the
packer must be able to handle the required
100+ packets per minute throughput.
Searching the market for equipment to
meet its needs, Northern Foods quickly discovered that conventional solutions were
unsuitable. In particular, these solutions,
most of which are robot-based, would struggle to reach the required operating speeds.
They would also need to use at least two pick
up heads, leading to a complicated – and
costly – installation which would also be difficult to reconfigure to suit new pack sizes
and formats.
Other shortcomings of conventional case
packers were also revealed, including their
large size, which meant that extra space on
the factory floor would have to be found.
There were also doubts about whether the
machines, when operating at high speed,
could provide a smooth enough motion to
ensure that fragile biscuit packs were not
dropped or damaged. Another concern was
the high level of maintenance which would be
needed to keep these complex mechanisms in
good working order.
At this stage, Northern Foods became
aware of the RthetaTM Casepacker from Quin
Systems, which takes a new and innovative
approach to the challenges of case filling.
Unlike robot-based systems, this new
machine uses unique RthetaTM technology to
22
provide exceptional levels of performance in
end-of-line packing.
This arrangement minimises inertia, allowing the high operating speeds needed by
Northern Foods to be achieved easily. In conjunction with Quin’s specially developed control algorithms, it also ensures that all
motion is smooth, thereby eliminating the
risk of product damage.
The RthetaTM Casepacker is based on direct
drive from two brushless servomotors. No
gearboxes are needed, which not only eliminates positional errors due to backlash, but
also greatly reduces maintenance requirements. The machine is compact, and suitable
for mounting above the production line. In
the case of Northern Foods, this meant that
no additional factory floor space was needed
to install it.
According to Rick Lloyd, Chief Engineer at
Northern Foods: “The specification appeared
to meet all of our requirements and the price
– about half that of the other systems we’d
looked at – was certainly attractive.
Accordingly, we decided to install one of the
machines on a trial basis.”
In operation, the machine quickly proved
its capabilities, meeting Northern Foods’ target of handling over 100 packs per minute
with ease, using just a single vacuum pick-up
head which can be changed rapidly to suit different types of biscuit packaging.
The new machine controls the flaps of the
cases, which it receives from a carton erector
also supplied by Quin, collates the biscuits,
then loads them into the cases. According to
the product type, there are between two and
six layers of biscuit packs per case, which
means that high positional accuracy is essential if product damage is to be avoided.
The RthetaTM Casepacker features a touchscreen interface which makes it possible for
the machine operators to change in seconds
between the fourteen different products which
the line currently handles.
Further, the straightforward menu-driven
programming system used by Quin means
that technicians at Northern Foods can
quickly and easily reconfigure the system to
handle any new pack sizes.
After exhaustive trials lasting several
months any reservations which Northern
Foods may originally have had about adopting new technology were entirely dispelled.
“The installation easily meets all our
requirements, and we have had no hesitation
in making it permanent,” said Rick Lloyd.
“By eliminating the need for manual case
packing, it has cut our costs substantially,
and it will have a very short pay-back period,
especially when its low initial cost is taken
into account.”
“It has now been operating 24-hours a day
over the last couple of months, and its reliability has proved to be excellent,” he continued.
“Based on our experiences, we believe that
Quin’s RthetaTM Casepacker has huge potential
within Northern Foods, and beyond.”
For further information please contact
Robin Maidment at Quin Systems on 0118
977 1077; E: [email protected]; or
www.quin.co.uk
C A S E A N D T R AY PA C K I N G
Empty shelves boost the
Retail-ready route
EMPTY SHELVES, FRUSTRATED CONSUMERS AND MOVES TO CUT THE COST OF IN-STORE
HANDLING HAVE FUELLED RENEWED INTEREST IN SHELF–READY PACKAGING.
U
K retailing has a £3 billion shortfall due to
empty shelves, giving real impetus to the
industry’s drive not only to recoup this huge
financial gap but also to satisfy the increasingly
frustrated consumer’s demand for products.
Little wonder then that retail ready packaging (RRP) ranks in the top three developments
to impact on the retail supply chain during
2006, according to research from the Institute
of Grocery Distribution (IGD).
The Retail Logistics 2006 report, which surveyed supply chain directors and senior managers from leading food and grocery retailers
and wholesalers, found that the other, closely
connected drivers were collaborative planning,
forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) and
RFID – all closely linked disciplines.
According to Tarun Patel, IGD programme
manager: “RRP is a simple idea which has
practical applications across all retail categories and can address problems which lead to
poor on-shelf availability and currently costs
the industry £3 billion in lost sales.”
Efficient Consumer Response UK (ECR), an
initiative led by the directors of leading retailers
and manufacturers and run by the IGD, has
launched the ECR Bluebook aimed at helping
suppliers, manufacturers and retailers to
unlock the lost sales through RRP to the benefit
of the consumer.
In simple terms RRP offers improved identification, recognition and direct case-to-shelf
replenishment, ideally via the outer case being
moved direct to shelf without decanting product.
Tesco aims to get 10,000 products on shelf
using RRP by the end of this year and has
already seen sales rise for such product lines as
chilled pizzas, nuts, cheese, yoghurts, cakes,
bread, water and crisps. And although Tesco
has been the driver, all the major multiples have
taken the concept onboard.
But what does it mean to the packaging supply industry and what initiatives is it coming up
It is unlikely that a single solution will be
found, however, although one success for the
group is the adoption of a single set of symbols
to be used on the packs to improve back of store
recognition.
“Physically finding packs at the back of a
store is not always the easiest task and so
improving recognition is almost as important as
making it easy to get these products onto the
shelves in the quickest time possible,” Tarun
Patel told Machinery Update.
However, despite this lack of standardisation,
it would be fair to say that RRP offers major
opportunities for packaging. For instance, it is
definitely adding impetus to the paperboard
sector and the options available today are certainly growing daily.
Ready for display: Above: DS Smith tray
and hood option for export bleach
containers. Right: Mapa Spontex has
adopted the Revlock shelf-ready tray from
Clifford Packaging
with to spearhead faster and more efficient retail packaging systems?
There are several problems: the
needs of supermarket giants and those
of smaller convenience outlets vary as
do those of different primary packs and the
products they contain. And neither does there
seem to be a preferred format, with different
retailers and manufacturers calling for a variety of solutions, and not always for different
products.
Setting guidelines
Solutions vary from simple shrinkwrap to easy
open cases and display outers, on to plastic
crates and wheeled dolleys, which have long
played their part for milk and juices. This is,
however, being worked on by the ECR UK
group who are looking at setting physical standards or guidelines.
DS Smith Packaging, for example, has
recognised the potential and has set up a new
centre of knowledge called Impact in Ely, Cambridgeshire. One of the most interesting aspects
of the Impact centre is the opportunity it provides for representatives of different disciplines
to thrash out their internal issues in relation to
shelf-ready packaging.
DS Smith Packaging believes this is often an
absolutely necessary first step as the reworking
of packaging to shelf-ready formats draws in
wider supply chain and branding issues.
A major UK producer of household products
recently had the opportunity to double its
export trade to The Netherlands. This involved
23
making use of containers being returned empty
to a large continental supermarket chain. So
they required a pack for bulk shipments of
bleach but, to offset any on-cost for dispensing
the product to shelves, an in-store display facility was a must.
In this case cost was the overriding issue and
by choosing a hood and tray option DS Smith
was able to retain the packaging in ‘B’ flute single wall. And by designing the hood to go inside
the tray a tight pack was ensured, giving double
wall stacking strength to the individual cases
for bulk shipments. Further, the simplicity of
the concept enabled the existing case erectors
Peforated panels: Display case from SCA Packaging
to be used before packing is carried out by
hand.
Since its introduction nil product damage has
been reported and sales have increased by over
500,000 cases.
SCA Packaging has built up an extensive catalogue of proven RRP design solutions in its
OneTouch library These can be easily adapted to
particular customer requirements, helping provide the cost benefits required by the manufacturer and meeting the retailer deadlines for the
move to retail ready.
Fully-tailored approach
Alternatively a fully-tailored approach is available via SCA’s On2Shelf six-step process, which
is said to increase availability and improve
profitability with efficiency gains throughout
the entire supply chain.
This process, which is conducted in partnership with the customer, not only looks at the
functionality of the packaging in the retailer,
but also at the journey the packaging has to
undertake and the problems – both cost and
performance – that the packaging faces on its
route to the shelf. Once a full assessment has
24
taken place, solutions are developed in design
workshops attended by the customer.
Mapa Spontex has adopted the Revolock
shelf-ready tray from Clifford Packaging for its
household cleaning range of products. The design
increases product visibility while saving up to 25
per cent of board area compared with existing
shelf ready packs. Rowan Tinn, innovations
development manager at Clifford says that the
company offers something slightly different to
customers while meeting retailer requirements.
“We work closely with retailers and it is true
that they don’t mind perforations as long as
they work, but they don’t want shelf ready packaging to hide products on the shelves,”
he says.
For some time, Rigid Corrugated
has been developing, testing and supplying a variety of RRP solutions.
“As well as being functional, RRP
has to be attractive too, as it now
forms part of the product’s overall
appearance,” says Kevin Steed, technical and development manager at
Rigid. “As well as providing up to four
colour printing, we are also backed up
by our Masterflex operation which
offers five colour printing with varnish.
This eliminates the necessity to go to
pre-print with the associated high cost
and commitment to high volume.”
Smurfit UK was among those honoured by
the IGD recently when it won the Unilever
Award for Consumer Insight for its Shelf
Assured toolkit. The company recognised that
the ‘shelf stacker’ has to identify, prepare and
display products under difficult circumstances
and, if the packaging hinders this process, it can
influence potential product sales.
This understanding enabled Smurfit to construct a toolkit that assists its sales and technical staff in both educating manufacturers and
retailers about the issues involved in achieving
successful shelf-ready packaging and the solutions available.
The pack contains miniature samples of the
seven categories of shelf-ready packaging available, 3D animations of each style and a simple
five step approach to managing packaging
development.
In the past, there used to be negative perceptions of how corrugated packs would look en
masse on supermarket shelves. Now suppliers
and retailers are seeing the advantages of packs
which both protect in transit and enhance on
shelf impact. Retail-ready can use existing
Machinery options
W
hether you call it ‘shelf-ready packaging’ or
this year’s new buzz term ‘retail-ready
packaging’ (RRP), the concept of putting products in a transit pack that can go straight on
shelf in a store with the minimum of fuss is over
30 years old. So almost all the packaging
machinery you are likely to need to produce
RRPs is already developed and available, writes
Martin Keay.
In fact, the problem for equipment specifiers
is often that there are too many machinery
options to choose from and too many factors to
take into account, such as pack style, the ability
to produce different types of pack on the same
equipment and the numbers and sizes of the
machines required.
However, the range of choices of machinery to
produce RRPs is immediately narrowed once a
decision is made about the style of pack that
must be produced. Typically the choices of case
and tray based RRP will be:
Shrinkwrapped trays
High wall trays
Two piece packs
Cases with perforations or tear tape
Returnable plastic trays
Nevertheless, since the type of retail ready
pack to use is generally chosen by the marketing
department or the retailer, the machinery specifier’s role is simply to find the most suitable
equipment to produce the required pack.
The two most common machines for producing shrinkwrapped packs are a wraparound tray
packer or a separate tray erector and tray
loader. Wraparound tray packers lend themselves to producing the deep but narrow packs
that major retailers are now requesting and
many designs of wraparound machine are also
able to produce wraparound cases as well as
trays, allowing different pack styles to be produced, if necessary, for different markets or
retailers.
In addition, some designs of wraparound tray
packer give the user the flexibility to produce
both shrinkwrapped trays and unsupported
shrinkwrapped packs on the same machine for
those retailers who are still more concerned
about packaging waste.
For example, the first of ten new Europack
shrink/tray wrappers capable of different pack
styles has recently started work in a £1 million
plus makeover of end-of-line packaging at Twinings’ tea bag plant on Tyneside.
Each machine will collate cartons and produce tight film shrinkwraps or erect minimum
depth trays, then load and shrinkwrap them in
single or twin face packs at speeds up to 30 a
minute. There are eight possible carton collations ranging from single face 1 x 4 to 2 x 6
twin-facing shelf ready formats. Changeovers,
including changeparts for the tray forming tool,
are said to take just 15 minutes.
Limited floor space at Twinings’ plant led to a
further innovation by Europack. Three different
operations are combined to give the smallest
footprint: carton collation, tray forming and
shrink wrapping all take place in one unit.
Three-in-one machine
“Two Europack machines installed in January
proved the three-in-one machine design on
shrink/tray twin packs for our speciality tea
range,” explains Twinings project engineering
manager Keith Darroch. “Then market demand
switched once again to single face packs and we
decided to invite tenders for a whole new end-ofline operation.”
Involvo, the Swiss wraparound case and tray
packing machinery specialist, has introduced a
new shrink-wrapping system for use with trays
or simple pads.
Available via UK agent F Jahn & Co, the complete range now comprises three models:
Invopac intermittent motion systems for low to
medium speed operation, up to 36 cases a
minute, Invospeed continuous motion case and
tray-packing systems for high speed bottling
applications and Infolio high speed tray pack
and shrink-wrapping systems capable of speeds
Shrinkwrapped trays
Shrinkwrapped trays were the original RRP but
whereas in the past the manufacturer could
make the decision on how big the tray should be,
based on the minimum number of products they
wanted to sell at a time or the best fit for a pallet, the major retailers now want the size of the
tray to match the size of their shelves and the
number of facing products they want to display
on that shelf.
So manufacturers are now being required to
produce some unusual shapes of shrinkwrapped
tray, often with fewer products per tray, which
may require new tray-packing equipment.
Three-in-one: The first of ten Europack shrink/tray wrappers for Twinings’ end-of-line makeover
25
reaching up to 100 packs a minute.
Generally, there now appears to be increasing
interest in systems that use a separate tray erector and a tray robot or pick-and-place tray
loader, because the same product loading
machine can be used to fill not only trays of different dimensions but also returnable plastic
trays or top load cases.
For example, the new Apsol RCP pick-andplace case-packing robot, available in the UK
from Integrapak, is suitable for a variety of shelf
ready packaging including display boxes, trays,
and open top cases, in single or multiple layers.
The RCP can be supplied with various types of
product infeed systems to suit products such as
bottles, ready meals, bags, pouches and flowwraps, and uses quick-change format parts. It
can also operate with either a separate or
monobloc case erection system.
Yamato’s servo driven FCP 550V Flexible
Case Packer is said to be particularly suited to
shelf ready packaging since it can load most
individual packs vertically with the front of the
pack showing. In fact, this top load machine is
able to handle a variety of soft and rigid packs at
speeds up to 120 items a minute, packing horizontally as well as vertically.
It is equipped with a vertical racetrack collator on which products are accepted from the
infeed conveyor and raised to a vertical orientation and then collated into rows before being
moved across onto bomb doors above the case or
tray. Here, depending on the type of product,
grippers or suction cups carried on a loading
arm secure and lower the collation as a layer
into the container.
Products such as pillow packs, pouches, cartons, trays, bowls or cups can be handled and the
machine is said to be particularly compact for
its throughput.
High wall trays
High wall trays are generally used for products
such as bags or cartons that need the support of
the high wall to give them adequate compression
strength. However, the high wall can sometimes
be a problem on the supermarket shelf because
it can restrict the view of the product especially
if the tray is very deep.
As with shrinkwrapped trays, the two main
types of machine for producing high wall trays
are wraparound tray packers and separate tray
erectors and tray loaders.
For example, DS Smith Packaging Systems
has supplied Rachel’s Dairy with an IBS tray
erector and robotic pick-and-place machine to
26
High sided trays: Shelf-ready packs for Rachel’s Dairy produced on equipment from DS Smith Packaging Systems
handle four-pot yoghurt packs and two different
depths of tray. The pack itself, from DS Smith
Corrugated, is well-suited to the four-pot packs
as the handhold, designed to rip away the front
portion, is easy to use with the angled inner
packs allowing easy access for tearing.
In the snack food industry the use of preerected cases has been popular for many years
and Nor-Reg Systems, represented in the UK by
Cornwell Products, has supplied machines to
many of Europe’s leading manufacturers including complete turnkey installations.
In this type of installation Nor-Reg’s TE2399
machine is used to erect cases and seal the base
with glue. Erected cases are then fed to its CP
4600 side-load machine, and placed on their
side. Product is fed to the machine in a single
row and complete layers formed by the
machine’s servo driven pull nose conveyor. The
complete product rows are then fed into the case
where a retracting plate keeps the product under
gentle pressure to ensure a compact case.
After filling the cases are stood upright and
fed to the case closing machine. The same equipment can be used for both standard RSC cases
as well as two part tray and lid cases.
Two piece packs
Two piece packs are particularly favoured by the
major retailers and marketing departments
because the base tray can be shaped and printed
to give the products the optimum shelf appeal
and product branding, while the lid can provide
the necessary protection and crush resistance to
ensure that the products arrive at the store in
good condition.
There are three main methods of producing
two piece packs. The first method is with a
machine designed specifically for making two
piece packs, which incorporates separate magazines for the base tray and lid. The second
method is to form the base tray in a wraparound
tray packer and then apply a lid or top tray to
this pack in a separate machine. The third
method uses a wraparound tray packer with an
extra lidding station which can be used when
producing two-piece packs or turned off when
producing packs without lids.
Some designs of two-piece packs call for the
lid to be tucked into the base tray rather than
being wrapped around the base tray. This type
of pack can usually only be produced on a dedicated two piece pack machine, but an alternative is to pack the products upside-down into the
lid and then form the base around the lid in a
separate lid applicator.
A good example of a two piece pack – and one
that avoids marking the graphics of the display
tray when the lid is removed – has been developed by Nor-Reg for Premier International, to
cater for stand-up bags of Smash instant potato.
Nor-Reg’s TP4730 case packing machines
are used, and accept bags in a single row for
grouping and feeding to a transfer chamber. The
lid is then folded around the product and the collation taken to the tray station where a flat tray
is formed around the product and the lid, which
becomes internal.
The lid has a perforated section, which is
secured to the tray by two glue spots so that on
opening, the lid comes away without marking
the outer face of the tray.
Case and display tray packers from J+P
Dresden – represented by Propack Automation –
are available to load flexible packs either standing up or laying flat, as well as more rigid products such as cartons and household goods.
The J+P Model KVTF forms the trays from
flat blanks and presents them for loading with
product arriving lying flat on the machine infeed
which, points out Propack, has the advantage
that flexible packs can be equalised, lanedivided and marshalled, before being loaded into
the trays.
Erected trays are presented to the product
loading station standing almost vertically, open
side facing towards the incoming products. As
each product layer is grouped and transferred,
the tray indexes downwards and a loading tongue
enters the tray, above the completed layer. Gentle
pressure from the loading tongue keeps completed layers slightly compacted, ensuring that
space is available to load the remaining layers,
until the tray is filled. Running speeds are generally up to 120 items minute but can be higher,
depending on the format in the tray.
The KVTF display packer can also be
equipped with a lidding station where the lids
are formed from flat blanks, sealed with hot
melt adhesive, and applied to the filled trays.
Other types of top closure are also available and
the systems have tool-free changeover.
However French machine manufacturer Cermex has come up with a new variant on the twopiece pack theme, using two separate corrugated board blanks.
The F550 Multi-packaging Erector is
designed to handle full and half RSC cases, but
also assembles a low tray and a half case which
can then be detached so that products can be slid
directly onto the supermarket shelf. Speed is up
to 30 cases a minute.
Cases with perforations or tear tape
However in some instances it is unnecessary to
purchase new equipment to produce retail ready
packs. Both conventional top load or end load
cases can be converted into shelf-ready packs if
the cases are die cut with perforations or
equipped with tear strips. This means that both
top load and end load case packing machines
can be used to produce retail-ready packs as
well as conventional cases.
For example, the Ronchipack Model C200-N
case packer from Propack Automation provides
a complete system for top loading a wide range
of containers, such as bottles, jars and bags into
American style cases at speeds up to 30 cases a
28
minute. Ronchi also makes the SD-40 case-former capable of speeds up to 40 a minute.
Cases equipped with tear strips can be
employed to produce RRPs using simple case
erectors and case tapers, provided the tape wipe
up is less than the depth of the on-shelf display
tray.
Most case tapers will have a wipe-up height of
40-50mm, making them unsuitable for sealing
cases that will be made into RRPs, because
forming the display using the tear tape will
remove the adhesive tape that holds the bottom
of the pack together.
However, the latest Loveshaw LD 3SB sidebelt case taper uses a new tape cartridge which
produces a wipe up height of as little as 25mm,
front and rear, avoiding the problem of over-taping the perforation or tear tape.
Loveshaw makes the point that substantial
savings can be made with a tear-off box compared with glued shelf-ready packs and that its
LD3SB machine is able to deal with cases or
cartons as narrow as 85mm. The new 25mm
tape cartridge can also be retrofitted to many
existing Little David case sealers.
Endoline also is now able to offer tape heads
with a wipe up of 30mm front and back, but can
also modify the wipe-up on the trailing end of the
case to bring it down to 20mm.
Meanwhile the company is to supply a major
Australian cereal manufacturer with a complete
pick-and-place system able to work with both
standard and shelf-ready packaging. The system
incorporates a 220 Series case erector, a 600
Series case sealer and 310 Series pick-andplace machine including a layer pad inserter and
an automatic system to detect any incomplete
layers of product.
Die cuts and tear strips can also be included
into the blanks for wraparound cases, again
making it possible for the same machine to produce both wraparound cases and retail ready
packs, without even having to adjust the
machine.
Returnable plastic trays
With the renewed enthusiasm for corrugated
board shelf-ready packs it seems almost impolite to recall that only a few months ago the
major retailers were calling for as many products as possible to be delivered to them in
returnable plastic trays. However returnable
plastic trays are still of course the preferred
RRP for many types of fruit and vegetables as
well as bread.
Inevitably plastic trays need to be loaded from
Pick-and-place
top loader
handles wrapped
bakery goods
Bakery goods supplier Haywood and Padgett
has automated end-of-line packaging at its
Barnsley site with a horizontal case-packing
system supplied by Dutch manufacturer BluePrint Automation.
The case packing system supplied by BluePrint includes controlled parallel infeeds from
two existing flow-wrappers, which feed products directly into the automated servo driven
pick-and-place case packer, model HOP.
Corrugated cases are delivered to the packing area automatically, on demand, from a
BPA CER01 case erector, with the base flaps
taped and top flaps open ready to receive products. Filled cases are then taken through an
automatic top tape sealer prior to palletisation.
the top using either drop packing techniques or
pick-and-place and this makes plastic trays
quite compatible with other packages that need
to be loaded from the top, like high wall trays
and conventional cases.
For example, Greggs the bakery goods supplier is using a Schubert TLM-F44 top loading
machine to pack up to 850 savoury goods a
minute into transport trays at its factory in Long
Benton, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Schubert’s
TLM-F44 picker line incorporates TLM-F2
robotic tray handling units, which place the
transport trays onto the product loading conveyor, as well as a vision system that carries out a
quality check on the products.
A series of four-axis robots, fitted with vacuum gripper attachments, not only pick and
place frozen savoury products such as pasties
and sausage rolls into several layers but also
insert a protective paper sheet between the layers of products.
Dutch manufacturer CPS Case Packing Systems, represented in the UK by Multipond, has
developed a new case-packer to pack trays of
produce, meat or ready meals in corrugated
cases or crates ready for on-shelf display.
The machine is able to rotate individual trays,
which allows for a wide variety of packing patterns and uses a pick up head that places a complete layer of product into the crate, case or tray.
Speed is up to 100 trays a minute.
Spanish manufacturer Prodec, represented in
the UK by Engelmann & Buckham, has recently
tage is that they can all be produced on one or at
most two machines if a lid is applied by a separate lid applicator.
With a top loading system it is always possible
to produce a wider range of pack styles, but for a
two-piece pack it will be necessary to use three
separate machines and inevitably they will take
up more space than a single wraparound
machine. For further information:
Campak
T: 01536 261501
Cermex
T: 01480 455919
Top loading cases: BluePrint HOP case-packer at Haywood and Padgett
BluePrint explains that the use of twin feeds
from the flow wrappers ensures that the packing
process is not interrupted if one or the other of
the upstream processes stops for any reason.
T: +31 348 410999
supplied one of its D-100 top load machines to
handle stand-up pouches of coffee at the rate of
180 a minute, 30 per case. The vacuum pick up
head rotates 180 degrees between layers to load
the pouches horizontally top-to-tail for maximum use of case volume.
The SMV is a complete balcony style machine
handling either shaped or round bottles with
nozzles and cartons. The shaped bottles have to
be shingled inside the case for best use of space
and tightness of the collation.
However, most manufacturers are faced with
the problem of having to produce several styles
of transit pack for the same product. One type of
RRP to suit major UK retailers, another type of
RRP to suit other retailers and the cash and
carry trade and a full case to give maximum
protection to products intended for export.
In an ideal world with unlimited budgets and
space it would be nice to have a separate
machine to produce each of these packs. But in
the real world budgets and space are limited and
so it is necessary to choose equipment that can
produce a variety of pack styles.
It is also worth remembering that the major
UK retailers have a track record of changing
their minds rather rapidly when it comes to transit packaging and so the option to produce other
styles of pack if the wind changes, is also important when considering a machine that could have
a lifetime of up to 15 years.
The two options that give a high degree of
potential flexibility if the product mix needs to
change are wraparound tray/case packers and a
top loading system with separate machines to
erect trays or cases or dispense plastic trays.
With the wraparound tray/case-packer the
options are limited to those pack styles that the
machine is capable of producing, but the advan-
Conventional case-packing machines
But with all the current enthusiasm for RRPs
that suit the major retailers, it is worth remembering that these packs will not suit every
retailer and for some markets, particularly
export and pharmaceuticals, the last thing that
is wanted is a retail ready pack. The protection
and anonymity provided by existing packaging is
essential if the product is to arrive in one piece,
or indeed arrive at all.
Recent installations of CAM machines in the
UK include a high-speed side load system for
handling cartons of firelighters at speeds up to
120 cartons a minute, automatically collating
the cartons direct from the cartoner.
Another is a balcony style machine, model
SMP, handling cartons of aerosols containing a
sea water nasal spray, again at around 120 cartons a minute as part of a line that includes a
CAM HV continuous motion horizontal cartoner.
CAM, represented in the UK by Campak, has
also installed two production lines at an Irish
pharmaceutical company, consisting of a SM87
fully automatic side load case packer and ZP1
palletiser and an SMV top load system with a
ZP1 palletiser.
Cornwell Products Machinery Sales
T: 01732 866677
Endoline Machinery
T: 01767 316422
Engelmann and Buckham
T: 01420 82421
Europack
T: 01502 716540
Integrapak
T: 01420 593680
F Jahn & Co
T: 020 8977 8822
Loveshaw Europe
T: 01264 357511
Multipond
T: 01494 816644
Propack Automation Machinery
T: 02476 470074
Schubert UK
T: 01676 525825
DS Smith Packaging Systems
T: 01275 551083
Yamato Scale Dataweigh (UK)
T: 0113 271 7999
For full details of all PPMA members able to
supply case and tray packing equipment, consult the PPMA machinery finder service, tel:
020 8773 8111, or visit www.ppma.co.uk
29
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
DIARY DATES
sponsored by
sponsored by
15-19 May: Achema
pharmaceutical processing and
packaging show. Frankfurt.
Details: www.achema.de
• Packaging
18 May: PPMA Seminar:
Health and safety legislation for
maintenance engineers.
Northampton. Details: John
Cowdrey: 020 8773 8111,
john.cowdrey @ppma.co.uk
6-8 June: CME Europe
confectionery manufacturing
show. Brussels. Details: The
Simply Group, tel: 020 8542
9090.
14-17 June: ProPak Asia.
Bangkok. Details:
www.propakasia.com
15 June: PPMA Seminar:
Designing safe machinery.
Northampton. Details: John
Cowdrey: 020 8773 8111,
john.cowdrey @ppma.co.uk
20 June: PPMA Seminar: High
efficiency in-place cleaning.
CCFRA Chipping Campden.
Details: John Cowdrey: 020 8773
8111, john.cowdrey @ppma.co.uk
26-28 September: The PPMA
Show 2006. NEC Birmingham.
Details: www.ppmashow.com
26-28 September: Fachpack
packaging and labelling
exhibition. Nuremberg. Details:
www.fachpack.de
12 October: PPMA Seminar:
Update on the Provision and Use
of Work Equipment Regulations
(PUWER). Northampton.
18 October: PPMA Seminar:
One pot pharmaceutical
processing techniques. Liverpool.
24-27 October: Scanpack
packaging machinery and
materials show. Gotenborg.
Details: www.scanpack.se
29 October-2 November: Pack
Expo exhibition. Chicago.
Details: www.packexpo.com
11-13 July: Propak China.
Shanghai. Details:
www.propakchina.com
2 November: PPMA Seminar:
Future uses of robots in the
processing and packaging
industry. University of Warwick.
6-7 September: Pakex Ireland
exhibition. Dublin. Details from
McCann McGuirk Presentations,
tel: 00353 1 4532497.
20-24 November: Emballage
2006 packaging machinery and
materials show. Paris. Details:
www.emballageweb.com
Organised by
McCANN McGUIRK LTD.
Greenmount House, Harold’s Cross Road,
Dublin 6W
Tel: 353 1 4532 497
Fax: 353 1 454 4179
Email: [email protected]
www.machinebuilding.co.uk
C O N V E YO R S
and mechanical handling
NEWS ON THE LATEST CONVEYOR SYSTEMS, FEEDERS, UNSCRAMBLERS
AND PRODUCT HANDLING EQUIPMENT.
T RANSNORM S YSTEM
High speed
divert/merge for
horizontal or
vertical duties
Two high speed divert/merge units
are now available from Transnorm
System – the horizontal SmartSort
capable of 6000 items an hour,
and the vertical VertiSwitch
capable of 3000 items an hour,
both from mixed infeeds.
Both can be supplied as a ‘plug
and play’ module, with intelligent
queuing belts to ensure
synchronisation between merging
product. Drives and controls form
part of the module, which is fully
wired using a bus system and
includes a PLC to interface with
the user’s existing conveyor
controls.
Items from 20 to 600mm high
with a footprint of 100 x 200mm
to 500 x 800mm can be identified
and routed.
In the horizontal SmartSort, the
divert/merge function is carried
out on a bed of independently
controlled rollers that allows the
flow of product to be separated or
brought together smoothly at an
angle that suits the speed, size and
fragility of the pack.
One of the first machines to be
installed in the UK has now
completed 12 months in operation
at a major soft drinks filler.
However, shortly also to be
available is a system that will
allow items such as cases to be
diverted at 90deg in either the
Transnorm System: SmartSort ’plug and play’ divert/merge system
same orientation or at right angles
to suit downstream operations.
The vertical VertiSwitch is
aimed at operations where floor
space is limited and employs a
luffing conveyor to take products
up to a higher conveyor, down to a
lower conveyor or allow them to
continue straight through.
To maintain high speed, the
upper and lower receiving
conveyors are also equipped with a
luffing facility. This allows them to
dip down or up at product transfer,
meeting the infeed halfway to
release it early for the next cycle.
Transnorm System points out
that the ‘plug and play’ feature of
both the horizontal and vertical
SmartSort means that expensive
on site software engineering is not
required and that the fully run and
tested unit can be rapidly installed
and commissioned.
T: 01684 291100
P LANET F LOWLINE
softly adjust to the pre-set bottle
dimensions and a camera detects
upside down bottles, which are
then rotated 180deg before being
released onto a discharge
conveyor. This conveyor also
automatically adjusts to
accommodate different sizes of
container.
The 2050 AP has a running
speed of 15,500 bottles an hour,
based on a 330ml bottle.
The second new unscrambler
from Fava is the model 1600E, a
low priced entry level machine
capable of speeds up to 17,000
containers an hour when handling
100ml bottles.
T: 01778 341166
Unscrambler
can be adjusted A C
Combinerautomatically
for size change divider controls
Italian manufacturer Fava
checkweighing
Artemio has launched two new
of soft fruit
bottle unscramblers, one with an
STEC
automatic changeover system that
allows the operator to change from
one container size to another at the
touch of a button, with no need for
changeparts.
This machine, the model 2050
AP, accepts containers in selectors
on a rotary carousel via a counterrotating cone, as with other
machines of its type. However,
containers can enter the vertical
selectors either base or neck first
which, says UK representative
Planet Flowline, improves the
selection efficiency.
Once in the selector, the pincers
ONVEYORS
An Astec Pathfinder combinerdivider is at the heart of a loop
system designed by the company to
transfer punnets of soft fruit
through a checkweigher and then on
to lidding and labelling, via weight
correction stations if required.
Product is loaded into punnets of
80 x 130mm to 140 x 200mm and,
as a norm, conveyed around the
system at 80 packs a minute,
although variable speed control is
provided.
The punnets are checkweighed,
and correct weight packs are
allowed to pass straight through the
33
CONVEYORS AND MECHANICAL HANDLING
Krones: Accutower buffer system
Pathfinder to lidding and labelling.
Under and over weight punnets
are diverted to inner and outer loops
respectively for correction by hand
before being returned into the
system.
Astec says the system has
improved both the speed and
accuracy of the packing operation.
T: 01283 210333
K RONES
Tower buffer
system provides
pressure-free
accumulation
The Accutower buffer system
developed by Krones employs an
endless chain in a vertical spiral to
provide pressure-free
accumulation in the minimum
amount of floor space.
The chain, which supports
containers on plastic carrier
plates, is arranged in a coaxial
double spiral and provides a
variable buffer length through the
use of a transfer carriage between
the infeed and discharge.
Two frequency-controlled motors
drive the chain at the infeed and
discharge. If both drive units,
responding to upstream or
downstream machines in the line,
34
Conveyor Systems: Empty case feeding system for Chivas
are operating at the same speed,
the transfer carriage inside the
spiral remains in the same
position.
In that case the effective buffer
length remains unchanged.
However, if the infeed and outfeed
speed differ, the transfer carriage
moves up or down, increasing the
buffer length available or reducing
the length as containers are fed
back into the line on a first-in/firstout basis.
The Accutower can be built in a
height to suit the installation and
is able to work typically at speeds
up to 50,000 containers an hour
on a 500ml bottle of 68mm
diameter. It will handle most types
of rigid pack such as glass bottles,
PET bottles, cans, cartons and
shrink-wrapped trays.
T: 01942 845000
C ONVEYOR S YSTEMS
Empty case feed
lifts packing
ergonomics for
Chivas Regal
A new case feeding system
installed by Conveyor Systems at
the Chivas Newbridge plant has
improved ergonomics for the
packers of Chivas Regal whisky
and allowed output to increase.
It replaces a single high level
skate wheel conveyor feeding a
wide range of empty six and 12
bottle cases, flaps up, from the
case supply point down to the
bottle feed line for packing by
operatives located on either side of
the line.
This required the packers to
reach across the roller conveyor on
which cases are loaded to pick an
empty case from the high level
central feed conveyor, set 1.5
metres above floor level.
Instead, Conveyor Systems has
provided a purpose designed
system and integrated this into the
existing feed line, diverting cases
down two chutes either side of the
hand packing line.
An intelligent bi-directional
pusher developed by the company
provides an even flow of a wide
variety of empty cases down two
stainless steel chutes, set either
side of the bottle feed line. This
presents the cases at a much more
accessible height for the packers.
“The new case feed system has
improved the ergonomic layout,
which has resulted in an improved
packing process for operatives and
in turn speeded up operations,”
says Martin Devine of Chivas.
“Although the cases are light and
easy to handle, the operatives have
FP Packaging: Transfer conveyor
welcomed the positioning of the
new chutes as this has removed the
need to stretch in order to access
the packaging.”
T: 01283 552255
RNA A UTOMATION
Feeder will
handle small
flow-wraps
and sachets
RNA Automation has entered the
market for machinery to orientate
and feed small flow-wraps and
sachets with a new sorting
machine that presents wooden
skewers in bags and sachets of
mustard or curry sauce to a pick
and place robot.
The bags are then placed on the
outer packaging of a ready meal.
The new RNA machine consists
of two multi-track linear sorters
fed with product from large
volume vibratory hoppers. Bags
and sachets are orientated
lengthways on the sorting tracks –
with double-lying products
corrected – and delivered onto
common outlet conveyors.
RNA points out that it is
essential for the operation that a
minimum quantity of product is
available on the conveyors in a
can be set to provide just sufficient
force to move the product and that
maximum acceleration is under
0.8g, against the 5-5.5g typical of
vibratory feeding systems.
T: 0121 628 8900
FP PACKAGING M ACHINERY
Transfer unit
links to wrapper
or cartoner for
labour savings
TNA Europe: RoFlo conveyors feeding TNA Robag bagging machines
defined frame area that can be
recognised by the vision system
guiding the robot. Bags must not
overlap or touch.
Feed rate is 120 bags a minute
and any bags that are not taken up
by the robot system are returned to
the vibratory feed hoppers.
T: 0121 749 2566
F J AHN & C O
Unscrambler
operates by
using bottles’
centre of gravity
Spanish manufacturer PackFeeder
has launched a new concept in
plastic bottle unscrambling.
The PackFeeder system allows
the empty bottles to unscramble
themselves as they pass in-line
through the machine, by using
their centre of gravity to bring
them gradually into the vertical
position.
The machine is compact and
entirely mechanical in operation.
No compressed air is needed while
changeover for different bottle
sizes is said to be simple and quick
with no tools required.
Recently appointed UK agent F
Jahn & Co claims that the
PackFeeder machine gives users a
simple, efficient and cost-effective
solution to the problem of
transferring lightweight plastic
bottles onto a continuously moving
conveyor.
T: 020 8977 8822
TNA E UROPE
Servo driven
conveyor uses
less force than
vibratory units
TNA’s latest Roflo horizontal
movement conveyor system is built
on a modular basis and requires no
discharge gates, which gives easy
cleaning and is said to reduce
product breakage through reduced
drop height into the crossfeeder,
give faster product transfer and
require less maintenance.
The modular construction means
that there are common,
interchangeable parts across the
system and extra pan sections or
lengths of conveyor can be added
readily.
Pans themselves are now built in
a double skin construction,
concealing the reinforcing sections
and making exterior cleaning
easier, while drive is via servo
motors.
This, says TNA, means the drive
FP Packaging Machinery has
designed and supplied a transfer
conveyor system that gates and
times products directly into the
infeed flights of packaging
machines, particularly flowwrappers and cartoners,
eliminating manual loading.
The first machines were supplied
for sliced ham shingled into a tray
automatically presented to the
cutting machine, with the filled
tray conveyed and automatically
transferred into a horizontal
packaging machine.
Subsequent machines have been
supplied for unwrapped products
such as hamburgers, which are
conveyed directly from the
production machine into the
transfer conveyor and placed – in
time with the flights – directly into
the packaging machine.
FP Packaging says that speeds
depend on the type of product
being handled but are generally in
the order of 60 a minute.
T: 01483 532811
W RIGHT M ACHINERY
Vibratory weigh
conveyor cuts
maintenance
and cleaning
A weighing conveyor based on the
vibratory principle has been
developed by Wright Machinery as
a low maintenance and easy clean
alternative to systems that use
conveyor belts to handle dry, freeflowing products. It has no moving
parts and is built in stainless steel
to IP65 standards for wash-down.
Applications for the new
Weighwright conveyor include a
variety of mass flow measurement
tasks in processing and packaging,
such as filling lines on which dry
product ingredients are dosed
separately, and in automatic
control of continuous processes
such as drum coating where
flavours are added in proportion to
product feed rate.
It also provides opportunities for
improved process control in
complex systems, particularly
those in which balanced outputs of
different products are required.
The Weighwright conveyor
employs a geometry that allows
only the product, rather than the
conveyor, to be measured directly
by the weigh cell, giving accuracies
said to be repeatable to better than
± 1 per cent of the product weight
being transferred.
As a result of this design, the
unit is also able to operate for
extended periods without tare
weight adjustment, and is unaffected by ambient temperature fluctuations in the range 0-50deg C and
product temperatures in excess of
100deg C.
“The Weighwright provides
hygiene and low maintenance, with
no belts, motors and rollers to
track, clean, or repair,” points out
Wright Machinery sales manager
Mike Reed. “It also resists product
build-up during operation, which
maintains accuracy.”
The new unit is now also used in
Wright Machinery’s Integrated
Seasoning System for products
such as snacks, cereals, cookies,
crackers and biscuits, monitoring
the weight of incoming product
and adjusting the dose rate of
powder or liquid additives in
proportion. Flavour application
accuracy is said to be better than
± 0.30 per cent and salt
35
Wright Machinery: Weighwright weighing conveyor
application better than ± 0.10
per cent.
Three versions of the Weighwright are available, to handle
feed rates of 50-650kg/hour, 4001200kg/hour and 750-3000kg/
hour, depending on the product’s
bulk density.
T: 020 8842 2244
F ORDS PACKAGING S YSTEMS
Buffer ‘table’
uses conveyors
to give firstin/first-out
A horizontal accumulation ‘table’
that uses a bank of narrow
conveyor belts to provide high
density, pressureless accumulation
within minimum floor space, yet is
able to operate on the basis of first
in/first out, has been developed by
German manufacturer Meurer,
represented in the UK by Fords
Packaging Systems.
The Meurer CM/HSP
Horizontal Buffer is available in
four standard sizes to give
accumulation lengths from 27 to
168 metres and consists of a series
of individually driven conveyor
belts with an indexing 90deg
transfer unit at either end. Most
rigid and semi-rigid packs, such as
Fords Packaging Systems: Meurer CM/HSP horizontal buffer system
bottles, cans, briks and cartons,
can be handled.
Under normal working
conditions packs pass directly
through the system, directed down
one conveyor, from the transfer
unit at the infeed to the transfer
unit at the outfeed.
However, in the event of a
downstream machine stoppage,
the first conveyor is brought gently
to a halt and the infeed transfer
unit indexes to the next conveyor,
which is again filled with product
and stopped, and then on to the
next and so forth.
When product is required again
the buffer empties on a firstin/first-out basis with the outfeed
transfer unit indexing to each
conveyor in turn and product
accelerated smoothly to line speed.
T: 01234 846600
B OSCH PACKAGING S ERVICES
Buffer uses
endless chain
to accumulate
and re-feed
In place of the more usual series of
trays, the Sigpack FS buffer
system employs an endless chain
with pockets to store and then
return product to the line on a
first-in/first-out basis.
This chain is driven at a speed
that synchronises with the rate of
supply while the degree of
accumulation required – to
balance input with the capacity of
downstream equipment – is
achieved by lengthening or
shortening the amount of chain
given over to storage.
The chain is also inclined so that
several layers of accumulation can
be provided within a rectangular
footprint – like a multi-storey car
park. No special infeed units are
required and there are no transfer
points within the system, which is
said to be easily adapted to meet
particular customer requirements.
Products in trays, pillow packs,
cartons, bottles and also unpacked
items can be handled by the FS
storage system which can also cope
with products that travel shingled
through the system – such as flat
bags – and in one or more rows –
such as blister packs.
Among the first systems to be
sold is one installed between a
cartoner and a case-packer in the
pharmaceutical industry while two
others have gone to biscuit
manufacturers, installed between
the primary packaging equipment
and a cartoner.
Two further systems, supplied in
a washdown specification, are
being used to handle frozen food.
T: 01332 626262
E: gary.anderton@
boschpackaging.com
B LUE P RINT A UTOMATION
Feeder handles
broad spectrum
of flexible packs
and products
The Rainbow feeder now available
from BluePrint is able to handle a
broad spectrum of flexible
products and packs – hence its
name – coming from noncontinuous production processes.
Examples include individual
items for flow-wrapping or
particular flavour products to a
packing line for inclusion in multiflavour packs.
Products in bulk are fed
manually or automatically into the
bulk hopper of the feeder where
they are released on demand into a
series of multiple tracking
sections. Here the products are
separated, brought into a single
line and then, if necessary, turned
to the correct position before being
fed out on an even pitch.
They can then be fed directly
into the infeed chain of a flowwrapper or to other packaging or
handling equipment.
37
Marden Edwards: Turning system for five-panel cartons (inset)
Systems are available to handle
over 200 items a minute, depending on shape and size, including
pillow packs, block bottom bags,
stand-up pouches and vacuum
packs in the weight range 10-500g.
Product dimensions handled as
standard extend from 100 x 50mm
to 250 x 150mm.
T: +31 348 410999
M ARDEN E DWARDS
Cartons with
fifth panel
turned to nest
for collation
A machine to rotate and collate
cartons with a fifth panel – used
for hanging displays – before
overwrapping has been developed
by Marden Edwards Group for a
customer in the USA where this
style of carton is popular.
The extra panel means that half
the cartons in the collation need to
be rotated 180deg in order to nest
and present a rectangular collation
to the wrapping machine.
Previous methods either
involved a dedicated conveyor that
would only handle this style of
carton, or the use of an additional
section of conveyor that needed to
be inserted each time fifth panel
38
cartons were being wrapped.
However, the customer in
America runs 13 different types of
cartons, most of which are regular
rectangular cartons. All are
grouped into collations of six for
presentation to the overwrapper, so
the new system had to be capable
of switching between both types of
carton with minimum downtime.
The answer provided by Marden
Edwards involves the use of a
special turning device, developed
by the Group’s German subsidiary
Petri, mounted alongside a section
of the standard conveyor.
As a group of three cartons
reach the device they are pushed
sideways off the conveyor and
gripped by fingers that rotate them
through 180 deg before placing
them back on the conveyor, in front
of and nesting with the next set of
three cartons.
T: 01202 861200
F LEX L INK S YSTEMS
Modular style
hygienic
conveyor offers
high speed
FlexLink has announced the
second generation of its modular
hygienic conveyor which features
FlexLink Systems: Modular hygienic conveyor
open and self draining surfaces,
eliminates the need for lubrication
and is said to allow the highest
chain conveyor speeds available –
up to 100 metres a minute.
Speed control has also been
integrated into the drive units,
giving the facility for dynamic
buffering and soft start and stop.
Built in stainless steel, the
conveyor can be fitted with an
optional automatic CIP system
which, compared to manual hosedown, says FlexLink, reduces
consumption of hot water by 50
per cent, detergents by 80 per cent
and increases line uptime by up to
5 per cent.
T: 01908 327200
G AINSBOROUGH C RAFTSMEN
First-in first-out
buffer stores
can reach height
of 6 metres
Buffer stores built by Gainsborough Craftsmen are designed
specifically for the product and
process application and some
vertical versions have reached a
height of 6 metres while others
have been built with integral
cooling units.
Recent examples include a
system to handle continuously
extruded sticks arriving at 300 a
minute and at over 100deg C –
feeding to a flow-wrapper at 150
packs a minute, counted into
selectable quantities – and another
to cater for small packs of
chocolate enrobed confectionery
arriving at speeds up to 80
cassettes a minute prior to final
cartoning.
In Gainsborough Craftsmen's
first-in/first-out live buffer store
systems incoming product is
accommodated on a system of
shelves or gondolas that hang on
spindles, driven by chains on large
sprocket wheels.
Should downstream packaging
equipment be slowed down or be
unable to accept product the buffer
store will increase its storage
capacity by extending the products'
path of travel though the store by
raising the sprocket wheels and
carrier chain.
The systems have variable
capacity which adjusts on demand
and reintroduces the product back
into the production line once the
downstream delay is over. This
avoids taking product manually off
the line, risking damage and
creating scrap.
T: 01427 613994
E: solutions@
gainsboroughcraftsmen.co.uk
FLOW-WRAPPING
Electronics in full flow
TODAY’S ELECTRONIC FLOW-WRAPPER IS A VERY DIFFERENT ANIMAL FROM EARLIER
MECHANICAL MACHINES WITH ELECTRONIC ENHANCEMENTS. MACHINERY UPDATE VISITED
ROSE FORGROVE TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT STATE OF DEVELOPMENT.
early 20 years ago the introduction of electronic controls and separate motor drives
for each axis heralded a new era for flow-wrappers. Since that time the technology has
become much more widely adopted beyond the
specialist high speed wrappers built that way
during the mid 1980s and today the emphasis
has moved more towards flexibility, lower cost
of ownership and enhanced hygiene.
Higher speed modified atmosphere machines
have also become available to meet growing
demand for enhanced shelf life products, with
speeds of 200 a minute, depending on product
length, not uncommon.
The revolution in flow-wrapper design followed a period in which the term ‘electronic
control’ was widely bandied about when any
form of electronics were
attached to what essentially
remained mechanical packaging
machines. One example was the
use of a servo motor to replace
the handwheel fitted for manual
adjustment of the gearbox –
often hailed as automatic size
change.
But what made real push button size-changing possible for
the first time came when the mechanical gearboxes connected to a single drive motor were
discarded in favour of three or four separate
servo motors, synchronised not mechanically,
but with software.
Controlling the infeed, film feed, and sealing
mechanisms separately – and sometimes the
film unwind via a fourth axis – not only made
size changing quicker, but also allowed
machines to overcome two of the age old problems with mechanical flow-wrappers.
The first of these problems is producing an
empty bag when a product is missed on the
infeed. This not only wastes film, but also creates a problem of separating empty bags from
full packs at the discharge.
The problem is overcome on the electronic
flow-wrapper because products are sensed and
the infeed conveyor and film drive are sepa-
N
Electronic control: Above: Entry level Merlin HSE flow-wrapper with three-axis
servo drive. Left: PakFeed 1000 multi-belt feeder
rately controlled.
This allows an electronic flow-wrapper
to have the so called
`no product – no
bag’ facility.
The second mechanical flow-wrapper problem overcome by the electronic machine is
chopping a product in half when the product
moves out of position between the infeed conveyor and the cross seal jaws.
Operation interrupted
On the electronic flow-wrapper, product position is sensed and operation of the cross-sealing
jaws can be interrupted if the product is out of
place. This avoids damage not only to the product, but also to the cross-sealing jaws and knife
assembly, and prevents the machine getting
contaminated by mashed up pieces of product.
Over the years servo drive has filtered down
from the high speed machinery associated with
confectionery wrapping at speeds of sometimes
800 a minute or more to relatively low cost
starter-level machines.
Take, for example, the latest version of Rose
Forgrove’s starter level machine, the new Merlin HSE, which has been designed to provide
users with budget flow-wrapping, flexibility and
three-axis servo drive, as well as a range of
options. Chief among those options is stainless
steel construction, reflecting a general trend
towards stainless on hygiene grounds, and IP65
protection.
But the Merlin HSE also has a re-engineered
control system that contributes to lower cost
and can be equipped with a simple budgetpriced automatic infeed system, or indeed a
more advanced multi-belt feeder. In addition,
twin sealing jaws are also available, raising
maximum speed from some 70 items a minute
to 200 a minute.
Flexibility is improved also by the machine’s
ability to handle products up to 160mm high.
However, in just the same way that most
areas of packaging equipment are experiencing
an element of polarisation between quite adaptable starter level machines and high speed dedicated lines, so it can be with flow-wrapping.
For example, Rose Forgrove has found that
41
FLOW-WRAPPING
as the costs of automatic handling have fallen
over the past few years, so demand for more
fully automated and purpose-built lines has
increased.
One recent installation has been a machine
for handling a medical device in which the flowwrapper was equipped with a purpose built
feeder to add sachets of liquid to the pack, a
tear tape applicator for the main pack itself,
print registration, gas flushing and a vision system to check the film. The machine is also
linked to the user’s main factory management
information system.
Packaging security
In another application Rose Forgrove has supplied a specialist line for handling trays of
grapes, using a purpose designed feeder, built to
a tight budget.
Elsewhere it is significant that packaging
security procedures, with bar codes to identify
film and vision systems to check the presence of
overprinted codes, have spilt over from the
pharmaceutical industry into less critical but
nevertheless quality conscious fields. Wet wipes
wrapping has been one recent application for
Rose Forgrove, with both pack and label verified by OCR.
Overall, the demand for more and more
automation has led the company to develop a
series of feeders to complement its wrappers
and bring an element of modularity and reduced
cost to what were in the past often totally
bespoke solutions.
For example, there is now a new multi-belt
system to provide high speed, non-contact phasing of product arriving at random pitch.
Available with two to eight servo driven belts,
the PakFeed 1000 feeder is capable of handling
up to 600 items a minute, depending on product
type, length and the number of belts employed,
and can be fully integrated with the wrapping
machine. This means that the two machines can
then be controlled from a single touch screen
display, with the settings for both feeding and
wrapping particular products held together in
the memory for immediate recall.
A full washdown version is available, built to
a higher specification, designed on a modular
basis with each belt readily demountable for
cleaning off line, along with its ‘motor triangle’
of idling and drive rollers.
As a result, downtime for cleaning – particularly when dealing with deposits that require
soaking – can be virtually eliminated, with a
spare belt module employed while belts are
42
taken off the machine and cleaned, one after
the other.
Most multi-belt feeders deliver into the lugs
of the flow-wrapper’s infeed chain. However,
Rose Forgrove has also developed a high accuracy lugless version of its new feeder, which
reaches into the flow-wrapper, so avoiding damage to soft or sticky goods by the lugs or by
dragging on the bed of the flow-wrapper itself.
Instead, timing belts deliver product into the
folding box accurately pitched, typically to an
accuracy of ± 1mm at speeds of 500 a minute.
Other new feeders available from Rose Forgrove include a floating gap unit in which a
bull-nose variable length conveyor is teamed up
with one or two smart belts to provide contactfree separation and an element of accumulation. This system would usually be employed for
lower speeds than a multi-belt feeder, but offers
smoother acceleration and deceleration, which
suits jobs such as penny-stacked collations that
might otherwise topple.
For feeding products where contact and the
pressure of backlog accumulation is not an
issue, Rose Forgrove supplies the ILF unit,
which holds accumulated product against a
gate, releasing and accelerating individual
items into the lugs of the flow-wrapper’s chain.
And for ease of cleaning, particularly within the
meat industry, there is also now a wheel-away
infeed with no electrics, allowing thorough
cleaning off line in a few minutes, with steam if
necessary.
Further recent developments include what is
believed to be one of the world’s widest flowwrappers, an Integra HS built specially to handle 15in pizzas. The machine employs box
motion 450mm wide sealing jaws for the hermetic seals required in modified atmosphere
packaging, accepts film up to 900mm wide and
is equipped with automatic splicing. Speed is up
to 200 a minute.
Simplified version
Indeed, the HS was introduced by Rose Forgrove last year as a higher speed version of its
existing Integra PC high integrity seal wrapper,
along with a simplified PLC controlled version
of its Minerva wrapper.
The new PLC version of Rose Forgrove’s
Minerva PC Flowpak employs an Allen-Bradley
Kinetix 6000 multi-axis servo drive system and
the graphic PanelView Plus human-machine
interface. The Allen-Bradley Kinetix 6000 system also includes the Sercos interface, a single,
digital fibre optic link, and a single, simple
power rail, to simplify the Minerva’s electrical
system.
Two new operating features allow on-the-fly
adjustment of bag length and instant and automatic jaw obstruction recovery, allowing a
trapped product to be safely recovered and production resumed with minimal loss of film and
time.
For although virtually all servo driven
machines provide misplaced product detection,
there are limits, particularly if the product is
slippery, such as frozen food, penny stacked,
such as hamburgers, or may vary in width and
run the risk of not always being carried along
securely by the film.
Most misplaced product detectors operate
via photocells, which means that monitoring
must usually take place immediately before the
folding box to cater for completely opaque print
or metallised film. However, in the short distance to the cross seal jaws the product can
move out of pitch, or the top item of a stack fall
forward or back.
Therefore the ‘soft jaw’ system on the Minerva senses any extra resistance as a result of
misplaced product, backs off instantly and
allows a double wrap to pass through for subsequent rejection without stopping the machine.
Reduce cost of ownership
So while automation in flow-wrapping is generally achieved at lower cost today than even a
few years back, what else can help reduce the
cost of ownership?
A prime method is, of course, to reduce the
risk of downtime for unscheduled maintenance.
One way put forward by Rose Forgrove is for
users to keep stock of certain factory-built
exchange modules such as a fin seal roller
assembly. In this way, should the heater element
fail, for example, then the entire assembly can
be replaced in minutes against what could well
be a couple of hours for repairs.
Indeed, the company is also currently seeing
increased demand for routine service maintenance contracts which, it believes, not only
keeps reliability and performance up to par but
ultimately cost considerably less than emergency call-outs. When service engineers’ time is
planned and parts can be procured on a longer
lead time, then its clear that both can be offered
at reduced cost. Machinery Update editor Michael Maddox
was talking to Rose Forgrove engineering
director Dr Jim Goodwin and sales manager
Steven Moore.
Modified atmosphere: Fuji Alpha 6 FW3400B has box motion jaws
PARAMOUNT PACKAGING S YSTEMS
Flow-wrapper
range now
includes high
speed MAP
Japanese manufacturer Fuji, represented in the
UK by Paramount Packaging, has launched a
new series of flow-wrappers, the Alpha 6 series,
all built as standard in stainless steel on a balcony basis for hygiene and easy cleaning.
The redesign has seen a reduction in the number of parts compared with earlier models,
reducing complexity and maintenance requirements, while enhancements across the range
include an easy view pendant operator screen
and induction heaters for all fin seal wheels.
These replace slip rings, giving higher temperature accuracy, reduced energy consumption
and less maintenance.
The new range signals Fuji’s move into high
speed modified atmosphere packaging with the
FW3400B which employs box motion sealing
jaws to move with the film and give extended
dwell times for hermetic seals at speeds up to
200 packs a minute. Applications include pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
Two servo motors are used to drive the jaws –
one for longitudinal movement, the other for
jaw closing – rather than a single drive, providing the higher speed and more accurate control.
Separation of the two motions also means that
jaw opening distance can be reduced on lower
profile packs, again helping to reduce cycle
times. A mechanically driven cut-off knife is
used.
There is also a new Fuji four-side seal
machine, the FW 3431/FS with applications in
both the food and medical device industries.
Capable of running two different films for the
top and bottom webs, the machine allows sliced
meat, for example, to be packed without a tray
on a metallised film base covered with clear
film and for medical devices to be packed in
film and paper laminate, with easy open tabs.
Gas flushing equipment is optionally available.
Fuji’s new high-speed Alpha 6 wrapper is the
FW3400, capable of speeds up to 300 items a
minute for applications within the confectionery and bakery industry.
There is also a new inverted model, the
FW3410BSB for soft or sticky products that
are best carried through the wrapping process
on the film itself. Equipped with a 2 metre long
infeed to allow direct placement of product onto
the film, the machine is able to operate in continuous or intermittent mode, depending on
product and feed method employed.
T: 01252 815252
I LAPAK
MAP wrapper
challenges
thermoformers
with low 02
Ilapak has announced a new modified atmosphere packaging system which, says the company, for the first time offers a flow-wrap alternative to vacuum thermoforming, giving the
same low levels of residual oxygen – below 0.5
per cent – for extended shelf life products.
Called MapVac, the system is available on
Ilapak’s Delta electronic flow-wrapper.
“MapVac’s ability to match the shelf life
capabilities of thermoforming machines marks
a real breakthrough,” says Ilapak, “so manufacturers can now achieve optimum shelf life for
items such as dairy products, bakery products,
43
FLOW-WRAPPING
Modular construction: Synchropack 900RT flow-wrapper from Propack Automation
poultry and pizzas, yet with the benefits of a
flow-wrapper – flexibility, ease of use and high
speeds.”
The new system, which is already being used
by one of the UK’s leading tortilla producers,
uses a series of vacuum chambers to minimise
the residual oxygen levels in the pack, rather
than the gas flushing technique employed by
traditional MAP machines.
Ilapak points out that the new system provides considerably faster changeover compared
with thermoformers and, as a flow-wrap system, allows full wraparound printing, unlike
thermoforming.
When modified atmosphere is not required,
the Delta flow-wrapper can be used as a conventional machine.
T: 0208 797 2000
sticky or fragile products; and the Pack 3 series
which uses both top and bottom reels to produce
a four-side-seal pack for low height products,
peelable seal packs, mailing pouches and similar applications.
These three families are available to run at
maximum speeds of 30, 40, or 60 metres a
minute and, depending on model, with maximum film widths of 300-900mm in 200mm
increments. There is also a choice of rotary
sealing or box motion long dwell sealing for
modified atmosphere packaging.
All the machines are PC controlled and servo
operated. Optional equipment includes a range
of feed conveyors, trimming for the fin seal, and
a pneumatic or mechanical side gusseting
device as well as automatic splicing and format
change.
Synchropack also builds special purpose
machinery, such as the LTS “window” pack
flow-wrapper aimed particularly at the wet
wipes market.
This machine punches a hole in the film
before wrapping takes place, covering the
“window” with either a peelable label or a rigid
lid and peelable label for consumer access. A
tamper evident label is also applied over the
reclosable element.
“Synchropack’s modular approach to the
design of its flow-wrapping machinery means
that what is virtually tailor made equipment
can be provided on relatively short lead times at
extremely competitive prices,” points out Pat
Fleming, managing director at Propack
Automation.
T: 024 7647 0074
PFM PACKAGING M ACHINERY
Wet wipes
wrapper helps
meet increased
demand
Wet tissue manufacturer Severn Delta is meeting increased demand with a PFM Mistral
flow-wrapper on a recently installed manufacturing line at its new factory in Bridgwater.
An all-stainless steel machine, the Mistral is
said to be well suited to operating in a clean
room environment while the three-axis servo
drive enables size changes to be made quickly
and accurately.
Plastic carrier plates on the infeed chain
P ROPACK A UTOMATION M ACHINERY
Flow-wrappers
use modules for
tailor-made
approach
A range of electronic servo-driven flow-wrappers that can be built up from a series of modules to provide what is said to be virtually tailormade machinery is now available from Propack
Automation, agent for the Spanish manufacturer Synchropack of Barcelona.
The Synchropack range is based on three
families of machines: the Pack 9 series, a top
reel machine for regular shaped items; the Pack
6 series of bottom reel wrappers for irregular,
44
Wet tissue wrapping: Stainless steel PFM Mistral installed at Severn Delta
FLOW-WRAPPING
The Little Flow is part of a range of flowwrappers in which the top model, the four-axis
servo driven Sfera is able to reach a speed of
600 packs a minute.
T: 01582 722 462
RECORD
PACKAGING S YSTEMS
Random length
produce packed
by inverted
machine
Produce packaging: The New Gazzella Top Seal inverted flow-wrapper from Record Packaging
transfer the stacks of tissue into the adjustable
folding box while rotary D-cam motion long
dwell cross-seal jaws are employed for hermetic
sealing.
An independent pneumatically operated knife
provides a clean cut and separation of the packs
even, says PFM, when working with laminate
wrapping materials up to 80 micron or more.
T: 0113 239 3401
I NTEGRAPAK
This is said to be particularly useful when
changing from fragile, irregular shapes, or
sticky products to more uniform products that
can be delivered at higher speeds. Infeeds may
be low pressure or non contact and may even
exclude the use of lugs for particularly soft
snack-cake style products.
The modular construction was developed for
a customer who wanted to move the automated
system quickly from line to line and eliminate
hand feeding. Integrapak says that one of the
Delta lines has replaced three manually fed
wrappers on each production line.
T: 01420 593680
Automatic line
uses modular
product handling E (UK)
Benchtop
system
US manufacturer Delta Systems has announced machine offers
an automatic flow-wrapping system incorporating a modular product handling system that can speed up to 50
be readily adapted to suit a broad range of difa minute
ferent products.
RAPA
The first systems have been installed in North
America and Europe for confectionery applications although systems for frozen foods are also
currently on order, says UK agent Integrapak.
The product handling section allows products
to be received either in rows and/or at random
without changing the core components, while
the smart belt infeeds are available in a wide
variety of designs and configurations. Some can
also be selected or deselected from the touch
screen depending on the product, allowing different product handling philosophies to be
employed on the same system.
46
A compact bench-mounted flow-wrapper aimed
at entry level applications as well as existing
users that need off-line capacity for short runs
is now available from Erapa.
The Little Flow is able to provide a maximum
pack size of 280mm long x 90mm wide and
50mm high at speeds of up to 50 packs a
minute, and operates from a single phase supply
with no need for compressed air.
It has an adjustable variable speed lugged
infeed conveyor and an adjustable forming box,
while the main control panel is mounted on a
swivel tower for easy access.
Aimed at fresh produce packing, the Gazzella
Top Seal inverted flow-wrapper announced by
Record Packaging handles a variety of variable
size products such as celery, leeks, peppers,
asparagus and lettuce.
The machine is equipped with a box motion
sealing head to cope with height constraints and
to ensure a tight pack, while pack length is
adjusted automatically to the length of the produce. Speed is up to 60 a minute.
The longitudinal seal can also be trimmed to
a bead seal which, when used in conjunction
with the optional shrink tunnel, provides a tight
pack for vegetables such as swede, cabbage and
broccoli.
T: 0161 864 3971
H AYSSEN E UROPE
Dies on a wheel
give hermetic
sealing at high
speed
Hayssen Europa has raised the speed of its RT –
rotary turret – range of flow-wrappers which
are now able to provide speeds up to 600 modified atmosphere packs a minute, using multiple
sealing dies on a wheel to give the long dwell
time required for hermetic seals.
This long dwell time also enables reclosable
zipper profile to be included at high speed – up to
150 packs a minute – for products such as miniportions of cheese as well as larger family packs.
The Veltron servo driven infeed system is
available to provide product accumulation and
correct product phasing at elevated speeds.
T: 01842 754171
C O M P O N E N T M AT T E R S : P N E U M AT I C S
Networks in the air
THE MAIN AIM OF PNEUMATICS SUPPLIERS IS CURRENTLY TO REDUCE THE TOTAL COST OF
SUPPLYING COMPONENTS AND SYSTEMS TO MACHINE BUILDERS AND END USERS. BUT AT
THE SAME TIME THEY ARE BATTLING AGAINST A RELUCTANCE BY MACHINERY USERS IN
THE
UK TO ACCEPT MORE NETWORKING WITHIN THEIR PRODUCTION SYSTEMS.
achine builders in the UK spent about £236 sioning, improved diagnostics and better
million on pneumatics in 2005, approxi- human-machine interfaces. So networks are a
mately the same as five years previous and rep- technology for reducing costs, but there is a
resenting a recovery from the 6 per cent dip of reluctance to take them up. Where networks
the intervening years. But while continued have been installed, definite and immediate
growth depends largely on the performance of business benefits have been realised.
UK industry as a whole, there is a booster effect
coming from the trend to repatriate production Technology trends
to the UK from the Far East.
In terms of technology, the overriding design
Some manufacturers have found that man- trend in pneumatics is for virtually all pneumatagement costs associated with production half a ics components to offer increased features and
world away are difficult to control, so now pre- functionality combined with cost reduction.
fer domestic production with
automation to reduce the labour
content.
Even so, industry watchers see
a very black cloud on the horizon
in the shape of UK machinery
users’ reluctance to network
their production systems. “For a
decade or more the UK has
dragged its heels over fieldbus,”
says Jacqui Reid of Festo.
“Already our machinery is 3-5
years behind that produced in
Germany, Europe’s industrial
engine room. And now there is a
Air or electricity: Pneumatic and electric actuators are now often
paradigm shift from fieldbus to virtually indistinguishable, sharing common external components and
Ethernet, which will allow total being operated via the same controllers
shop floor to top floor integration. If the UK falters with this change, we
In pneumatic cylinders or actuators, costs
could be kissing goodbye to virtually all volume have been steadily reduced by improvements in
or multiple machine building activities.
materials – such as a shift from steel barrels
“Control and systems suppliers such as Festo and die-cast end caps to extruded aluminium –
and the other pneumatics players are all geared and the introduction of advanced moulded polyup for Ethernet and fieldbus. But our customers mer materials for the internal piston and bear[machine builders] blame their customers [end ings. The next steps for these components will
users] for not being prepared to adopt and be continued integration of electronic sensors
adapt to new technologies!”
for improved diagnostics, and/or faster cycle
It seems that end users’ focus is so much on times – possibly using low cost sensor arrays or
cost control that they are unwilling to ‘risk’ more exotic laser or ultrasonic sensors.
innovation. But networks offer lower cost
In the other major pneumatic component catthrough easier reconfiguration, faster commis- egory of valves, solenoid valves represent the
M
majority of the market and the last big advance
was the introduction of valve terminals a
decade ago. Generations two and three are now
on the market, with the latest versions offering
features such as improved modularity and better connectivity – including of course fieldbus
communications. A major technological drive
in this area has been to decrease the overall size
of the valve modules to reduce machine/
automation footprints, and modular valve
widths of around 10mm are now commonplace.
Today, traditional direct-acting solenoid coils
are approaching their miniaturisation limit.
The likely evolution is towards piezo or other
solid-state actuation devices, which will support
the introduction of valve modules as narrow as,
say, 6mm.
Although piezo-actuated valves have now
been available for some time, they have yet to
be seen as a mass commercial solution and
some optimisation for reliable volume manufacturing remains to be carried out. These next
generation valve pilot actuators will expand out
from their specialist niches in sectors such as
medical devices in the next year or two.
Underpinning all these trends is the general
move by pneumatics manufacturers to design
products for low cost, small batch production to keep up with the continual pressure for lower
costs (many component prices have remained
virtually static for several years). It’s now typical that component families are made from a
modular kit of parts, with as much commonality as possible.
Software selection
In the general pneumatics business arena, a key
advance of recent years is the integration of
sophisticated computer-aided engineering
(CAE) software selection and configuration
programs to allow automation systems to be
designed quickly, and right first time.
This helps reduce component and operating
47
C O M P O N E N T M AT T E R S : P N E U M AT I C S
costs by simplifying the selection of optimally
sized parts. But it is also part of a bigger shift in
the market: to meet the rising demand from
OEMs and users for not just components, but
guaranteed-performance sub-system solutions
from their automation suppliers – so reducing
demands on their own in-house engineering
resources.
Perhaps the most significant impact of the
CAE packages though, is the way they integrate
with automation suppliers’ manufacturing systems. For example, the output from on-line
CAE tools and purchasing systems can feed
directly into the manufacturing process. This
reduces costs and improves efficiency, but also
makes it possible to put the automated flexibility of the manufacturing lines to the service of
individual customers across the globe.
User driven developments
Developments in pneumatics often result from
specific user requirements. “Different user sectors appear to have differing needs,” observes
Hoerbiger-Origa’s Ray Barnes, “but when you
analyse all the requests there is a lot of commonality. For instance machine speed is a critical parameter for many mass producers, so
faster-switching valves with higher flow rates
are a key development focus.”
He also cites a common drive for improved
productivity and reduced energy consumption.
“We are mounting valves ever-closer to the
pneumatic actuators they control to reduce air
tube lengths and cycle times. This has resulted
in new valves designed to withstand the rigours
of the operating environment, which are also
easier to install and reconfigure.
“Modular valve mounting systems make
machine design and build times much faster,
mounted on the machine rather than in the control cabinet to give the required rapid cycle
capabilities, so have to be corrosion proof and
able to withstand cleaning in place with aggressive chemicals.”
The trend towards higher protection valves is
being driven by the need to adhere to everincreasing safety compliance requirements.
Ray Barnes also notes an inexorable trend to
mixing pneumatic and electric actuation technologies. “In some cases, we need simply to
supply the best solution of each axis; but in
other cases, we are building in the flexibility
that is required for easy reconfiguration of
machinery. Some industries, such as food manufacturing, have always needed easily reconfigurable machinery, but the requirement is now
48
spreading to almost all sectors.
“The interface between pneumatic and electric technologies is already almost invisible,
with both using identical mechanical connections and the same electronic controllers. We
are almost to the point where the user neither
knows nor cares to know which axes are electric
and which are pneumatic.”
Festo’s Jacqui Reid concurs, emphasising
that servo-pneumatic technology provides
highly cost effective and dynamic movements
and that servo electric systems, although more
expensive, enable high precision control. “The
technology shouldn’t be important to the user –
it’s the role of the automation supplier to make
the right selection for the application.”
Pre-engineered systems
Today many products are designed around common ‘platforms’ with modular sub-systems. The
automotive industry pioneered pre-engineered
assemblies, and pneumatics suppliers are learning from their experience.
Cost savings can be significant, but manufacturers are finding that pre-assembled modular
systems give them quicker design turnaround,
and reduce time-to-market. Pre-engineered systems also demand less effort by the end-user,
reducing the need for expensive design personnel.
A case that highlights the safety benefits of
pre-assembly is ASCO Joucomatic’s provision
of pre-assembled tank/valve systems for dust
collection. In the past, OEMs have assembled
their own systems from discrete parts, but new
Directives have made this more onerous and
costly and led to the adoption of pre-assembled,
fully tested and certified tank systems from a
single source supplier.
Steve Meadows of ASCO Joucomatic says
that the growth in pre-engineered systems is not
surprising considering the complexity of modern machines. “The requirements for machine
designs are becoming ever more demanding,
and to meet these demands specialised products
are often required. This could involve producing
a totally individual design or, more simply, modifying an existing product.”
Companies such as ASCO Joucomatic offer a
specialised product service, with a special team
of engineers and technicians to produce these
designs: the objective being to provide the most
cost effective solution, and the closest correlation between market demands and equipment
performance.
To achieve this requires pneumatics suppliers
to go beyond simple assembly of components
and include metal cutting, software writing,
testing, certification and so forth. Valve terminal simplifies automation
Festo has launched an electro-pneumatic valve
family that allows fully-featured automation
systems to be built around a configurable manifold, replacing the functions of a control cabinet with a standalone, point-of-use system.
Ease of configuration and access are said to
be fundamental to the design of the new VTSA
valve family, with industry-standard dimension
valves – compliant with ISO 15407-2 – and a
modular approach that allows systems to be
built with different pressure zones, gas zones,
and electrical power isolation.
Features include support for ‘hot swap’ valve
changeovers, enabling valve bodies to be
exchanged without turning off the air supply to
the manifold, for reduced downtime and disruption. All air connections can also face in the
same direction, to suit the space available or to
offer an improved controls layout.
The VTSA terminal family includes over
150 new components, ranging from solenoid
valves in all standard configurations, through
sub-bases, supply-plates, end-plates and gaskets, to a choice of vertically stackable compo-
New Festo VTSA valves: Allow automation systems
to be built around a configurable manifold
nents and accessories, such as pressure and
flow regulators and hot-swap adapter plates.
As standard, integrated diagnostics allow
incorrect valve allocations, coil short-circuits
or lack of a load supply to be detected directly
via LEDs. If systems are fitted with the CPX
I/O system, additional diagnostics are available via a plug-in display or via the fieldbus
system, helping minimise downtime.
T: 0800 626422
LABELLING, CODING, MARKING
PAGO
D OMINO P RINTING S CIENCES
Front and back
labeller
handles tall
slim bottles
Drugs tracking
system trials
successfully
Strawberry Bank Liqueurs at
Kendal, Cumbria, has bought a
Pago system 80 pressure-sensitive
labeller to handle increased
demand for a new range of fruitbased liqueurs.
The machine has two Pagomat
3/150 labelling units for front and
back labelling on three sizes of
bottle – distinctive, elongated
square section containers sourced
from Italy. Speed is up to 80
bottles a minute.
The labelling applicator has gap
sensors, unit supports, a top hold
assembly with pitching and chain
orientation mechanisms.
T: 01206 755206
M ARKEM S YSTEMS
Larger print
area for coder
Markem has added the 3i/100
intermittent motion thermal
transfer printer to its range of
SmartDate coders, offering a
larger print area of 107 x 74mm
for nutritional information as well
as bar codes.
The new unit also has more
processing power for faster 300dpi
imaging, more memory to maintain
a large image database and, says
Markem, added flexibility for
integration with other systems.
T: 0161 333 8400
50
Successful trials of a fully traceable
haemophilia drug administration
programme in Ireland, suitable for
global adoption, have been
announced by Domino Integrated
Solutions Group, part of Domino
Printing Sciences.
Also taking part in the trials –
involving 100 per cent track and
trace of drugs administered to
haemophilia patients of St James’s
Hospital in Dublin – were the
National Centre for Hereditary
Coagulation Disorders in Ireland
(NCHCD) and global supply chain
standards organisation GSI.
The drug track and trace system
uses GSl’s latest electronic bar
coding technology to trace
expensive and time-sensitive
clotting factor concentrates via
EPC technology (electronic product
code) which assigns a
unique number to
Tracking: Using bar and Data Matrix codes
every item coming
off a production line.
This allows every company in the connectivity means that no matter
where the product is within the
supply chain to track products at
supply chain, one can trace when it
the individual item of use
was made, who handled it and
level.“Following a two year trial
whether it is authentic.
period, the solution has been
For the future, Domino is now
successfully implemented and is
looking at introducing a hand held
ready to be rolled out nationally,”
web based device such as a mobile
says Domino.
In what is believed to be the first phone, which could be used by the
individual patient to scan the bar
application of its type, EPCs have
code on the drug when self adminbeen embedded within a Data
istering the product.
Matrix code, which also includes a
This would automatically update
Global Trade Item Number (GTIN)
the patient’s hospital records and
as well as a lot number and expiry
prevent any manual errors in
date.
recording data.
Domino Integrated Solutions
T: 01954 782551
says that the achievement of EPC
generation and networked
I SHIDA E UROPE
Weigh-price
labellers give
flexibility for
poultry packer
Poultry processor Moy Park has
installed seven Ishida WPL 5000
weigh-price labellers at its
Ashbourne factory where quick
changeover is proving to be a
particular benefit.
“With up to six packing lines
and two eight hour shifts a day,
product changeovers can be as
many as 40 on some days,”
explains factory manager Tim
Forrister.
“In such circumstances, the
ability to save even a few seconds
on each changeover can make a
significant difference.”
Each machine is set up via a
Fast changeover: Ishida WPL 5000 labellers have been installed by Moy Park
colour touch screen control, which
provides a Wysiwyg label formatting screen and press-button callup of requirements for each label.
These include the settings for the
machine’s side guide and label
applicator, which move automatically to the correct labelling
position for each product.
In addition, the machines are
equipped with Ishida’s label
cassette system, allowing a fresh
reel to be simply slotted into place
to reduce label changeover time to
around 10 seconds.
The Ishida machines are
operating with Multivac thermoformers and are linked to Herma
labellers, which are controlled by
the Ishida remote control unit and
can apply additional labels as
required.
T: 0121 607 7700
NEW MACHINERY
CSS-M ACHINE E NGINEERING C O
CKF S YSTEMS
Mini flow-wrapper gives
big machine performance
Mobile weigh
station makes
parcel post
more accurate
The Sprinter Micro flow-wrapper
from CSS is a compact machine
said to provide the speed and pack
size range of larger machines, but
at a capital cost of £9950 for the
basic module.
Developed by CSS with the
bakery industry in mind, but also
for users with limited floor-space
available, the machine provides
speeds up to 100 packs a minute
and pack size up to 480 x 300 x
100mm high. Film reels up to
330mm diameter x 620mm wide
can be accepted.
The basic module is the flowwrap/ drive module – a wrapper in
its own right – which can be
extended with additional infeeds
and discharge conveyors as well as
optional extras such as print
registration and coding equipment.
It measures 1600mm long,
Speed up to 100 a minute: CSS Sprinter Micro flow-wrapper
1400mm high x 820mm wide.
Drive is mechanical, powered by
a single phase supply, while
construction is mainly in stainless
steel and anodised aluminium with
various plated parts. A selfcentring mandrel and one folding
box are supplied as standard.
T: 01603 721357
A mobile parcel weighing station –
with a radio link for data – has
been developed by CKF and
barcode systems supplier ExPD to
provide shippers and distribution
organisations with the means of
charging more accurately for
postal costs.
“Within the highly demanding
distribution and express parcels
industry, delivery of a shipment
can often take precedence over
assessing the accurate weight of
parcels, often resulting in an
under-estimation of weight and,
subsequently, undercharging the
customer,” says CKF.
The Weighfarer is a fully
portable, battery powered unit
capable of handling 4000-6000
E NGELMANN & B UCKHAM
Capper has two
servo drives to
handle triggers
as well as caps
A capping machine with two servo
drives on each head to handle a
variety of closures, particularly
trigger sprays, has been announced
by Engelmann & Buckham, UK
representative of the German
manufacturer Breitner.
The SRT 5044 capper employs
the first servo drive to apply the
cap with adjustable torque, speed,
and rotary direction, and to a
predetermined position if required,
while the second servo drive
controls the vertical motion of the
chuck via an electronic cam.
This gives a stroke up to
250mm, replacing the need to
exchange cams when operating
52
Parcel weighing: Mobile system
improves billing accuracy
Servo control: Centring the suction pipe of a trigger spray on the SRT 5044
similar, but mechanically driven
machines.
Engelmann & Buckham says the
benefit of the SRT 5044 is ease of
format change, giving optimum
performance for users applying
triggers as well as the more
common push-on and screw caps.
A four head machine will give
speeds of 50-70 triggers or 120
screw-on caps a minute.
T: 01420 82421
New Machinery continues
on page 72
parcels between charges.
Maximum weight is 60kg.
By scanning the barcode of the
parcel on the load platform, the
consignment ID and weight is
transmitted, via a radio link, to the
host system for recording and
assessment. Inconsistencies in the
weight are identified and
corrective actions reported,
enabling invoices to be amended.
“Many installations have
identified cost savings of up to
£1200 in a single shift, resulting in
a payback on investment of as little
as two weeks,” says CKF.
T: 01452 424565
NEW MACHINERY
N IRO P HARMA S YSTEMS
C OGNEX UK
Lightweight
camera suits
on-robot vision
systems
Medium volume
tablet press
offers lightsout operation
The Courtoy R150e tablet press is a
compact medium volume machine
said to be economic, flexible, easy
to clean and maintain, while
offering fully automatic operation
for lights-out production.
There is an exchangeable turret
with built in hoisting arm for
changeover in just 20 minutes, and
an isolated compression zone for
all moving parts giving reduced
contamination and fast cleaning.
A pre-compression system with
air compensation is used to allow
an extended dwell time and
reduced risk of
capping or hardness
problems while
automatic correction
of fill depth and the
Compact tablet press: The Courtoy R150e
identification of bad
punches maintains
single PLC and, to improve
product quality, even with the
efficiency on changeover, can store
machine running at full speed.
The R150e also features a reject data for up to 90 separate
formulations. Remote machine
gate for use during start up and a
diagnosis allows Courtoy to give
sampling gate for manual
sampling for use with an automatic assistance via a modem.
T: 023 8026 7131
tablet analyser.
The entire unit is controlled by a E: [email protected]
The In-Sight 5400R remote-head
camera is aimed at vision system
applications where mounting space
is limited, or a lightweight camera
is required. Camera and processor
can be mounted up to 15 metres
apart and connected by a cable.
The camera weighs less than
70g which, points out Cognex,
makes it ideal for moving
applications where the camera is
mounted on the end of a robot arm
or on a gantry.
It meets IEC specifications for
shock and vibration, and has been
given an IP67 (NEMA 6) rating to
withstand dust and washdown.
T: 01908 206000
S ARTORIUS
Checkweigher
adjusts to suit
height of
conveyors
The entire weighing and transport
system of the Synus checkweigher
introduced by Sartorius can be
moved up and down and locked in
position to align with different
height conveyors.
The cantilevered design allows
belts and weighing tables to be
readily removed for cleaning while
Height adjustable: The Synus
checkweigher from Sartorius
IP65 protection is also optionally
available. Maximum weight
handled by models in the range
extends from 1 to 7kg.
Further options include a
polycarbonate touch guard to
protect the weighing system from
inadvertent contact and draughts,
a trend controller to provide
feedback information to upstream
filling equipment, and an IP65
USB interface for downloading
data with no need for a network.
T: 01372 737102
Lightweight: In-Sight 5400R remote
head camera for vision systems
S PRINGVALE E QUIPMENT
Cartoner range for food and fmcg expanded with two new models
Dutch manufacturer Langenpac is
adding to its Chinook cartoning
machine range with two new
horizontal cartoning machines, the
Breeze and Vento.
Aimed at food and fmcg
manufacturers, the machines are
72
available in both intermittent and
continuous motion versions. Built in
stainless steel, they are servo
controlled and include quick change
over features such as pre-sized
templates for blank size changes.
“These standard machines,
which are based on a modular
construction, allow competitive
pricing and short delivery times,”
says Langenpac, which is represented in the UK by Springvale.
The Breeze and Vento machines
offer speeds up to 80 cartons a
minute in the intermittent motion
version or up to 250 cartons a
minute in in the continuous motion
version with carton sizes up to a
9in pitch.
T: 01420 542505

May - Machinery Update

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