Lisa McTigue Pierce, Executive Editor

September 22, 2015

5 Min Read
9 case packing systems you can kick the tires on

With the vast bulk of consumer packaged goods transported via cases, trays or shrink wrapped bundles, the primary package shipping solution on your packaging line must be versatile, robust, efficient and compact to fit today’s production needs. Here are key features of nine secondary packaging systems that you can see at the upcoming Pack Expo Las Vegas show (Sept. 28-30; Las Vegas).

1. Lower labor costs, fast changeover and precise motion control mark key points of the new Raptor SL side-load case packer (see image above) from Edson Packaging Machinery.

The Raptor SL lowers labor costs by reducing the number of workers needed, as well as the overall time associated with case packing. An optional extended infeed conveyor allows more than a half-dozen skids containing knock-down flats (KDFs) to be staged. According to the company, the extended conveyor can potentially lead to hours of labor free loading, based on production speed. The integrated system can erect, pack and hot-melt seal cases at a rate of up to 12 cases per minute.

“The Raptor SL allows small and medium-sized packaged goods companies to affordably step up to fully automated, quality case packaging, and reduce end-of-line labor costs, thus freeing up personnel for more value adding work,” says Jeff Werner, Edson’s vp of operations and engineering. “Some low-volume operations may be able to route two or even three lines into the Raptor SL for case erecting, packing, and sealing.”

See the Raptor SL at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2015 in Booth C-3021.

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2. The new Osprey CL automatic chub loader from JLS Automation starts with the JLS Osprey robotic case packer, then adds special tooling and modifications to automatically handle chub packs at speeds up to 125 per minute with a single-head ABB FlexPicker robot and up to 200 per minute with a dual-head robot, depending on chub size, weight and pack pattern.

Unique V-Track pick conveyor design eliminates rolling. The CL handles chub packs ranging from 2 to 4.5 inches in diameter, 4 to 24 inches in length and in weights from 8 oz up to 10 lbs.

See the Osprey CL chub loader at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2015 in Booth C-4703.

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3. To increase efficiency and improve ergonomics, a new rapid-load case magazine on Wexxar case erectors cuts load time in half (compared to other Wexxar systems) and safely loads cases while machine is running.

See the rapid-load case magazine on a Wexxar WF30T automatic case erector at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2015 in Booth C-3123.

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4. The new ErgoPackPal is a complete case packing and palletizing system in a small footprint for low- to medium-throughput applications that was developed by Combi Packaging Systems in partnership with Motion Controls Robotics, a Fanuc Authorized System Integrator. Using a 6-axis Fanuc M70iC, R1000iC or R2000iC Series robot, the integrated system can include an automatic case erector, product accumulation, case packing station, product infeed conveyor, case sealer (tape or hot melt glue), case transfer conveyor and case palletizing station. Highly flexible, the system meets retail packaging variations including variable pack counts, variety packs and retail ready packages.

See the ErgoPackPal at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2015 in Booth C-3245.

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5. The new Triad entry-level shrink wrapper/bundler from Tekkra is modular so it can be upgraded to satisfy new operational needs without having to reinvest in a totally new machine. It can also be easily rolled to wherever you need it within your plant. According to the company, modularity also means fast delivery.

See the Triad at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2015 in Booth C-3223.

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6. The new TF-100 tray former from IPak Machinery is a basic system that creates four-corner trays for nearly any market application. Available at an entry-level price and with an open design that is easy to clean and maintain, the machine offers the “right amount of technology and features to fit the standard applications that many packagers require,” says Dyrl Nixon, IPak’s product manager.

See the TF-100 tray former at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2015 in Booth C-3123.

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7. The new SX-T case sealing tape head from Dekka creates a unique pull-tab so securely sealed cases are easy to open without dangerous knives or other tools. The patent-pending design forms a pull-tab at the tail without any added or special materials.

See the SX-T tape head at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2015 in Booth C-3123.

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8. The Mach-2 wraparound case packer from Brenton, which operates in an indexing motion to produce up to 35 cases per minute, will be integrated with a robotic palletizer and stretch wrapper to create a small-footprint end-of-line solution. According to the company, the design of the integrated line reduces the floor space typically required by similar configurations by up to 40%.

The case packer and robot will share a control panel for ease of use, unified operation and to save space.

But perhaps the most interesting benefits of this servo driven, side-load case packer is its quality control processes, especially helpful for pharmaceutical applications. A vision system verifies barcodes and human readable text on primary packs before they are loaded into cases. Then, cases are checkweighed before being moved to case labeling. Here, case labels are inspected by a vision system to, again, verify correctness of barcodes and human readable info.

See the integrated Mach-2 case packer at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2015 in Booth C-3121.

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9. The 298 Tritium Trayshink Packer from Standard-Knapp can create tray, pad and unsupported pack styles at speeds of 120 trays per minute. As flexible as it is, the system also minimizes changeover time and complexity. A high-speed Robo-Wand wrapping module offers multi-axis control to accommodate a variety of packing possibilities—and without the need for changeparts. The ergonomically designed horizontally loaded tray blank magazine hold 1,500 blanks, with an optional 3,000-blank extended capacity.

See the 298 Tritium at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2015 in Booth C-4214.

About the Author(s)

Lisa McTigue Pierce

Executive Editor, Packaging Digest

Lisa McTigue Pierce is Executive Editor of Packaging Digest. She’s been a packaging media journalist since 1982 and tracks emerging trends, new technologies, and best practices across a spectrum of markets for the publication’s global community. Reach her at [email protected] or 630-272-1774.

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