wrap around packer details

7/29/2019 Wrap Around Packer details

1/24OCME Competence Library

MOVING IDEAS

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SecondarypackagingWraparound Case Packing: techniques, solutions,comparisons and the bene ts o the technology that hasrevolutionised the packaging industry and distribution chain.

Text by Vincent Bandini, Massimo Beretta, Manuel Bolzoni, Giuseppe Buttazzi, Gabriele Folli


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3/24OCME Competence Library www.ocme.it

ContentsSecondary packaging: why it is necessary to protect the product

Technology compared: wraparound case or American case?

OCME wraparound packing

Altair, the synthesis o over 40 years experience in wraparound technology

Container in eed, pack selection, blank magazine, dispensing system

Partition insertion, ormat changes

Wraparound packing and the Altair: the per ect combination to cut your costs

Altair: a new lever or marketing

Altair and respect or the environment

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SecondaryPackagingWraparound Case Packing: techniques, solutions,comparisons and the bene ts o the technology that hasrevolutionised the packaging industry and distribution chain.


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econdary packaging was originally developed to protect the product, or tomake it easier to hold several items together. In act, these eatures remainimportant or the packaging industry today, but in addition we now haveto consider other actors such as marketing, logistics and, in some cases,

the technological process. Nowadays in particular, secondary packaging is o ten required tocarry graphical images and there ore serves as an importantmedium or brand identity during the distribution chain.Quite o ten the secondary packaging case itsel becomesthe sales unit and it must there ore be su cientlymanageable, robust and attractive to the consumer, whilstbeing able to carry all the relevant product in ormation.Some products need to be protected rom light and heatand both o these requirements can be ul lled by having asecondary protective covering.At present, most products in the beverage, wine & spirits,petrochemical, edible oils, ood and pet ood sectors arecontained within one o three types o secondary packaging:cardboard cases, shrink- lm and rigid plastic crates. Wewill concentrate on the rst o these by illustrating the mainconcepts and by explaining the technology associated withwraparound case packing equipment.Case packing o ers important advantages; or example,it protects the products inside the case rom mechanical stress, abrasions and knocks. Acardboard case o ers ar greater security than a shrinkwrapped pack and, compared toa rigid crate, it weighs less and takes up less space. Furthermore, case-packed productsare usually more stable and are there ore not subjected to the movement associatedwith products that are packed within the rigid structure o a crate. The thickness o thecardboard acts as a shock absorber or the product within and there ore minimizes impactsduring movement o the case. A cardboard case can be printed, just like shrink- lm, ando ers an ample fat area on which to carry a decorative graphical image. This eature isparticularly use ul rom a marketing point o view, as it creates a means o communicationwith the consumer and distributor. Unlike crate-packed goods, products that are packedinto cardboard cases are less subject to external actors such as light and dust these canbe important issues in many market sectors. Apart rom this, a cardboard case is easier tohandle than a shrinkwrapped pack, as it is more stable and less susceptible to damage; acardboard case is lighter than a crate, there ore it requires less motorised orce to move it.The use o a cardboard case also avoids the logistical problems associated with returningempty crates.

S

Secondary packagingWhy it is necessary to protect the product

Figure 1Detail o case squaring system

Concern or man and his ate must always orm the chie interest o alltechnical endeavours. Never orget this in the midst o your diagrams and

equations.

Albert Einstein (1879-1955)


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One important observation should be made

immediately: wraparound technology o ersmore production capacity in a smaller space,but not just this one machine against threemeans lower installation and maintenancecosts. It should also be noted that thedeployment o personnel on each systemis very di erent. American case packingmachines require a ull-time operator, whilewraparound packers only need an operator to

eed the consumable materials - an activitywhich can be automated to a large extent.A single operator can there ore cover two

wraparound machines on the same linewithout assistance rom other personnel.Another advantage o the wraparound systemis that the cardboard case is designed to tprecisely the set o containers, making itextremely compact. The American case has tobe slightly bigger in size than the containerswhich are inserted into it. This means that itis o ten essential to use partitions betweenthe containers to protect the product and avoiddamaging the labels. Finally, it is importantto point out that on the wraparound system,

the weight o the glass (in containers such asbottles) can sometimes be reduced becauseo the greater protection and the compactpacking it o ers.

Technology compared: wraparound caseor American case?

ase packing technology

is divided into two mainsystems: Wraparound casepacking and the top-opening

American case. The di erence between thetwo concepts is very simple: the Americancase is erected prior to being lled with theproduct, whereas the wraparound system

orms and seals the case automatically aroundthe product.The two types o case may appear similar andthe material used is o ten the same, but thereare signi cant di erences which should be

care ully considered be ore deciding on onesystem or the other.The orming o an American case requires theuse o three machines: the rst erects the box,the second inserts the product into the box andthe third closes and seals it.The wraparound system on the other handuses only one machine, the wraparoundpacker, which begins with a fat cardboardblank that is wrapped around the products andsealed with jets o glue. Thanks to this systema single machine can reach a production

speed o 80 cases per minute, well beyondthe capabilities o American case packingtechnology, while at the same time takingup less space and o ering lower complexity.

OCME Secondary packaging

c

Figure 3 Detail o the draw guidesused on the blank dispenser:maximum precision and reliabilityare guaranteed by the sel -clea-ning belt system

Figure 2 Case coming out rom the squaringsystem: Note the 4 black polyzene lateralguides, which are adjustable in both heightand width and are spring-loaded in order toguarantee positive pressure on the ends o thecase during the gluing phase.


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3The American Case

The American Case involves the use o threemachines which serve to erect the box,insert the bottles or other containers into it,and nally to close up the case. The case isnormally airly large in size in comparison to itscontents, and this can cause greater internalinstability. Partitions are o ten used to reduce

the risks o riction and breakage between thecontainers.

Wraparound Case

The pack obtained with the wrap-aroundcase packer is, as its name suggests, a pieceo cardboard wrapped around a group ocontainers such as bottles, cans, multi-packs,etc. The single machine deals with the entireprocess; rom the selection o the containersright up to the closing o the box. The resulting

pack is very compact thanks to the reducedtolerances achieved through compression.


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in a uni orm ashion over a wide area, o eringmaximum resistance once the case is sealed.The Ocme solution is more e cient sinceit also requires a smaller quantity o gluewhich, as we will see later on, has importantimplications or sa eguarding the environment

and also or company overheads.The solution o orming the case with the longside leading, combined with OCMES guidesystem, guarantees that the nished case is ascompact as possible.The most striking eature however, o thissolution, is the quality o the nal pack. Withlong side leading technology, case oldingis achieved using motorised drives and notjust xed guides. In this way the cardboardis orced against the product, guaranteeinga much more compact pack. The long side

leading technique ensures that the containersare pushed against one another and thisavoids any looseness in the resulting case.

ot all manu acturers owraparound case packers usethe same working logic. Ocmein particular has developed

its own solution or gluing the pack with thelong side o the case leading. What does

this mean? A cardboard case is a rectangularblock, the sides o which (seen rom above)are not equal. A case can run through the casepacking machine with either the long or theshort side leading.OCMEs solution guarantees that the sidefaps are closed as securely as possible witha jet o glue emitted rom suitably positionedspray guns.Apart rom the acility to vary the casedimensions, the lateral guides on the sidecompression section are spring loaded,

which means that they work in the optimumposition to assure a high quality result. Thecompression ensures that the glue is spread

n

Running the case with the long side leading enables theglue nozzles to work as e ciently as possible to achieve aprecise and e cient bead o glue.

OCME wrap-around system Seen romthe glue nozzles

OCME WraparoundCase Packing

Time margin available to achieve optimum jet

Duration o packaging cycle

Use ul area oglue application


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The packaging solution with short side leading orces the glue jetsto work with the minimum margin o tolerance, also the positiono the jets is penalised because o their elevated angle in respectto the case. The result is a glue deposit which is o ten not suitable

or guaranteeing an adequate seal or the case.

Wrap-around system usedby competitors

Time margin available to achieve optimum jet

Duration o packaging cycle

Seen romthe glue nozzles

Use ul areao glueapplication


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Altair, the synthesis o over 40 years experiencein wrap-around technology

Figure 4 The transmission chainsare oversized and sel -lubricating, toguarantee long-term reliability.


objective is achieved through the use o brush-

less servo motors on the main assemblies.The Altair has been designed to operate ona continuous 3-shi t basis in high pressureproduction environments.There ore, we use oversized components,particularly on the chain transmissions. Sel -lubricating chains eliminate the risk o casesbeing contaminated by grease or oil and alsoreduces the cleaning required to remove dirtcaused by the mixture o oil and cardboarddust.The Altair can pack numerous types o

container (plastic, glass, round, square, oval,triangular etc.) Our designers pay particularattention to the types o container beinghandled in order to avoid breakages or damageto the labels and to maintain the highestquality standards o the product.

CMEs rst wraparound

case packer model came outin 19 4 and was installedyears ahead o rival solutions. Since then,Ocme has ollowed a programme o continualdevelopment and improvement which has ledto the Altair range we have today. The Altairis synonymous with wrap-around technologyand Ocme machines are known to be amongthe most reliable, e cient and productive inthe world. This is a source o pride or Ocmeand also acts as a motivation to maintain anexceptional level o quality throughout the li e

o the equipment.

Altair in detailOne o the leading principles appliedthroughout the Altair project has been themechanical simpli cation o the machine. This

o


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+ = -

American case Wrap-aroundcase packer short

side leading

OCME wrap-around casepacker longside leading

Space occupied on the foor - + +

Capability to handle trays - + +

Shrinkwrapping on the same machine - + +

Compactness o case - = +

Necessity or partitions - = +

Glue consumption = + +Glue e ectiveness + = +

Time required or ormat changes - + +

Cost o ormat changes - + +

Re-use o cases + - -

Reduction in weight o glass - + +

Technologies compared

This table provides an outline o the advantages and disadvantages o the di erent casepacking technologies. We have considered the main eatures in relation to costs (both in ter-ms o raw materials and labour), versatility and eatures relevant to the primary containers.

Positive Neutral Negative


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Figure 5 Robotic gripper picks thecardboard blanks directly rom thepallet. This option o ers gr eaterautonomy in eeding materials tothe wraparound packer.


Figure 6 The loading conveyordelivers stacks o blanks rom therobot and eeds them periodically tothe magazine.


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Container InfeedFundamental to the success o the machine isthe design o the in eed - to avoid blockagesin the fow o containers and to ensure smoothsize change-overs without the need to carryout urther adjustments. In this regard, theAltair bene ts rom certain unique eatureswhich enhance its operation: pro led guidesthat are specially designed or each containershape, fow regulation systems which preventjerky stops and starts, and a channelisingbridge which is only activated when ablockage is apparent.

Product SelectionThe aim is to select the necessary numbero containers, without them alling over orbeing damaged, whilst minimising the amounto time required or size change-overs. Twoservo motors, controlled by the PLC, are usedto separate the bottles (or containers) on theAltair system. Changing the size, or ormat,simply involves the substitution o the 4 ngerselecting bars i the diameter o the containerchanges.

Blank Magazine

This is the only area o the machine whichrequires the presence o an operator. Themagazine there ore needs to be easilyaccessible and have a high capacity. Thestandard capacity on the Altair range is

approximately 00 blanks; the magazine ispositioned at a com ortable height or theoperator which does not put him at risk o aworking injury or strain (the operator is typicallyrequired to li t about ,000 Kg o banks in8 hours). There is the option to completelyavoid manual handling o the blanks by ttinga robotised system, designed to li t the blanksdirectly rom the pallet that arrives rom theboard supplier. This increases the capacity othe magazine to about 1,000 blanks.

Blank DispenserThe dispenser is the assembly dedicated to

eeding the blanks and the aim here is to

carry out this unction as simply and reliablyas possible, avoiding wherever possiblecomplications in the system. The Altairdispenser has continuous control over theposition o the blanks, thanks to a photocellwhich allows per ect synchronization with theintroduction system. The dispenser is ttedwith high riction draw belts which ensuremaximum long-term reliability, even with highproduction volumes, avoiding the problemscaused by the now obsolete suction cupsystems. The belts are cleaned periodically by

an automatic brush system, which rids themo any dust and ink le t by the printing on theblanks.

Figure 7 The design o the in eedto the packer is based on theparticular shape and eatures o containers so as to avoid the risko damage.

Figure 8 The electronic selectionsystem guarantees optimumselection o each group o containers.

Figure 9 The standard blankmagazine, ergonomicallypositioned at operator level, ratherthan being positioned under themachine.

Figure 10 The helical brush in theintroduction area guides the blankand maintains it in position.


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11Coupling of containers blanksThe aim is to guarantee the coupling o thecontainers to the blank without knocking thecontainers in any way and avoiding breakagesor damage; urthermore the set o containersneeds to be simultaneously held together onall our sides without any o the containers

alling or the collation coming apart. On theAltair machine, the position o the blank andthe containers is controlled electronically,so as to ensure that they run at exactly thesame pace. The parameters or the di erentcon gurations are automatically set by theprogramme and the wrapping mechanism isdesigned to support the primary containers onall our sides.

Closing and sealingThe objective here is to achieve the highestquality standard or the nished case, whilemaking the case as compact as possible andrationalising the use o glue. The Altair usesmechanical devices to close the side andupper faps. They enable active pressure to beexerted on the faps themselves, thus makingthe closing operation a lot more reliable. Theglue nozzles are mounted in a perpendicular

position in respect to the jets point o impact;this compares to other types o system whichhave to emit a jet at a very tight angle in areduced time and space rom more than oneposition. Such designs are detrimental tojet quality and the subsequent compression / sealing o the faps; the glue depositedin this way is o ten distributed in unevenconcentrated spots or stretched in a single

lament. In both these cases the glue is notdi used correctly and there ore the adhesivesur ace is vastly in erior compared with theOCME system. The lateral compression guidesare divided into sections and manu actured ina material with a low coe cient o riction;they are spring-mounted in order to achievea continuous and homogeneous positivepressure on the faps when the case passesthrough the compression section. As the heighto the case varies, the compression guidesadapt to work in the best possible position.To o er extra e ciency and autonomy,an extra reservoir or the hot-melt glue isavailable. When a minimum level is reachedin the main tank, it is automatically topped up

rom the reservoir.


Figure 11 The group o bottlesis contained between the lateralguides, the pusher and the blank,so that it does not all over andthe collation is maintained.

Guides

Pusher


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Figure 14 The optional gluereservoir gives greater autonomyto the operator.

Figure 12 Coupling between theblank and the containers takesplace at the same speed in orderto avoid breakages or damage.

Figure 13 The side and upper fapsare closed by mechanical devicesand not just xed guides, therebyensuring a more e ective seal to

the pack.


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Figures 15 and 16 Each part that needs tobe changed or adjusted is colour-coded andhas its own re erence number or ease o changing ormats.



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PartitionsIn some circumstances it is necessary toprovide urther protection to the product insidethe case. Cardboard partitions are used orthis and they are inserted during the machineoperating cycle.The Altair is able to handle both kinds oprotection technology available: traditionalpartitions and pre- ormed partitions. The

rst type, o ten manu actured in corrugatedcardboard, o er increased resistance againstknocks and are there ore recommended orproducts which have to be transported overlong distances, such as, or example, goodsdestined or export. The traditional partitionsare ed rom various insertion magazinesthat are appropriately placed along the casepackaging line.The pre- ormed partitions use low-cost, pre-assembled, solid pressed cardboard, whichprotect the containers and also their labels

rom abrasion. The pre- ormed insertionsystem consists o a side loader, readilyaccessible or re- ll, and a 3-axis robot whichpicks the partition rom the magazine, opens itand then places it between the containers asthey run down the line.

Format ChangeFormat change has been the subject o intenserationalisation analysis in order to achievethe best overall result. For this reason weturned to an electronic solution in order tosimpli y the machine unctions, to reducethe number o components and to eliminatepotential problems. We opted or a step-by-step guided procedure, which can be ollowedby a single person without any special training(including temporary and seasonal workers)with parts which can be easily identi ed viacolour/number coding. Once the automaticchange has been put into e ect, the Altair cango straight into ull production without theneed or ne-tuning, because it is impossibleto make errors o adjustment or misunderstandthe instructions.

As an option, the Altair can be tted with a PCwhich guides the operator through the variousoperations using a personalised procedure.This makes the ormat change procedure muchsimpler to ollow (even or the least expert ooperators), as the operations are carried out inthe right sequence.

Figure 17Blank magazine or tradi-tional insertion partitions.

Figure 18Robotic eeder or pre- ormedsolid board partitions


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1919

Wraparound case packing and Altair, the per ectcombination to cut your costs

A truly e cient and rational system can only be achievedthrough a deep understanding o the packaging sector and the

technology applied to it.

s we have already described in preceding chapters, the choice o wraparound case packinghas the immediate advantage o lower production costs, in addition to the particularbenefts which are exclusively on o er with the OCME Altair system. Unlike alternativepackaging solutions, only one operator is required to manage the Altair wraparound casepacker; the act that the machine operates totally unaided

means that the operator is only required to load the blank magazine and otherconsumable materials (such as glue). Apart rom the reduction in labour costs,there is also the beneft o a reduction in the cost o raw materials, in particularglue and glass. Indeed, perhaps it is the glue which o ers the greatest costsaving on the Altair: not only is a smaller quantity required because o therevolutionary technique o orming the cases with the long side leading, but alsothe quality o sealing the case is higher in comparison to other solutions. Thepossibility o using lighter glass or containers should also be taken into accountwhen comparing the American case packing system, as the greater compactnesso the products lessens the risk o breakages. The OCME range o Altairwraparound case packers is noted or its high quality standard. This has beenachieved through excellence in design, our insight into the needs o the industryand the choice o high quality components used to build the machines. This lastitem o ers one o the greatest cost savings. Poor machine per ormance costs

ar more than high quality components and has a negative bearing on productionprogrammes. Customers using the OCME Altair can stay ocused on theirbusiness while knowing that they have the most e fcient and reliable machinesavailable; machines which satis y the demands placed on them by todays moderndistribution channels. A urther economic beneft is seen in the re-designing o assemblies and components too er commonality o parts across the whole OCME range, which enhances stock availability. The consequenceso this are shorter delivery times and more e fcient maintenance.

a

Altair range Speedcases/minDimensionsmm (L x H)

ALTAIR X 30 30 8280 x 2200

ALTAIR X 30 P 30 11042 x 2200

ALTAIR N 40ALTAIR N 50ALTAIR N 60

405060

11227 x 22 0

ALTAIR A 40 PALTAIR A 50 PALTAIR A 60 P

4050 (40 )60 (40 )

131 0 x 22 0

ALTAIR A 50 PALTAIR A 60 P

50 60

178 0 x 22 0

ALTAIR A 40ALTAIR A 50ALTAIR A 60

40 50 60

178 0 x 22 0

with pre-formed partitions with traditional partitions


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Some examples o packaging created using Altair

Internal fap Top opening Tear-strip opening Pack with carry handle

Open-top case External fap Assisted opening Tray

Altair, a new lever or marketing


ven though Altair wraparound casepackers are primarily considered as

an important tool or Production andLogistics departments, they can also be seen as anexcellent aid or marketing. The varied aspects o theAltair machine combine to make an important resourceto meet the growing demands o modern distribution.Thanks to its fexibility, the Altair system can createvaried and innovative packaging. An ample sur acearea is available or graphics, enabling the user toproject its image on the case to the nal consumer,whilst at the same time making sure that the goodsarrive intact to the distributor. The Altair also has theability to produce cases which are easy to open, it can

produce trays and other kinds o special packagingto greatly extend its original role o simply providingsecondary packaging to that o providing a display,

e which is simple but at the same time unctional andeconomical. The wide choice o board available variesrom micro-fute corrugated cardboard to high-resistance mm card. Interesting applications can be achieved

by combining di erent types o card, such as a boardconsisting o normal corrugated cardboard to which o -set printing is applied; in this case a surprising level ographic quality can be achieved, thanks to high de nitionimages o continuous tone. Many manu acturers seewrap-around cases as a use ul way o enhancing theirbrand; there are bene ts to the product at the pointo sale, the pack can be made easier to manage byper orated handles and it gives the distributor thepossibility o displaying the secondary packaging directly,

so drastically reducing the manual activity involved inrestacking shelves.


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Corporate environmental respect programme

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All rights reserved. All registered trademarks shown are the property o the respective owners.OCME does not accept responsibility or the contents.

MARTINI and the Ball & Bar logo are registered trademarks.

Altair and respect or the environment

rationalising the use o raw materials

coincides with substantial cost savings.As already evident, the considerablereduction in the quantity o gluenecessary or sealing the packs (nowonly 4. g o glue per case) representsreduced reliance on a petroleumderivative, and also, albeit to a lesserextent, a saving in the energy requiredto keep the glue heated to a certaintemperature. Thanks to the new blankdispensing system, it is quite possible touse recycled cardboard blanks, without

encountering the previous problems osur ace dirt and abrasions which used tocause stoppages and premature wear onsome components.

ndustry is being asked

more and more to respectthe environment byexercising a more rational

use o raw materials. Particular attentionis paid to packaging irms by the publicbecause o disposable and recyclablepackaging. Choosing OCME means joiningin our concerns or respect and protectiono the environment. Back in 2004,we started WorldCare, our corporateenvironmental policy which centres onpollution and recycling. This policy is a

driving orce or our designers as theydevelop new solutions which reduce theecological impact o industrial production.In the case o the Altair it is clear that

i


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MOVING IDEAS

OCME S.r.l. Via del Popolo, 20/A 43100 Parma (Italy)Phone +39-0521-275111Fax +39-0521-272924e-mail: [email protected]

OCME UK Ltd. King John House, Kingsclere Park Kingsclere - NewburyBerkshire RG20 4SW (UK)

Phone: +44-1635-298171Fax : +44-1635-297936e-mail: [email protected]

OCME AMERICA CORPORATION5300 N.W. 33rd Avenue, Suite 105Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 (USA)Phone : +1 954- 318 7446Fax : +1-954-634 0238e-mail: [email protected]

OCME FRANCE42 avenue Montaigne75008 Paris (France)Phone: +33 (0)2 32.32.20.47Fax: +33 (0)1 53.01.31.51e-mail: [email protected]

OCME Packaging Equipment (Jiaxing) Co. Ltd. Jiaxing (China)Web: http://www.ocme.cne-mail: [email protected]

OCME and secondary packaging

G r a p

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S e r v

i c e P a r m a

A l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d

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We believe that it is our duty, as a supplier o packaging technology,not just to install a machine to answer an immediate problem, butalso to o er a vision o the future of packaging and to come up

with solutions which anticipate uture developments. This has beenour mission since 19 4. Since then, OCME has established itselas a world leader, and, particularly in secondary packaging andwrap-around case packers, has achieved some o the milestonesin the history of packaging . We have presented our experienceand our vision o secondary packaging in this document, placing theAltair range and wrap-around case packers in context. Discussiono OCME case packers is not the same as talking about case packersin general, since it is an elite system o highly e cient machineswith high productivity, a system developed to create the backboneo our customers production department. OCME has also workedon a crucial aspect which is ultimately the most important one orour customers:Total Cost of Ownership (T.C.O.)In this publication we trust that we have demonstrated to you howone o the best packaging systems in the world can also be highly

avourable rom an economic point o view.

wrap around packer details

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