Episode 3: Carton Stiffness and Cartoner Selection
In previous videos we looked at carton shape and design for automation. In this video we look specifically at carton erection and cartoner selection; Vertical, Horizontal and Top Load Cartoners for flat blanks.
Pre-Breaking Cartons
Stiff cartons don’t erect well. They want to return to their flat state. To combat this we recommend that all cartons are Pre-broken. Ensuring that the cartons supplied have been ‘cracked open’ avoids carton stiffness and prevents their failure to open on the cartoner.
Partitions
Internal partitions that separate products within cartons and are sometimes necessary to protect products for transport or to provide an extra level of user experience. They may also be stiffer opening because of the extra internal walls pushing in different directions and small inaccuracies in their internal gluing lead to non-square cartons that don’t erect well.
Where the partition is located on one side of the carton blank, they may need an adapted magazine feed to account for lop-sided loading, being thicker on one side than the other.
Special Magazines and Opening Systems
For standard pre-glued cartons, a simple gravity-fed magazine will supply the carton erection system, which will pull or squeeze the carton to erect it. The cartons are supplied pre-glued on the internal flap. For cartons where pre-breaking has not been possible we can use more advanced opening mechanisms as shown in the video. To overcome problems with partitions, a driven magazine can be fitted as seen in the first episode of this series for Crash Lock Cartons.
Cartoner Selection: Vertical, Horizontal, Top Load?
As a general rule cartons that arrive standing are optimally suited to loading into a vertical cartoner. The vertical cartoner does not require a pocket conveyor saving both space and money. Pouches or packs that arrive lying down may be better suited to a horizontal cartoner.
As we have seen in previous Raupack videos: shallow top-loaded cartons have their own advantages for particular types of products. The JW cartoner uses a stamp and die mechanism to erect these from flat blanks. The carton is formed and glued on the open position ready to be loaded from above. These wide cartons are particularly good for arranging contents in the carton, for example kits or multiple products. The cartons my be opened on the top or from the side by the end user, depending on the product or user requirements.
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Read about the Machines related to this news:Automatic Vertical Cartoner
Horizontal Cartoning Machines
Semi automatic Vertical Cartoner
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Last Modified:28/02/2023 12:00:11