Cartons come in all different shapes and sizes. Even though they may look the same, the details of the design matter when it comes to automation. This 3 part series of videos take you through Shape, Glue and Tuck closures, Flap design, Top load cartons and how JW cartoning machines meet these challenges.
Episode 1
Carton designs for automatic cartoning When choosing a design for packaging a product many things must be taken into consideration, not least how it will look on a busy supermarket shelf or how the consumer will use the product. Carton design also needs to take into consideration the mechanics of erecting and filling the carton, especially on an automated system. On an automatic or semi-automatic packaging machine, cartons must be delivered on a conveyor, picked, erected, filled and closed. Every action works seamlessly together, which is why the carton must be designed carefully with automation in mind. Gable Topped Cartons, including Winged Cartons - used for teas, confectionary and premium foods Gable Topped cartons are popular in the expanding speciality tea market. They may include winged flaps which helps to contain the product and give it a consistent look. Special closure format parts are used to achieve the gable top, which will need to be incorporated into the machine design. Other tuck-in or glued cartons can be processed on the same machine with the use of changeover tooling, allowing maximum flexibility for carton designs. Windows – used for product display and reduced plastic packaging Cartons with windows have been around but have become more prevalent as manufacturers seek to reduce their use of plastic film. By having a smaller film window instead of wrapping the entire product, cardboard cartons are a great solution for most plastic reducing initiatives. The location and size of the window will dictate how the carton can be grabbed with suction cups and will need to be considered when designing the package. Crash Lock – fast manual carton Crash lock cartons are believed to be the fastest carton to erect manually, having the advantage of locking the base into place easily. Customers may wish to continue using existing crash lock packaging which can be processed automatically but require specific parts. A driven flighted conveyor will deliver the cartons which are too unsteady to load by gravity fed magazines. Raupack represents JW in the UK and Ireland JW has experience making automated machinery for cartons of all shapes and sizes. Raupack will be able to guide you through your product cartoning requirements having worked in the packaging industry over 25 years. Use this knowledge and experience to design the best carton for your product to be packed on a JW automatic or semi-automatic cartoning machine.
See Second Episode - Designing Hot Melt and Tuck Closures for Cartoning Machines
See Third Episode - Pre-breaking, carton insides and forming cartons from flat blanks
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