Pharmaceutical and Medical Packaging News
Magazine
PMPN Article Index
Originally Published PMPN July 2005
Product Update
Finishing It Off with Cartoners and Wrappers
Secondary packaging systems can operate at high speeds to get your products to market quickly.
Pack-and-Seal System
A semiautomatic system erects, packs, and seals batches of uniform cases. The machine can process up to 15 cases per minute. Cases are opened and positioned while in a tube, where the case is held firmly and bottom flaps are automatically folded. Once the product is packed, the operator tucks the top trailing minor flaps in and advances the case into the side belts, where the remaining top flaps are folded automatically and the top and bottom are sealed with tape. The system is also available with a bottom case sealer. It resists weather, staining, and chemicals. Its durable construction withstands demanding applications. O/K Durable Corp., Country Side, IL; 800/700-5677; www.okdurable.com.
Case Packer
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A case packer provides gentle handling of shrink-wrapped pharmaceutical and medical products. The Model SP-29 automatically accumulates an entire case load in precise position before sliding it neatly into its case. Only one operator is needed to open and position the case, thereby reducing labor costs. Built for efficient and delicate movement of products throughout the case-packing operation, the SP-29 features a stainless-steel accumulation table and packing station to ensure smooth transfer of numerous package surfaces and shapes. A pump-up system with an innovative collating mechanism accumulates each load, elevates it, and orients it accurately into the predetermined pack pattern. It then automatically slips the load into the case and lowers it for transfer to sealing. A-B-C Packaging Machine Corp., Tarpon Springs, FL; 800/237-5975; www.abcpackaging.com.
Case and Tray Packers
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A series of packers uses electronic motion-control technology to optimize machine flexibility, speed, and simplicity. An Axiom-series packer features a rugged platform that contributes to line efficiency by enhancing changeover repeatability and simplifying fault detection and recovery. Electronic motion control facilitates future product-size additions. The machine’s design also incorporates durable stainless-steel frames and close to 50% fewer components, resulting in fewer replacement parts, reduced maintenance and sanitation, and small footprints. The Axiom packers operate at speeds of up to 45 cases or trays per minute, depending on the application. A patent-pending Velocity high-speed product stacker is optional. It provides continuous product flow of up to 600 products per minute. The packers include a limited three-year warranty. Douglas Machine Inc., Alexandria, MN; 320/763-6587; www.douglas-machine.com.
Horizontal Case Packer
A horizontal case packer is able to pack up to 20 cases per minute. The GSL20 requires no change parts for different case sizes, and it features main machine movement via servomotors whose drivers are controlled by Elau soft PLC technology. The company is a manufacturer of high-speed, fully automated capsule-filling machines and serves the end-of-line packaging needs of the pharmaceutical industry. MG America, Fairfield, NJ; 973/808-8185; www.mgamerica.com.
Cartoner
A pharmaceutical packager offers its C 2155 cartoner. The machine features intermittent processing, precisely picking up and erecting cartons via servo control. Visual instructions appear on the touch screen monitor to facilitate ease of operation and quick startup. The C 2155 outputs 25 to 150 cartons per minute. It is self-cleaning, has GMP-compatible cantilevered construction, and features ergonomic design for operator comfort and safety. Automatic system alignments provide reliability. Uhlmann Packaging Systems, Towaco, NJ; 973/402-8855; www.uhlmann-usa.com.
Cartoner with Opening System
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A manufacturer of tube fillers, cartoners, and blister pack machines offers a line of SC-series cartoners for speed and flexibility. Available in speed options ranging from 70 to 500 cases per minute, the SC series of cartoners are 21 CFR–compliant and incorporate a unique carton-opening system that opens cartons before they reach the transport lug, which virtually eliminates the possibility of unopened cartons entering the machine. IWKA PacSystems, Fairfield, NJ; 973/227-5575; www.iwkapacsystems.com.
Intermittent-Motion Cartoner
Running at speeds of up to 90 cartons per minute, a highly flexible intermittent-motion cartoner can handle cartons measuring up to 10 ¥ 4.5 ¥ 12 in. Featuring a small 7.5 ¥ 4.5-ft footprint and a walk-in style design, the Eclipse cartoner includes an HMI and motion-control package. Changeovers are done without tools and can be finished in 15 minutes. An Eclipse model specification sheet is available in hard copy and electronic formats; it includes feature and benefit highlights on one side with technical details, application information, and a floor plan drawing of the base machine on the other. MGS Machine Corp., Maple Grove, MN; 763/425-8808; www.mgsmachine.com.
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