Secure cartoning of double bags

Flexible loading of folding cartons

When visiting Klocke in Appenweier, their different production lines leave quite an impression: “With twelve lines from Harro Höfliger in operation, we can manage even large orders,” emphasizes Factory Manager Alexander Pergande. This convinces their customers, many of whom are well-known manufacturers of pharmaceuticals.

For example, at Klocke a drug used for the treatment of digestive problems is filled and packaged into double bags. Eighty percent of all folding cartons are loaded with 15 or 25 double bags. In addition, there are versions with five or ten double bags. Loading the folding cartons with these quantities was a particular challenge in machine processing.

Harro Höfliger drafted several possible machine concepts to address the varying quantities. The first approach, among other solutions, was to process the bags with a toploading cartoner. Stack height and the handling of 25 bags, however, proved difficult for reliable placement into the folding carton. Pergande: “In addition we wanted to process all pack options at the highest possible speed. With the Toploader, there would have been certain limitations.”

Secure processing even at high speeds

Harro Höfliger provided the right answer and developed a solution using a model MKL horizontal cartoner. In this machine, the bag stacks are held by an insertion and counter-insertion unit. This is how Klocke can process large-size folding cartons today. “For us, this line is the centerpiece of our packaging lines,” declares Alexander Pergande. The main processing steps are:

• An instruction leaflet is folded by a folding unit, verified by a code reader and then dispensed onto the topmost double bag in the transport section
• An overhead belt pushes the bag stacks from the workpiece carriers into the stack chain
• The folding carton is erected and verified by a code reader
• In sync with this work step a servodriven infeed pusher feeds the folding carton with the respective quantity of double bag stacks from the bag chain. Insertion and counter-insertion guides guarantee reliable placement of the products into the folding carton, which is especially important when processing high bag stacks
• In the next step the front flap of the folding carton is closed, while the insertion and counter-insertion guides move back. Next the carton passes a glue station where glue dots can be applied to the bottom flap at the tuck-in closing stations. After leaving the cartoner, the folding carton is printed with variable data and then wrapped with a stretch bander
• After leaving the cartoner, the folding carton is printed with variable data and then wrapped with a stretch bander. The cartoner processes folding cartons with a height of up to 165 millimeters. It offers secure processing at all times and highest reliability even at high speeds