PETpla.net Insider 06 / 2015

PACKING / PALLETISING 36 PET planet insider Vol. 16 No. 06/15 www.petpla.net The compact end of line The efficiency of a bottling and packaging plant whose daily output reaches millions of bottles depends also on end-of-line operations which need to be perfectly syn- chronised one another. Smipal, a SMI division specialised in the production of automatic palletis- ing systems, offers reliable cutting- edge solutions with the APS P series. The APS P model features a SCARA arm and integrates in its central column the operations of palletising, empty pallet feeding and pad inser- tion - three different operations usu- ally performed by separate machines inside their own dedicated space. The new Smipal palletisers of the APS P series, besides the stand- alone version, can be integrated in a Packbloc Neo compact system, gath- ering in a unique, small sized plant the operations of an automatic packer, together with an automatic fixed-col- umn palletiser and a turnplate pallet wrapper. The integration of multiple machines offers considerable advan- tages from the standpoint of opera- tional flexibility and reduction of costs and energy consumption, as it reduces the need to install long stretches of conveyor belts - usually required to connect various stand alone units to one another – and allows a single operator manage the entire system. An example of Packbloc Neo system includes a Smiflexi model LWP 30 wrap-around case packer together with a palletiser Smipal model APS 1550 P and a turntable wrapping machine. Sturdy and elegant packages with the LWP 30 case packer The automatic LWP 30 wrap-around case packers produced by SMI, suitable for production speeds up to 30 packs per minute, stand out in the packaging machine market for a number of techni- cal features which place them at the top of the reference range. Machine adjustments in these systems are made by means of con- venient cranks and useful numeric counters, which allow the operator to switch from one pack format to another simply, quickly and accurately without having to use any tools. The cardboard blanks are picked up by a mechanical system that ensures precise synchronisation with the other operations performed by the pack- aging machine. The blanks used to make the finished boxes are trans- ferred from the cardboard blanks magazine to the main work surface smoothly and uninterruptedly by an up-going, slightly curved system that significantly improves continuity in the feeding of the packaging material. Smiflexi’s LWP series new wrap- around case packers have a compact and solid frame, are able to adapt easily to any logistic condition and also mount brushless motors that drive the axes, reducing their energy consumption. A more efficient production thanks to new control systems The LWP series of packag- ing machines can be equipped with accessory devices that increase their level of efficiency such as, for exam- ple, a control device based on video camera. This is mounted at packer outfeed to inspect every single pack produced to detect its size character- istics and correct closing. In case a pack does not comply with the quality parameters entered in the production program, it is rejected automatically. This control system can be further automated by installing a new device to eject and unload defective packs: a conveyor belt that runs on free ball bearings. This belt carries the non- conforming pack to the outside of the production line by gently acting on the bottom of the pack instead of pushing it abruptly on the sides, as occurs in traditional ejection systems. The APS 1550 P automatic palletiser The heart of the compact and integrated Packbloc Neo system is the new Smipal APS 1550 P palletiser. All movable mechanical components are housed within the fixed central column. First there is a cross-mem- ber that supports the layer-loading head that moves up and down on the