Case Packers from Lone Star Automated
The product size, weight, rate, and type of case will often predetermine the best case packing method. Packers vary in shapes and configurations and some take up much more space than others. A case packer's speed is best viewed in terms of cycles per minute. There are numerous styles of case packers available, each having the right fit for a specific application:
- Drop packers
- Rotary packers
- Wraparound packers
- Mechanical soft-placement packers
- Robotic packers
- Side load packers
- Bottom load packers
A major factor in narrowing the list of alternatives is the production rate of the line. A good "rule of thumb" is to allow at least 20% over-speed of the production design rate.
If laning of the product is required, determine if it is best accomplished upstream with a stand alone lanner that will allow for product accumulation prior to the packer. If additional floor space is not available for multi-lane conveyor, a laner is integrated onto the packer's infeed.
20 cases per minute or less can be efficiently handled with side or bottom load packers, or even robotic packers. Robots can be very space efficient, and allow for quick changeovers. The change over can even be partially automated.
20 to 35 cases per minute are viable with drop packers or intermittent motion wraparound packers. In some instances, drop packers can discharge 2 or 3 cases at a time. With an effective rate of 20 plus cycles per minute, this can have a dramatic affect on its throughput. Drop packers have the benefit of comparatively easy changeover and offer narrow footprints, whereas wraparound packers are fairly inflexible with regard to change over but are relatively space efficient.
35 cases per minute or above are possible with soft placement packers, servo drop packers, rotary packers, and continuous motion wraparound packers. These faster machines will have a bigger footprint, and continuous motion wraparounds are usually very long and wide.
The type of product will also frequently determine the packer type. Expensive or delicate items often require a partitioned case. This will usually predicate a drop or soft placement packer. Side load packers are often used for boxed items. Larger items work well in wraparound or bottom load style packers.
