A new application system from Baumer hhs sprays an anti-slip hot melt adhesive onto transport and shipping boxes to secure them in transit – a move set to reduce plastic film consumption and packaging waste.
The adhesive is applied before palletizing the boxes. It is thought that a minimal amount will secure the boxes – which Baumer hhs recommends are stacked in an interlocked pattern – on all layers of a pallet and prevent them from dislodging in a delivery vehicle.
The solution is thought to be especially beneficial for in-house transports, apparently negating the need for any pallet wrap in many cases. In general, it is set to cut down on stretch, shrink, and tube wrap, among other plastic films, and intermediate pallet layers like paper slip sheets – reducing costs, streamlining logistics, and lowering the amount of waste generated in the transportation process.
Furthermore, the solution means that less plastic wrap needs to be removed, which is expected to simplify depalletizing operations. In turn, industrial businesses are expected to benefit in the midst of labour shortages.
It is also expected to improve depalletizing safety, with the dangers of boxes slipping from a pallet, the sharp cutters required to remove plastic wrap, and injuries caused by plastic waste on the floor all avoided under the new solution.
Resource efficiency is also anticipated to improve with the reduced use of pallet wrap, and the boxes are still said to be recyclable in the existing paper recycling system after the non-slip adhesive has been applied.
The gluing system is designed to flexibly integrate into conveyors between the end packaging and palletizing of transport and shipping boxes. It has already been applied to packaging lines, with investments reportedly paying off within the space of a year by cutting down on plastic film consumption.
The basic version of the application system comes with a crosspiece, two HM-500 hot melt spray application heads – which can apply all common pressure-sensitive adhesives available on the market in a range of adhesion or stickiness levels, Baumer hhs claims – a sensor for detecting the boxes, an Xmelt melter and an Xact controller. The entire system can be scaled in line with individual customer requirements.
“This resource-saving innovation for securing pallet and transport loads has elicited an overwhelming response across the market,” says Martin Kotecki, Packaging Business Development Manager at Baumer hhs. “After observing the first few systems in operation at leading companies in various industries to verify the significant advantages, we are now shipping the solution worldwide.
“Since it was founded over 35 years ago, our company has totally redefined industrial gluing in many areas to benefit our customers. And we’ve done it again in yet another field of application in the packaging market with this innovative solution for securing pallet and transport loads.”
In a related development, Cabka’s reusable Retail E5.3 order picking pallet made of recycled plastics can also be fitted with different anti-slip grommets for stability during transportation.
Other products from Baumer hhs include its Side Seam Gluing Solution for straight-line box production, designed to apply glue from below and reduce waste and water use; and its CorrBox Solution, a modular gluing system for corrugated converters featuring a sensor that can detect adhesives without the need for additives.
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