A new, compact machine from Benner MSA and HERMA bundles bags into 20 to 30 medium-sized multipacks per minute and seals them with labels – a solution designed to help customers save on costs, labour, and packaging materials.
The Benner MSA machine is designed for a standard bag measurement of around 65mm W x 150mm L by 25mm H as a standard, but it is also compatible with wider packs thanks to its patented compensating element for processing and offsetting irregularly shaped bags.
This is set to be helpful for soft and pliable applications, such as dates or cranberries; dry and hard products like peanuts or cashews; and other products wherein the bag contains a lot of air, which can potentially create height differences of five millimetres.
“With three bags, this makes a difference of up to 15 millimeters – a challenge when it comes to accurately positioning the labels,” explains Ilyas Zorla, managing director of Benner MSA.
The machine transports individual, ready-filled bags up a sloping conveyor belt to a height of around two metres, where the bags are fed into another, compartmentalized belt. Each compartment receives a defined number of bags in a horizonal position.
To create the multipacks, two HERMA 500 label applicators, one on each side of the packs, apply a preperforated label. The bags are located in a shaft with four size guides that can be adjusted to any dimension.
Designed in real-time collaboration with Benner MSA on HERMA’s online configurator, the HERMA 500 is described as ‘extremely’ compact and user-friendly, which streamlines the multipack bundling process.
“There is not much you can do wrong when setting up and operating the machine,” Zorla continues. “For example, it’s possible to activate only those parameters that are relevant for the respective operator level. This makes the HERMA 500 ideal for operators who have never used a label applicator before.”
The Benner MSA is said to offer ‘outstanding’ precision, as the label perforations must be accurately positioned over the ‘gaps’ between bags for easy separation. Its configurator is also believed to unlock compatibility with ‘almost any’ application thanks to its range of standardized equipment features.
While full SAP integration is set to stabilize processes and shorten delivery times, the live 3D presentation feature provides targeted configuration support without impacting dispensing speed or quality – a useful tool for the machine’s limited installation space, especially where the peel plate is concerned.
This solution is recommended for upstream packaging systems operating at 60 to 80 work cycles.
“There are, of course, one or two other manufacturers of label-based multipack machines,” Zorla adds. “However, these machines are single-format systems designed for a single product that is produced in extremely high volumes, such as a well-known biscuit snack.
“These machines are not only very large, they are also very, very fast and can easily run at 700 cycles per minute.
“For many suppliers of, for example, nuts, dried fruit, cereal bars and so on, this processing speed is perfectly adequate – here a higher output would be uneconomical.
“This is why the HERMA 500 is invaluable as a label applicator. It has a master encoder. In other words, the labelling speed is always controlled by the actual product speed.
“In this way, our customers achieve an extremely high level of precision in the labelling process.”
In another bundling development, All4Labels’ STARPACK solution is reportedly made from renewable and FSC-certified materials and aims to replace traditional plastic packaging. It is thought to be suitable for a range of sectors, including food, healthcare, and home care.
Meanwhile, Domino has unveiled its new Mx350i-eP electric pallet labeller. Compared to previous generation pallet labellers, it is said to require up to 40% less energy and up to 50% less factory air; each labeller is 60% lighter and has a 40% smaller footprint than previous models, which in turn cuts the shipping volume of its packaging material by up to 60%.
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