MOVING IDEAS
Secondary packaging with bundles Heat shrink wrapping of bundles: techniques, solutions, comparisons and advantages of a packaging technology that has revolutionized industry and distribution alike.
Texts by Vincent Bandini, Massimo Beretta, Manuel Bolzoni, Giuseppe Buttazzi, Gabriele Folli
OCME Competence Library
www.ocme.it
Secondary packaging with bundles Heat shrink wrapping of bundles: techniques, solutions, comparisons and advantages of a packaging technology that has revolutionized industry and distribution alike.
Table of Contents Secondary packaging. Why do products have to be protected?
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From the wholesale pack to the retail pack
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Competing technologies
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Heat shrink packaging according to OCME
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Vega, the fruit of over 20 years of packaging with heat shrink film Container infeed, product selection, unwinding device, film tensioning, automatic sealing, electrostatic charges
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Film cutting system, film feeding ramp, film winding system, connecting belt
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The heat shrink oven: more compact, more efficient
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Easy-open bundle, extension of blank magazine, tray feeding from pallet
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Size changeover
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Vega, a range of heat shrink packaging solutions High productivity and savings in production costs
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Vega, a new marketing lever
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Vega and environmental protection
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OCME Competence Library
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www.ocme.it
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Secondary packaging Why do products have to be protected? The species can vary over time, evolving from simpler forms into more and more complex forms, thanks to a natural selection mechanism that promotes the survival of the individuals best suited to the environment in which they live. Charles Darwin (synthesis of the thought expressed in “The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection�, 1859)
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ver recent years, the evolution of distribution platforms has triggered, on a global scale, a process of reciprocal interference between consumer habits and packaging technologies. This interaction is clearly seen in the dynamics of the composition of the retail pack. In fact many products, particularly in the drinks sector, are now available in multiple retail packs which are taken off the shelves and placed directly into the trolley. To enable the consumer to perform this simple action, however, the secondary container must have at least two fundamental features: it must be manageable and it must be lightweight. These features are among the main advantages offered by a technology that has revolutionized the world of distribution: packaging with heat shrink film. This technology was devised as an economical alternative to the cardboard box for the manufacturing of wholesale packs, and was instantly adopted as a result of the staggering growth in the consumption of mineral water in PET bottles. Over the course of recent years, this technology has evolved and improved immensely, developing to meet not only technical or practical requirements but also grappling with and successfully resolving marketing problems and aspects related to environmental protection. In the first case, in particular, it is easy to observe how today heat shrink wrapping materials have become excellent vehicles for complex images, ideal for attracting attention and hence stimulating the consumer’s preference. In areas such as the drinks, petrochemical, food oil, food and animal feed sectors, at least two other important solutions exist for combining more than one retail pack in a single secondary container: case packing and crating. Neither of these solutions can however replace heat shrink film for a variety of reasons, the most important being the costs of the container, its weight, dimensions and poor manageability, especially by the consumer at the moment of product choice and purchase. The bundle is, moreover, an extremely economical, disposable container, made in recyclable plastic; these features considerably simplify distributor logistics, at least in comparison to case packing as a secondary packaging. In this paper we shall illustrate shrink-wrapping technology for secondary packaging purposes, we shall analyse some of the most advanced technical solutions available and we shall endeavour to direct users towards the solutions that best meet their requirements.
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OCME Secondary packaging
From the wholesale pack to the retail pack
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he evolution of shrink wrap packaging has transformed a pack, i.e. the bundle, from a cluster of products with handling and storage issues, into a retail pack in the real sense of the word. This transformation has been made possible by technological progress and thanks to the development of new materials. Thermodynamic research has been of particular importance as it has revolutionized the air flows in the heat shrink ovens; this has led to a reduction in the thickness of the film used and hence a reduction both in costs and in environmental impact. It has also led to improvements in the aesthetic quality of the bundle (reduction of creases and bunching at the side opening, with improved stability of the pack and thus also of the pallet). In the transition that transformed the bundle
into a retail pack in the real sense of the term, this technology had to stand up to competition from another technically valid solution: the pressed cardboard multipack. To its detriment, however, there are a number of aspects that have a negative effect on production costs and hence on the price of the products. The making of multipacks requires very complex machinery which is normally leased out by the manufacturers of the same on condition that lessees purchase the cardboard required for making the boxes from them; additionally, the payment of royalties may be requested for each pack produced. The multipack is, nonetheless, a practical and easy-to-carry package with an extensive surface for graphics, and these are both features which, as we have already seen, shrink wrapped bundles can now offer as well.
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Figure 2 Triple track film outfeed wrapping area
Figure 3 Film path diagram from the infeed reels to the heat shrink oven
Competing technologies Two types of technology may be used to create a bundle using heat shrink film: the sealing bar shrink wrapping machine or the continuous shrink wrapping machine. Sealing bar technology uses film originating from two reels that is laminated and wrapped around a cluster of containers. Film sealing is carried out by a bar/counterbar sealing unit through which a resistor passes; when activated this resistor cuts and seals the film around the pack. The pack then enters the oven where the film is then heat shrunk. This type of technology has, however, limitations both as regards speed and as regards the quality of the pack produced. Low speeds (up to 20 packs/minute for fixed bar versions) are due to the discontinuous movement of the packaging cycle. In fact, when sealing takes place the pack is obliged to stop (if only for a few seconds) so that the bar can seal and cut the film. The joins of the film are clearly visible on the two sides of the pack which means that printed films cannot be used on the sides, as the graphics would be spoiled by the join. Continuous film technology was introduced in the early ‘80s with a concept that revolutionized bundle packaging. This technique, in fact, enables continuous operation, thereby bringing about improvements in performance levels that would have been unthinkable with the previous models. The phases of the packaging cycle follow one after the other without interruption, starting from the unwinding of the film, the cutting of the film to the required length, the transfer onto an upward
sloping ramp on which the film is held flat by the power of vacuum until it is inserted on the container conveyor at the moment in which the containers transit over the front end of the film itself. While the pack advances with the initial flap underneath it, a rotating bar accompanies the film, wrapping it around the pack until it has brought the other end of the film underneath the front of the bundle. In this way, the pack with the film enters the oven with the 2 ends overlapping underneath it: the hot air and the weight of the pack on top of the 2 ends ensures that they weld together, guaranteeing the stability of the pack and leaving the other sides of the bundle free for graphic advertising. The continuous packaging method originated as an exclusively mechanical technology, strict and dedicated to standard formats. Towards the end of the ‘80s, OCME entered this market, bringing its own contribution and developing a design for a much more flexible shrink wrapping machine with the capacity to process different containers in different configurations. Over the course of the years,
shrink wrappers have continued to undergo improvements, thanks to enormous investments in R&D, focused, first and foremost, on raising their performance levels and on improving the heat shrinking properties of the films used: important accomplishments that have mainly concerned the heat shrink oven which today, together with the film cutting system, is considered the very heart of the machine.
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Heat shrink packaging according to OCME
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he cutting and continuous film system is one of the two main components of the shrink wrap packer. OCME has adopted a cutting system that guarantees high reliability over time thanks to the combined blade and counter-blade action. This means less wear on the cutting blade does not require complicated adjustments, in contrast with the systems used by the majority of manufacturers, involving fine adjustments of the blade with respect to the counter-blade. The other component of the Vega shrink wrap
packer on which Ocme has focused its R&D efforts over the years is the heat shrink oven which, given market demand to improve the quality of the bundles, has undoubtedly become the heart of the machine. The Vega heat shrink oven has been conceived to ensure total control over 3 of the 4 conditions affecting the quality of the bundle: • Time for which the bundle stays in the oven; • Temperature; • Air flow; • Film quality and shrinkage percentage.
OCME cutting system
In the OCME cutting system, the blade does not come into contact with the other mechanical components. It is thus guaranteed to provide longlasting precision over time.
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To ensure repeatable quality on all bundles produced, they must, of necessity, remain in the oven for the same amount of time; the oven conveyor must therefore be regulated at a constant speed. The “cooking” time inside the oven remains constant irrespective of the machine speed. For this reason the speed variations of the line, and hence of the Vega, are compensated by a variable speed belt that connects the winding part with the oven section; in this way, the transition takes place in a gradual manner, avoiding the falling of bottles thanks to the upper containment belt. The temperature of the oven must remain constant. Particular care is, therefore, dedicated to the insulation of the Vega oven and to the temperature regulation of its resistors. The resistors are oversized in order to reach operating temperature rapidly. Considerable improvements have been made as
Other cutting systems
The blade, working with a shearing effect, requires precise adjustment and is more difficult to maintain.
regards energy savings: the new generation of Vega ovens consumes 30% less than the previous version. Flow control technology enables the hot air to be directed only where it is required. Aluminium piping draws the air directly from the fan/resistor unit and directs it to the perforated side blowers for the heat shrinking of the pack, and to the channels underneath the conveyor mat for sealing purposes. The air blasts from the sides “swell” the film and shrinking commences, the excess film being distant from the walls of the container, thereby safeguarding against the forming of bunching or creases. Continuous research is underway with leading film manufacturers together with which increasingly finer films with different shrinkage coefficients relative to length and wide are being tested with a view to obtaining perfect aesthetic results.
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Figure 4 The basic units of the machine are produced in series and then customized on the basis of the client’s design
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OCME Secondary packaging
Vega, the fruit of over 20 years of packaging with heat shrink film
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he advent of the heat shrunk bundle revolutionized the approach of the consumer and of distributors to many products. OCME has made its own contribution to this technology, launching its first range of machines which offered flexibility levels never experienced before. OCME’s spirit of innovation and its constant commitment to the development of avant-garde solutions have enabled OCME technology to become a reference point also in the field of heat shrink wrapping systems. Let’s look at the Vega in detail Today, the Vega line comprises numerous models destined for the various requirements of the packaging industry, also including the Gemini series machines, innovative combis consisting of a wrap-around packer and a
Vega S/40 Shrink wrap packer
shrink wrap packer. The production speed range spans from medium to extremely high outputs; Vega and Gemini have numerous options and accessories that enable them to meet the specific requirements of each client. Vega and Gemini have undergone major improvements over the course of time with a view to maximizing performance and rationalizing size change and maintenance activities. OCME’s aim has always been to provide its clients with ever more efficient and flexible equipment. By this we mean the tools, technologies and professionalism to give us the leading edge in today’s constantly moving competitive markets. Each machine, each complete line, each activity undertaken by OCME represents the synthesis of a unique experience in the sector, as well as a way of working that focuses on the needs of the client.
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OCME Secondary packaging
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Figure 5 Detail of channelling with dual track and shaped guides specific for each product
Figure 6 Detail of film centring device
Figure 7 Detail of antistatic bars for the removal of electrostatic charges from the film
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Container infeed
It is of fundamental importance that the infeed be shaped in such a way that the containers cannot jam and so that changeover operations can be performed without any further adjustments being required. To this end, the Vega is equipped with solutions that render its mode of operation absolutely unique: it has shaped guides especially designed for all shapes of container, flow adjustment systems to avoid jerky stops and starts and a bridge breaker system that only comes into operation when a jam is detected.
Product selection
The aim is to select the number of containers according to requirements without dropping or damaging them, reducing, at the same time, the operations required for configuration changes. In the Vega systems, bottles (or containers) are separated thanks to two servomotors managed with high performance axis control. Size changeover is limited to the changing of the 4 pin bars only when the diameter of the container varies. For ultra-high speeds, dual product selection is employed in order to safeguard against products falling, especially in the case of unstable containers.
Unwinding device
Film tensioning
The purpose of this is to keep the film taut and create a circuit in which the unwound film can handle the sudden speed changes that normally take place during the production cycle. This is a simple system and the operator can fit the new film in the circuit with the greatest of ease. A pneumatic cylinder enables adjustment of film tensioning pressure when the reel is about to finish and no longer exerts the counterweight effect that it exerted when it was full. The same pneumatic cylinder facilitates lifting during the feeding phase of the new film.
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Automatic sealing
This optional device reduces idle time especially in highly automated systems in which the operator is responsible for supervising several machines. The operator has more time to dedicate to other activities between reel changing operations thanks to the automatic reel changing system. On fitting a new reel, simply place the end of the film in position and the machine will automatically splice the film and restart operations with the new reel when the end of the previous one is reached.
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Electrostatic charges
This device serves to feed the film, without tugging it, to the cutting system at the speed requested by the machine. Ocme has devised a variety of solutions, adapting them depending on the speed ranges. For medium-low speeds (40-60 cycles/minute) the cup on which the reel is fitted is controlled by a hydraulic brake. For high speeds (70-100 cycles/minute) the cup is controlled by an electromagnetic brake. For ultra-high speeds (from 100 to 150 cycles/minute) unwinding is carried out by a brushless motor which does not subject the film to stress.
Figure 8 Detail of reel holder expanding shaft
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Also in this case, different systems are used depending on the speed of the machine, in order to eliminate electrostatic charges and therefore prevent the film from sticking to itself or curling up. For up to 60 cycles/minute Kevlar brushes are used. Over 60 cycles/minute ionized antistatic rods are used.
Figure 9 Dancer with film tensioner with easy and practical insertion
Figure 10 Detail of dancer with dual track configuration
Figura 11 Detail of splicing device of automatic reel changing system
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OCME Secondary packaging
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Film cutting system
This system serves to cut the film cleanly and precisely at the speed required, always repeating the operation at the desired point, especially when pre-printed films are used. Depending on the speed, the Vega adopts different cut command systems. For up to 60 cycles/minute an electromagnetic clutch is used to activate cutting. The device controls the movement of the blade and counterblade which, in order to reduce stress and wear on the mechanism, are fitted on the elliptical pinions in order to ensure the smooth movement of the cutting cycle (initial speed low, acceleration during cutting and deceleration at the end of the cycle). For speeds of over 60 cycles/minute, the cutting device is pulled by a brushless motor fitted on a mobile tower positioned at the optimal point of the ramp in function of film length and machine speed. The mobile tower supporting the cutting device is positioned by a servomotor at the low speed film unwinding point. This enables cutting at the lowest speed point of the film.
Film winding system
This is a particularly delicate phase in which the film enters the upper part, threading its way between containers while the film winding bar takes the free end and completes the wrapping process before the pack enters the shrink oven. To optimize this phase, the Vega has an independent drive that regulates the speed of the film winding bar on the basis of the speed of the machine. Thanks to the brushless motor, an acceleration ramp is generated which handles the winding in a smooth, stress-free manner. To stop the film from slipping out of the bar during winding, tapes or striker brushes are used, depending on the speed of the machine. The film winder also has a special chain length recovery system which enables the unit to be adjusted for height so that products with different heights may be processed on the same machine, always using to the system’s potential to the best advantage (e.g. changeover from 0.33 lt can to 2 lt bottle).
Connecting belt Film feeding ramp
This is the system that feeds the newly cut film to the wrapping area. The film adheres and is kept taut as it goes up the ramp on a container with holes to which a vacuum has been applied.
The speed of the heat shrink tunnel must be fixed so as not to affect the quality of the packs: in order to ensure that each pack enters the oven at the right speed, the two sections of the machine are connected by a belt controlled by a brushless motor which guarantees a smooth transition The stability of each pack is safeguarded by an upper containment belt synchronized with the lower one so that the pack does not come apart and in order to avoid accidental falling of the containers.
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Figure 12 Diagram showing the pack wrapping and heat shrinking sequence
Figure 13 Feed tower and film cutting unit
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Figure 14 Upper stabilizer belt at the oven infeed area, helps guarantee the stability of the products
Figure 15 Film winding flight bar at adjustable height to suit all container heights
Figure 16 Resistor unit of heat shrink oven
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OCMESecondary packaging
The heat shrink oven, more compact, more efficient
Heat shrink oven The latest generation of heat shrink ovens – Vega – has been designed placing special emphasis on limiting consumption and improving quality. In the earlier versions, the heated air was injected inside the oven without any real flow control. The current design has been developed around the concept of hot air flow channelling. The result is a 30% reduction in consumption and better air flow management as only the required quantity of air is fed to the areas where it is indispensable. In fact, if we consider the diameter of the heat shrink tunnel, we see that the size of the passage is normally much larger than the dimensions of the bundle, so that larger size bundles can also transit through the tunnel. By means of the flow channelling system which conveys the air to the side partitions, the heat is directed only where it is needed for each size. In addition to advantages such as energy savings and better quality of the bundle, the mesh conveyor is not subjected to so much heating, and hence problems relating to the melting of plastic, dirt and maintenance are reduced as a result. To this end also the cooling system at the oven outfeed is also of major importance. This has a pair of fans installed in the upper part to stabilize the temperature of the pack as soon as it exits the oven - thereby ensuring that it does not come apart as it transits along the conveyor belts downline - and a pair of fans in the part underneath in order to cool the mesh of the oven conveyor mat. For better shrinkage and thermal efficiency the resistor units have been concentrated in boxes
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Full page figure Cross-section of the heat shrink oven, schematically indicating the internal air flow. The different colour of the arrows empirically indicates the air temperature at that position
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located close to the fans. The resistors are touched by the “cold” air which is drawn from the inside of the oven and then directed, by a nozzle, directly into the blowers. Temperature control is carried out on several interdependent sections inside the oven; variability is reduced to the minimum (±2°C) with a view to guaranteeing a constant temperature throughout the section. Temperatures are monitored by high precision probes. The oven resistors are made of Incoyl, a special oxidation-resistant material that helps maintain the resistors intact and free from perforations. With a view to prolonging the operating life of the resistors, we decided to increase the number of elements, while using a lower specific power. Accessibility for maintenance The oven has been designed to facilitate access to the resistor unit for maintenance and replacement operations. Currently, the resistors are located in the upper part in an easily accessible compartment; previously, they were fitted at the side, embedded inside the structure of the walls. Cleaning the mesh A metal roller brush ensures the removal of any plastic waste that, if subjected to heat, could lead to malfunctioning.
Phase 1 The product enters the heat shrink oven
Phase 2 Due to the effect of the air coming from the side blowers the film swells
Phase 3 Continuing along its path, increasingly more heat is applied to the film which starts to shrink
Phase 4 The bundle takes on its final shape in the final stage of its path
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OCME Secondary packaging
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Easy-open bundle With a view to obtaining easy-open bundles, a simple but efficient system has been developed, by means of which micro-perforations are made in the film prior to the container wrapping phase. The device makes perforations in the upper part, at the front and on the back of the pack without touching the part underneath, so as not to jeopardize the stability of the pack. This system has the following advantages: • it stimulates purchasing, orientating the consumer’s preference towards an easy-open pack as opposed to a normal pack; • it is an economical system that can also be installed on already existing machines; • the perforations do not affect the stability or graphics of the pack. Extension of blank magazine In the Vega versions with tray-former and layer pad, it is possible to increase the capacity of the blank magazine thanks to the addition of an extra magazine that doubles the capacity of the standard one. The device consists of a tabletop
Figure 17 Example of easy-open bundle
on which the operator places a row of blanks, a mechanical striker positioned by the operator him/herself in order to keep the blanks in position and a pusher that feeds the row to the standard magazine. Tray feeding from pallets The capacity of the blank magazine can be extended by a robotic system that picks up the blank directly from the pallet. The pallet arriving from the paper mill simply needs to be positioned on the conveyor belt by the forklift truck driver who duly removes the strapping, after which the machine operates entirely automatically for prolonged periods (autonomy varies on the basis of the speed of the machine, the capacity of the pallet conveyor and the thickness of the blank). The operator does not, therefore, have to manually lift piles of blanks which by the end of a shift can total up to various quintals of material to be handled. This device too can be incorporated in machines partially manned by the operator.
Figure 18 Additional blank magazine for extra autonomy and ease of loading
Figure 19 Gripper for picking up blanks directly from the pallet. Enables greater autonomy for the feeding of trays/layer pads.
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Size changeover Size changeover operations have been subjected to careful rationalization in an endeavour to adopt solutions that offer the best overall results. An electronic solution has therefore been developed, with a view to simplifying machine operation, reducing the number of components and eliminating potential problems. We decided to opt for a step-by-step guided procedure that can be carried out by a single person, even without special training (including temporary or seasonal workers) with easily identifiable parts and a colour coding system. Once automatic changeover has been performed, the Vega can resume production without any fine-tuning operations being required during the same as it is impossible to make a wrong adjustment or misinterpret the instructions. As an optional, the Vega may have a control PC installed in the machine which, among other things, also guides the operator through a procedure customized to the machine itself. In this way, it is much more simple to complete size changeover operations (even for unskilled operators), being sure to carry out the various operations in the correct order.
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Figures 20-23 Some devices for size changeover on the Vega
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OCME Secondary packaging
Vega, a range of heat shrink packaging solutions
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he Vega shrink wrap packer range includes the three families: Vega X, Vega S and Vega N, as well as the Gemini combined machines in which a shrink wrap packer works in line with an Altair series case packer. VEGA X A series of shrink wrap packers developed to cover a speed range of 20-30 cycles/min, singleor dual-track, with the capacity to process containers such as bottles, cans, jars, multipacks etc. in film only, film and layer pad, film, tray and stacked tray configurations. VEGA S The Vega S range has the capacity to cover speeds spanning from 40 to 60 cycles/min. Can operate in single, dual or triple track mode depending on bundle size, processing containers such as bottles, cans, jars, multipacks etc. in film only, layer pad, U-board and stacked tray configurations. VEGA N The N range covers speeds from 60 up to 150 cycles/min. It can operate in single, dual or triple track mode depending on bundle size, processing containers such as bottles, cans, jars, multi-
packs etc. in film only, layer pad, U-board, tray and stacked tray configurations. Gemini: combined wrap-around and shrink wrap packer The Gemini is the version that combines the functions of the Vega shrink wrap packers with those of the Altair series wrap-around packers. The use of this type of combined machine is mainly aimed at obtaining a flexible system with the capacity to supply various pack configurations on the same packaging line. With the Gemini machines, 4 main pack types may be obtained: • loose containers or multipacks in wrap-around cardboard; • loose containers or multipacks in trays without film; • loose containers or multipacks in trays with film; • multipacks (in bundles or cardboard) in film only packs. In the first 2 solutions, the oven and the wrapping system of the shrink wrap section are disabled while, in the second 2 solutions, they operate normally.
Packaging phase of 4 multipack bundles with heat shrink film on combined machine model Gemini
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Pack type
Speed (packs per min.)
Dimensions max. mm (l x h)
VEGA X • •
Film only
30
10176 x 2550
VEGA X F •
Film only Film and layer pad
30
10176 x 2550
VEGA X V •
Film only Film and layer pad Film and tray
30
12516 x 2550
VEGA X VA •
Trays without film
30
8630 x 2100
VEGA S 40 • • VEGA S 50 • • VEGA S 60 • •
Film only
from 40 to 180
13184 x 2550
VEGA S 40 F • VEGA S 50 F • VEGA S 60 F •
Film only Film and layer pad
40 50 60
VEGA S 40/V • VEGA S 50/V • VEGA S 60/V •
Film only Film and layer pad Film and tray
VEGA S 50 P • VEGA S 60 P •
Preformed trays
50 60
12784 x 2550
Trays without film
40 50 60
10072 x 2100
VEGA N 70 • • VEGA N 80 • • VEGA N 100 • • VEGA N 150 • •
Film only
from 70 to 450
16000 x 2550
VEGA N 70/F • VEGA N 80/F •
Film only Film and layer pad
70 80
13740 x 2550
VEGA N 70/V • VEGA N 80/V •
Film only Film and layer pad Film and tray
70 80
The VEGA range Mean output speed
High output speeds
VEGA S 40 VA • VEGA S 50 VA • VEGA S 60 VA •
40 50 60
13184 x 2550
16104 x 2550
Very high output speeds
VEGA N 100/V • VEGA N 120/V •
Film only Film and layer pad Film and tray
VEGA N 70 VA • VEGA N 80 VA • VEGA N 100 VA •
Trays without film
VEGA N 70 P • VEGA N 80 P •
100 120 70 80 100
13740 x 2550
18920 x 2550
10072 x 210
Film on trays
70 80
13340 x 2550
Cardboard boxes Trays without film Film and tray
40 50 60
21116 x 2550
Shrink wrap packer combined with wrap-around case packer GEMINI S 40 • GEMINI S 50 • GEMINI S 60 •
• All versions in the “film only” configuration are also available with dual and triple track applications • All models available with tray stacking device
Film Only
Film Only
Flatboard & Film
Tray & Film
Bottles
Cans
Bottles and cans
Bottles
Bottles
Cans
Bottles and cans
Bottles
Bottles
Cans
Bottles and cans
Bottles and cans
Bottles
Bottles and cans
Clusters
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High productivity and savings in production costs Efficient technology should not only be an expression of high performance but should, first and foremost, place at users’ disposal the production potential for which it was developed and today, more than ever, it should do so, while optimizing costs and resources.
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CME has worked on many fronts to guarantee a packaging system that is not only efficient but also able to meet cost control requirements. In the first place, many parts of the Vega have been re-designed to enable it to work with films that are increasingly finer and hence increasingly more economical. Secondly, progress has been on the maintenance front, particularly as regards the film cutting system which has been designed to have an extremely long operating life compared to competing solutions. Hence, in addition to fewer spare parts, it also guarantees a decrease in the periodical machine stops required for special maintenance; still with the same goal in mind, the heating elements of the oven have been modified to simplify access to and replacement of the same.
As already mentioned, OCME’s heat shrink technology offers, in its own right, several economic advantages compared to e.g. packaging in pressed cardboard multipacks. First of all, no royalties to be paid on the packs and the freedom to choose the supplier of the packaging materials, i.e. not being compelled to use the supplier of the system. Constant attention has been dedicated to the heat shrink oven, which has been continuously developed with a view to improving the quality of the bundles and guaranteeing maximum efficiency as regards the use of the energy required to operate it. This aspect affects not only the company’s production costs but also its ecological impact as a more rational use of motive power leads to reduced environmental pollution.
Configurations and packs available A
B
C
Film only [A, B]
This is the classical configuration dedicated to retail packs such as, for example, the 3x2 1,5 litre PET bottle packs, a format that is extremely widespread in the mineral water sector. Another typical retail pack is the multipack containing 33 cl. bottles or cans for which printed film is often used in order to render the pack more attractive. Over recent years, thanks to the improvement of technologies applied to heat shrink ovens and film manufacturing, the film only option has also been used to obtain wholesale packs which had previously required layer pads or trays to guarantee the stability of the pack. A typical example of this is the pack containing 24 33 cl. cans, on which blank and glue savings can now be made.
Film + layer pad [C]
This is the most economical solution for obtaining the wholesale pack: the layer pad provides stability to the pack which generally comprises several loose containers or multipacks. The machine can, however, if provision has been made to do so previously, produce film only formats.
Film + tray [D] or tray only [E]
D
Film + stacked tray [F]
E
In this case the wholesale pack is created by means of a blank, the sides of which are glued together to form a tray. Generally, the sides of the tray are used to advantage to advertise the brand of the product. In this case, the machine can also process film only, film plus layer pad and tray only formats.
This is an application dedicated to the pet food and canning industry. The machine is equipped with a continuous movement electronic stacking system (Patent pending) and has the capacity to process even poor quality blanks and trays thanks to its positive traction system. The oscillating belt system can process, in addition to tray packs, also multipacks without any kind of support. Size changeover is automatic and does not require the use of tools.
Wholesale pack with U-shaped layer pad
This is an economical alternative to the tray which allows savings on glue and blanks. The system, developed by Ocme, folds the layer pads in a precise manner, guaranteeing excellent resistance even at high speeds.
F
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OCME Secondary packaging
VEGA, a new marketing lever
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he improvements made in packaging technology and the refining of printing techniques have led to the production today of bundles with colourful, high quality graphics This aspect is extremely important for marketing departments, always on the look-out for new media and innovative solutions through which to communicate with consumers. Like all secondary packaging, the bundle has an extensive surface that can be used to convey the image of the product, a surface that is much larger than that offered by a label or by the surface of the product itself. Thanks to this, it is possible to produce more impactful graphics that are more easily recognizable and hence more attractive. Heat shrinkage quality also plays a fundamental role as it determines the degree of legibility of the advertising messages and naturally contributes to increasing the appeal of the product.
Another relevant aspect is that of the practicality of the bundle as a secondary container. In actual fact, without adding to the weight of products, an extremely stable pack is obtained, which is easy for the consumer to hold and lift; at the same time, the bundle meets distribution requirements thanks to the fact that even heavy, unstable containers such as 1,5 litre PET bottles can be left on the respective pallets. Both for containers of this type and for smaller bundles, this feature contributes to simplifying shelf filling activities guaranteeing a tidier point of sale, as individual primary containers falling over no longer presents a problem. OCME has enhanced the Vega to guarantee higher standards in terms of the aesthetic and functional quality of the bundle, with a view to supplying not only a packaging machine but a reliable, efficient and flexible resource with the aid of which clients can produce the development plans relative to their own brand and company.
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OCME Secondary packaging
Vega and environmental protection
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oday companies can no longer ignore the important ecological implications of their activity. Although this is partly an ethical consideration, it also has important commercial and economic implications. Increasingly more consumers are choosing companies sensitive to environmental protection issues. Moreover, it is important not to forget that the rational use of raw materials and energy is often associated with an immediate reduction in costs. Machines such as the Vega shrink wrap packer have been designed to meet the needs of companies sensitive to these issues. The re-designing of the heat shrink oven and the innovations leading to the use of increasingly thinner films are examples of how it is
possible to reduce the impact of industrial production on environmental resources through rationalization of technology. OCME has been committed for several years now to the OCME WorldCare project, a corporate plan aiming at education and proactive intervention in environmental protection issues through the segregated collection of waste and careful re-use of energy and raw materials in general. The principles of the project focus on raising the awareness of design engineers to issues such as environmental protection and dwindling resources. The aim is to make new series of systems the performance of which will develop hand in hand with the capacity to guarantee ecologically sustainable development.
Corporate environmental respect programme
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MOVING IDEAS
OCME UK Ltd. King John House, Kingsclere Park Kingsclere-Newbury Berkshire RG20 4SW (UK) Phone: +44-1635-298171 Fax: +44-1635-297936 e-mail: sales@ocme.co.uk OCME AMERICA CORPORATION 5300 N.W. 33rd Avenue, Suite 105 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 (USA) Phone : +1 – 954- 318 7446 Fax: +1-954-634 0238 e-mail: info@ocmeusa.com OCME FRANCE 42 avenue Montaigne 75008 Paris (France) Phone: +33 (0)2 32.32.20.47 Fax: +33 (0)1 53.01.31.51 e-mail: commercial@ocme.fr OCME Packaging Equipment (Jiaxing) Co. Ltd. Room 1507, 15th Floor, Fortune Plaza, Nr.527 Zhongshan West Road, 314001, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province (P.R.China) Phone: +86-573-3971680 Fax: +86-573-3971690 Web: http://www.ocme.cn e-mail: info@ocme.cn
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OCME S.r.l. Via del Popolo, 20/A 43100 Parma (Italy) Phone +39-0521-275111 Fax +39-0521-272924 e-mail: info@ocme.it
Our task, as suppliers of packaging technology, is not just to install a system, simply providing a solution for an immediate problem. We believe, rather, that our job is to supply a vision of the future of the packaging industry and to produce solutions that are ahead of their time. At least, this is what we have been doing since 1954. Since then, OCME has affirmed itself as a market leader at a world level. First and foremost in secondary packaging and, in particular in heat shrink packaging, OCME has been responsible for the development of what may be considered today as being milestones in the history of packaging. In this publication we are pleased to share our experience and our vision of secondary packaging. We describe the backdrop against which our Vega range of shrink wrap packers was developed. Speaking of OCME shrink wrap packers is not like speaking of any old machinery. Here we are speaking of the cream of the crop, high performance systems, ultra-high output systems, systems developed to form the very backbone of our clients production department. OCME has also worked on a crucial aspect which is becoming increasingly more important for the client: T.C. O., or Total Cost of Ownership. What we aim to do in this publication is to demonstrate how one of the best packaging systems in the world is also extremely cost-effective.
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OCME and secondary packaging