The new Innopack Kisters Wraparound Shrink Paper Packer Advanced, or WSPP A for short, from KHS packs beverage cans flexibly in cardboard, paper or film.
At the beginning of 2020, KHS presented a machine that wraps beverage cans in paper for the first time. It turned out that most of the potential users did not like the Wrapping in paper as an additional, new option for packaging their products. „Right from the start, we had a lot of requests for machines that could process both paper and film,“ explains Ernst van Wickeren, Product Manager Packaging at KHS.
„These are often bottlers who Premium products as well as more affordable beverage variants. The high-quality products will then be wrapped in paper, while the containers in the lower price segment will be held together with shrink film.“
Although paper as a packaging material is still a novelty in the beverage market, it is still a favourite with bottlers. to great interest. „Many of our customers who offer organic drinks, for example, also want to convey the ecological concept with their packaging - and are thus meeting a rapidly growing consumer need.“
New can packer offers a wide range of packaging options
Within a very short space of time, KHS has further developed an existing machine to give the beverage industry full flexibility in secondary packaging. By adding a new function, a packer has been created whose possibilities are as extensive as its name is long: the Innopack Kisters Wraparound Shrink Paper Packer Advanced, WSPP A for short.
With its combination of different process modules, the line-compatible machine can process three different types of secondary packaging: Wraparound cardboard, where the container is enclosed in cardboard, Tray with or without wrapping made of paper or shrink film, and Cardboard panel, also known as a pad, wrapped in paper or shrink film.
Simple retrofitting thanks to modular design
This diversity is made possible by the generally modular structure of the Innopack Kisters Advanced packaging machines. For example, it also allows an existing Innopack Kisters wraparound shrink packer (WSP) or an Innopack Kisters wraparound paper packer (WPP) to be upgraded to a WSPP A.
From a technical perspective, the new paper wrapping function primarily required adjustments to the previous film wrapping module and a New module for folding and gluing the paper necessary. The unwinding and cutting unit previously used for shrink film was therefore equipped with a connecting unit for paper and film. This part of the machine also applies the hot melt from below and tightens the paper. These functions are deactivated when processing shrink film.
Suitable for every need
In the new folding module, folding tools take over the precise and tight folding and straightening of the paper on the sides of the pack. The Separate KHS InnoHotMelt application ensures flawless glue application with its needle seat valves.
The shrink tunnel can be customised and scores points for its low energy consumption. As a further option, a gas heating system can be used here, which reduces energy costs by up to 50 per cent and reduces CO2-emissions by up to 60 per cent.
If paper is used instead of film, the machine transports the finished packs through the switched-off shrink tunnel. If the film packaging is to be completely omitted in favour of paper wrapping, the completely dispensed with the shrink tunnel can be used. The machine is then no longer than a previous packer in terms of its spatial extension.
„Once the modules have been installed, changing from paper to film requires not only the standard format changes No conversions“, emphasises van Wickeren. „Only the packaging material needs to be replaced and the hot melt units need to be commissioned in good time so that they are ready for use when production starts.“
SourceKHS : KHS
