For the packaging of a new product, a globally active pharmaceutical company was looking for a concept that would allow different folding carton formats to be processed on one and the same production line. Part of the highly flexible turnkey line from machine manufacturer R.WEISS from Crailsheim is also the integration of a serialisation concept.
For decades, the experts at R.Weiss Verpackungstechnik, one of the leading German manufacturers of robot-based top-loading packaging machines In addition to the development of its robots, which are suspended from the top in the packaging cells, the company has consistently continued the development of its modular system for a wide range of packaging technology applications. These standardised modules form the basis for particularly flexible complete solutions for a wide range of applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, confectionery and bakery, food and non-food and chemical industries.
Other components such as serialisation and validation as well as the assumption of responsibility as a turnkey supplier for large and complex systems round off the company's range of services. The expertise of the packaging machine manufacturer and the absolutely flexible and modularly expandable UNIROB packaging solutions have also convinced this customer from the pharmaceutical industry across the board.
New product: customised solution
With the modular UNIROB system, the pharmacist found exactly this solution: a highly flexible packaging concept that could be individually tailored to his requirements from the standardised modular system modules. The requirement was to pack 300 products and 100 folding cartons per minute in several folding carton formats. GMP standards The focus was on a quick changeover of the line with minimum effort. Special requirements were also placed on quality assurance and serialisation.
Based on these requirements, R.Weiss has developed a unique Top-loading picker concept, which enables a completely independent product flow between the production and packaging line and could be perfectly adapted to the customer's spatial conditions thanks to its modular design. This was realised by integrating the proven R.Weiss transport module Intelligent Shuttle System (ISS), which was virtually predestined for this task.
Highly flexible: modular transport unit
The ISS transport module is a transport unit that enables completely independent transport of product and packaging within the entire packaging system.
The Folding carton blanks are set up directly in individual shuttles and transported to the respective downstream stations, such as the toploading area, laser coding, the capping module and labelling.
Another special feature of the ISS that particularly impressed the customer was its absolute intuitive user interface. About state-of-the-art Touchscreen HMI the operating personnel can determine the positioning of each individual shuttle. This allows products and packaging to be dispensed and picked up in any position.
Integrated or retrofitted: Serialisation module
The modular UNIROB system offers users the option of serialisation, including connection to ERP systems can be integrated into the R.WEISS packaging lines during the initial installation or simply retrofitted at a later date. In the broadest sense, serialisation can be seen as a module of the modular system. Especially in combination with the ISS shuttles, which are completely freely programmable and available at any position in the line, there are no limits to the serialisation, quality control and IPC possibilities.
Folding carton blanks: efficient erection
The modular line concept was also continued here: two identical UNIROB erector modules were designed in the system for the number of 100 folding cartons per minute to be erected. Each module has a very easily accessible and ergonomically loadable multiple magazine for the folding carton blanks.
The folding carton blanks are first glued and erected directly in the ISS shuttles positioned below using folding punches. The folding cartons are then transported by the ISS shuttles to the respective processes either together in a train or individually, depending on requirements.
Packaging and sealing: act quickly
Parallel to the erecting process, the products are fed chaotically to the packaging system via a picker belt. Camera systems The R.WEISS delta pickers are equipped with a device that records the positions of the individual tubular bags and forwards the data to the R.WEISS delta pickers. While the closing flaps of the cartons are held in place by a device, the delta pickers pick up the individual products using a multipick and place them in the Top-loading process into the folding cartons in.
The product flow fed in is controlled by four R.WEISS Delta Pickers processed, whereby the last delta picker with sufficient power reserve is used as the „last resort“ ensures that all products find their way into the folding cartons. The delta picker and the system are controlled together using a user-friendly control concept developed by the company based on a standard control system available on the market.
Once the folding cartons have been loaded, they are transported to the closing module by the ISS shuttle system. The lid flaps are sealed with Hot glue and sealed using a multi-head mould. They are then placed on a conveyor belt, which transports them to a labeller. In the next process step, the folding cartons run over a labeller. Checkweigher.
Case packers: bundle and allocate
The sealed and inspected folding boxes are then folded into a UNIROB case packer transported. A bypass is integrated upstream of the case packer, which combines the individual folding cartons into one Tension bander leads. Here they are bundled in different formations. These tightly banded units are then fed back into the case packer. Accordingly, the case packer is able to insert individual folding cartons and bundles of folding cartons into classic shipping cartons.
The shipping cartons are labelled for the different country regions using several labellers. The previous requirements for a quick and easy format change and serialisation with ERP connection were also implemented.
