Wrap cans in environmentally friendly paper

The KHS Group has added another environmentally friendly solution to its portfolio. With its tried-and-tested Innopack Kisters tray packers, the systems supplier now also enables beverage and food cans to be wrapped in paper.

The technology is a Alternative to shrink film or to the Wrap-around carton. It offers identical results in terms of stability and reduces costs compared to cardboard due to the lower material and energy consumption. Existing machines can also be converted with minor adjustments.

The idea, Paper as secondary packaging is nothing new. KHS made its first attempts around 20 years ago. „At that time, however, the technology was not able to establish itself because the raw material paper was cost-intensive and wrapping with film delivered better results in terms of stability,“ explains KHS. Karl-Heinz Klumpe, Product Manager Packaging at KHS, explains. The beverage industry favours other solutions.

„Our customers now want alternatives to conventional packaging solutions such as film. These should be as environmentally friendly as possible.“ Karl-Heinz Klumpe, KHS Product Manager Packaging.

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Together with an international beverage manufacturer the paper wrap developed. This form of pack can replace shrink film or wrap-around cartons as transport and sales packaging for 12 or 24-pack containers - in the high-performance sector, for example, with a Output of up to 90,000 cans per hour.

Few process adjustments due to modular machine design

To wrap packs in paper instead of film, only a few adjustments need to be made to the Innopack Kisters tray packers already established on the market. „KHS is increasingly offering Modular solutions that enable and facilitate the corresponding conversions to the machines. In this case, we have only reworked the process module for folding and wrapping,“ explains Klumpe. „The standard components, such as separating trays from the magazine, gluing or can feeding, are identical to the hundreds of KHS machines that have already proven themselves on the market.“

This means that bottlers can use their existing Convert tray packers by customising individual modules a completely new investment is not necessary.

According to Klumpe, wrapping in paper offers numerous advantages over other materials. „On the one hand, it is more environmentally friendly than film, for example in terms of marine pollution. Paper disintegrates in nature after a few weeks.“ On the other hand reduces the use of packaging material.

Instead of a solid wrap-around carton or film packaging with tray, only a stable and flat corrugated cardboard sheet is required as a base when wrapping in thinner paper - with identical results in terms of stability.

In addition costs are reduced thanks to the new packaging - compared to a wrap-around carton by up to 15 per cent; compared to film, these are at a comparable level. The low energy consumption per hour of around 14 kWh at 80 cycles per minute also significantly reduces costs.

The folding process also means that the pack is completely sealed. „In contrast, film packs with small openings on the sides can allow dirt to penetrate. Paper in particular has Clear advantages for long transport routes to protect the containers,“ explains Klumpe.

Great interest from the beverage industry

Klumpe sees great potential for the new KHS technology. „When I think about how much food is filled into cans around the world, we offer a sensible alternative to conventional secondary packaging with paper wrapping. With our solution, we can make a significant Contributing to the reduction of plastic waste achieve.“ According to Klumpe, this recognises the efforts of the entire industry with regard to environmental protection. „But sustainability is also always a cost factor. We are combining both with this new approach.“

Source: KHS Group