Advancements in Case Packing

Scott Williams, Northwest Sales Manager, BluePrint Automation (BPA). 

What recent advancements have you seen in case packers?

There have been quite a few advancements in case packing recently. One advancement I am seeing more of is the use of different style robots working together to create new case packing equipment like the BPA Spider 300v which uses delta style robots to load directly to cases for horizontal patterns or the delta can pattern form the product onto a belt and then use an articulating robot to collect and load vertical patterns into cases. Another example is the BPA Spider 200i which combines a delta robot with and integrated robotic case erector to pack snack bags vertically into cases.

How do these advanced systems compare to the existing standard equipment?

More flexibility, less change parts, smaller footprints!  Standard case packing equipment on the market today still has its niche and fits some applications very well. However, the progress being made with the newer styles of case packing equipment deliver some strong advantages that shouldn’t be ignored. Newer styles of case packers fit into smaller footprints, have a wider array of product and patterns they can pack with less change parts, and require less operator intervention.

What are the benefits of these advancements for packaging machinery buyers/users?

Less operator intervention, more uptime, fit into existing plants and can do more with one machine.  As mentioned previously, these advancements increase the flexibility of the case packing equipment. Allowing users to pack a variety of products and patterns, going into multiple styles of cases, whether they be vertically or horizontally packed, all while fitting into a smaller footprint and having less change parts.

What areas in case packing still need work and why?

More automated change overs, increased flexibility and ease of use.  We at BPA are always searching for ways to improve upon our existing equipment or create something totally new that changes the pre-conceived notion of the way things should or have been done in the past. Some areas we see opportunity for improvement with regards to case packing is increasing the ease of use of the case packers through reducing the amount of spare parts needed, having more automated changeover capabilities, and creating a user experience that is simple and easy to operate.

What’s next and when might we see further improvements in case packers?

Industry 4.0 and remote monitoring.  We are seeing a push to have increased monitoring of systems within our portfolio. Industry 4.0 is still a buzz word we hear a lot and are working to provide even more data and integration than we have before. Customers are asking for case packers to have machine to machine communication and provide data back in real time allowing manufacturers to connect in an environment of data, processes, services, systems and IoT-enabled assets, while monitoring them from anywhere in the world.