The packaging genius

To be “First Choice in Technology and Service” is KHS’ ultimate goal – and the one that the company will again be honoring to the full at interpack 2014. The ­Innopack Kisters TSP packaging system on show at the KHS booth, for instance, is high-performance technology that is not only extremely flexible and saves considerably on re­sources but is also particularly cost effective in operation.

The tray shrink packer in the Advanced machine series is a real all-rounder when it comes to its multitude of pack and packaging options. The packer is modular in design and can therefore ideally cater to all future industry and consumer demands. Additional functional modules can be quickly and easily added to the machine if and when required. The innovative Advanced series also includes a whole host of further improvements right down the line, which we’d like to introduce you to in the following sections.

At a speed of up to 120 cycles per minute in one-lane operation, the ultramodern tray shrink packer (TSP) packages up to 7,200 packs per hour reliably, hygienically, and with the utmost precision. Its width enables operation on up to four lanes; trouble-free changeovers to all kinds of format can be made quickly and easily at any time.

The tray shrink packer provides a number of packing options:

• Trays and film
• trays only
• pads and film or
• film only.

The larger working width of the new design enables pack sizes of up to 80 x 41 cm to be created. The range of products to be packed is also practically inexhaustible; whether­ cans or bottles, containers made of glass, plastic (PET or HDPP), metal or cardboard, whether cylindrical or rectangular, as tall as a bottle or as flat as a can of sardines, whether loose or prepackaged, the new Innopack Kisters TSP does them all.

It’s also important to note here that the machine operators can change over to the required formats and capacity levels within a very short amount of time thanks to the centrally mounted guide rails. Electronic displays prompt the operator through the individual steps in the process, after which the machine reliably continues working with the new parameters after the briefest possible downtime.

The conveyor belt located above the folding and setting station saves time. When the packer is scheduled to produce shrink packs only, the belt is simply lowered at the press of a button. This takes just half the time required for the previous changeover process and one person is able to carry out the semi-automatic conversion alone.

The conveyor belts are automatically adjusted by pneumatic elements and thus reduce wear and maintenance. The machine is also extremely easy to inspect and as there are few spare parts only a minimum amount of time and materials are required when changing wear parts. Its well-engineered design with identical servo motors also simplifies spare part stockkeeping. The packer’s high standard of quality means that it has an availabil­ity of 98.5%.

A new feature of this machine is what are known as Fully Enclosed FilmPacks – i.e. shrink packs without bull’s eyes – are possible not only for cans and glass bottles, as in the past, but also for PET containers. This version decreases the consumption of materials by eliminating the need for trays and pads to stabilize the packs.

At the same time, high-precision film folding, cutting, and positioning by a completely new, sensor-driven web edge control unit reduces film widths to a minimum.Very thin shrink film can also be used.

These advantages are quickly reflected in a considerable reduction in operating costs. Precision control of the web edge alone through constant scanning and readjustment of the film position enables less material to be used, with the result that the user saves over 5% of the amount of material used to date. Applied to a period of one year this can easily yield a six-digit saving in euros.

Economizing on materials (film, trays/pads, and glue) of course not only helps to cut costs during production but is also of great benefit to the environment. This profits from the fact that less energy is consumed, for instance, such as during the film spreading process. Here, the compressed air used to spread the film at the diverter rails is no longer forced through many tiny holes but through a perforated basic frame covered with a microporous coating, forming a homogeneous air cushion on the outside. This reduces the compressed air consumption by up to 90%.

The use of KHS shrink tunnel technology with porous gas burners in place of conventional electric heaters enables the amount of energy consumed to be reduced by up to 50% and cuts CO₂ emissions by up to 60%. The optional energy-saving package with controlled tunnel chain cooling and standby operation offers further savings. These energy-reducing features have been certified by TÜV SÜD, an independent certification authority.

The Innopack Kisters TSP also boasts the new KHS ClearLine design whose definition of line is not only aestheti­cally pleasing but also meets very definite ergonomic specifications, which are meant to greatly ease the everyday tasks of operating personnel. The machine frame provides good visibility into the machine and the operating controls have been designed to eliminate the need for extensive training. Colored graphics, easy-to-remember icons, and interactive handling instructions shorten the familiarization period and also increase safety.

the benefits of the innovative Innopack Kisters TSP are obvious. Pioneering technical innovations yield substantial cost reductions at all levels and throughout the entire life cycle of the machinery, meaning that your investment quickly pays off:

• in the short term through an immediate decrease in material and energy costs
• in the medium term through low upkeep and maintenance requirements in the long term through the machine’s
• future-proof, robust design, which can cater to changes in demand without having to invest in new equipment.