Since Aldi invented the discount store in the 1960s, this type of retail outlet has really caught on. When it comes to the presentation of goods, less is more; the standardization and simplification of the range of products, spartan store decor and lack of goods presented on shelves have catapulted the food retailer from Essen in Germany to success all over the globe. Aldi has now been imitated many times over – and not just in food retail. More and more commercial enterprises are selling their products straight from the pallet – without their manufacturers having to abandon the pleasing designs and promotional messages aimed at attracting the consumer. The multiple benefits of this “art of omission” are obvious; less refuse and reduced space requirements mean lower costs.

This is where the display tray for multipacks and single containers scores in particular – a type of packaging KHS now offers the market in the form of its new DisplayPacker, presented for the first time this spring at Anuga FoodTec in Cologne, Germany. The Innopack Kisters DP DisplayPacker ensures perfect presentation and promotional positioning of products at the point of sale. It also provides plenty of extra convenience for the consumer, as individual containers can be directly and eas­ily removed.

Large safety doors on both sides of the packer provide a good view and easy access.
Large safety doors on both sides of the packer provide a good view and easy access.

Less waste, more time, more space

On the machine the cardboard tray is directly folded around the containers and glued together. Karl-Heinz Klumpe, product manager for packaging machines at KHS, explains what the advantages are. “Our machine folds the cardboard and the dots of adhesive applied during folding keep it in shape. With this method of production we produce a tray which is much more stable than if we placed the goods from above onto a tray which has already been glued. As no lids or film are needed, there is less waste for the retailer. Handling multipacks and large containers also saves time and space.” This not only applies to the beverage industry but also to the food and non-food sectors. “Manufacturers can also place information and messages for the consumer around the tray edge, which is between 60 and 250 mm high, thus perfectly presenting their products in the store.”

With Kisters technology as an industry standard and KHS ClearLine for an optimum user interface the DisplayPacker includes many established features which have been supplemented by state-of-the-art drive technol­ogy. “With its central drive the machine reacts flexibly to changing requirements. For example, an automatic shutdown function in the event of a fault prevents containers or the DisplayPacker from being damaged,” states Karl-Heinz Klumpe. “The further developed drive technology and the sensors on the machine ensure a long service life and especially gentle product handling.”

Large safety doors provide easy access to the machine and the open design facilitates cleaning. A large touchscreen with clear information and color graphic elements in the machine display enables intuitive operator prompting. The functional units are calibrated using defined mechanical reference points. Automatic sequential system lubrication assures a long machine service life, with all bearings lubricated for life. Thanks to the use of tried-and-tested control technology an optimum availability of spare parts and services is a given, as is the simple integration of the machine into existing customer systems.

The modular design also permits the machine to be adapted to suit varied and changing requirements – and this increases the security of investment.

Info

Technical data

Machine capacityUp to 25 cycles per minute
Product diameter65 to 120 mm
Product height58 to 370 mm
Pack length400 to 1,200 mm
Pack width400 to 800 mm
Blank length520 to 1,500 mm
Blank width520 to 1,000 mm
Tray edge height60 to 250 mm
Blanks dispenser700 to 1,800 blanks

The display tray in 5 steps

The Innopack Kisters DP DisplayPacker packs containers in up to five perfectly coordinated steps.

Step 2:

Product grouping and formation

In the grouping station containers measuring between 65 and 120 mm in diameter are collated to form nested, shifted or standard formations. This function is permanently monitored which prevents damage to the products and the machine.

Step 4:

Folding and gluing

The cardboard blanks for pallet sizes from a quarter to a euro pallet are folded tightly around the product groups with the utmost precision and can have either 45°, 90° or 45/60° corners. The length of the finished trays is automatically configured on format selection. The exact, speed-dependent, hot melt nozzle control ensures minimum glue consumption and durable adhesion. Even if the machines stops, no incorrectly glued trays are produced.

Your contact on this topic

Karl-Heinz Klumpe
packaging product manager
KHS GmbH, Kleve, Germany

Phone: +49 2821 503212
Email: karl-heinz.klumpe@khs.com