Flexibility and Performance – The End of Line Marked ‘ACMI’
ACMI project managed and installed at the French based Coca-Cola group in Socx-Bergues, a completely automatic end-of-line system to handle a number of different packaging solutions. Such a solution is only possible thanks to the flexibility and efficiency of the palletising and stretch wrapping system projected by ACMI.
Palletising Group
ACMI installed at the CCE factory a mixed type of palletising system, which allows the handling of both packs and trays with bulk bottles on the same machine. The machine, or better still the system focuses on the palletising robot system Condor P136. The machine is fed on one side by an automatic bulk bottle channeling system and on the other by the Twisterbox continuous layer formation system. The bulk bottle channeling system is equipped with a pressureless system and special guides which maintain the integrity of the product being handled along with the label. Seeing that the Condor robot is equipped with an automatic head changeover system, the format changeover times are extremely rapid and simplified along with the function of the operator.
Trays with bulk bottles.
From the same touch-screen panel the operator can manage both the Twisterbox functions along with the format changeover functions without any mechanical intervention. This type of operational function which characterises the packaging systems projected by ACMI, represents an advantage for all those customers such as the Coca-Cola group, who need to reduce to a minimum or better still eliminate the requirement of any operator intervention thus favor a highly automated system which guarantees a high level of line efficiency.
Twisterbox System
The Twisterbox continuous layer formation system is one of the principle components of the ACMI end-of-line systems, and it represents the top of its product range: speed, performance, flexibility, precision and reduced maintenance are its points of strength. The system projected by ACMI, is one of a kind in its range, it is capable of handling with high efficiency even small unstable packs (2×2 or 3×2 configurations) without the need of any over packing, which substantially reduces packaging costs.
Wrapping
Rocket pallet stretch wrapper.
At the Socx-Bergues factory two innovative rotating table pallet stretch wrappers of the Rocket series were installed. These stretchwrappers have been constructed with SCARA robotic technology, a type of technology skillfully used by ACMI in the packaging sector which allowed excellent results to be obtained in terms of performance, maintenance and simplicity of use. The Rocket stretch wrapper works with a spool reel height of 1000 mm and is equipped with a hermetic “waterproof” system. The machine reaches very high speeds thanks to a completely electronic pre-stretching system which perfectly handles the elasticity of the film. This innovative system can achieve speeds of 400%, if the film consents it, guaranteeing excellent containment of the pallet thanks to the perfect handling of the plastic phase of the extensible material. In the Coca Cola factory the two pallet stretch wrappers absorb a production of 36.000 bottles per hour (at the filler) handling full pallets or half pallets with half trays in cartons. In order to guarantee the maximum productivity, both machines were equipped with an automatic pre-stretching group changeover system, which apart from simplifying the operators function also improves the overall efficiency of the line as it allows the machine to pass from one pre-stretching group to another in a completely automatic manner.
