KHS has expanded the Innopack Kisters Advanced series with a new packaging variant intended for the high-capacity segment. The BottleClip Carrier solution makes it possible to form stable multipacks of PET bottles using a cardboard carrying handle. The new option was presented in connection with Interpack and complements the existing machine series, which combines application flexibility, efficiency, ease of operation and progressively developed automation functions. According to the company, current market conditions for the packaging and beverage industries remain demanding. The key factors identified include geopolitical uncertainty, economic volatility, a shortage of skilled workers and growing regulatory requirements worldwide. According to Johannes Look, group team manager of Special Design Engineering at the KHS competence center in Kleve, the response to these challenges is intended to be a universally flexible system with a high degree of automation. "At present, the packaging and beverage industries are operating in a demanding market environment. In addition to geopolitical uncertainty and economic volatility, corporate strategic agendas are dominated by the acute shortage of qualified specialists and growing regulatory requirements worldwide."
New packaging option for PET bottles
At this year's Interpack trade fair in Düsseldorf, the company is presenting, among other things, the KHS Innopack Kisters TSP Advanced system. The machine, already established on the market, packs beverage cans and PET and glass bottles on trays, pads and in film. Following the functional extension, it can also create sustainable multipacks from PET bottles using the new BottleClip Carrier cardboard handle. Users can choose between formats comprising two, four, six or eight identical bottles, as well as mixed variety packs.
The solution is also intended to provide high flexibility in terms of the type of primary packaging. BottleClip Carrier is designed for PET bottles made either from virgin material or from material containing up to 100% recyclate. The system can also process lightweight containers. Output of multipacks with the alternative cardboard handle reaches up to 4,800 packs per hour.
Alternative to plastic handles
According to KHS, BottleClip Carrier is a future-proof alternative to conventional plastic handles, which are increasingly subject to regulatory restrictions in various parts of the world. Johannes Look points out that many countries have already introduced strict requirements regarding recycling and the use of recyclates, and some states completely ban certain packaging types such as plastic carrying rings. "Many countries already have strict requirements regarding recycling and the use of recyclate; some states even completely ban certain types of packaging, such as plastic carrying rings," Look explains.
The company also emphasizes the energy aspect of the new solution. The cardboard is applied to the PET bottles by a rotating application wheel operating continuously. This eliminates the need for energy-intensive process steps such as shrinking in a heat tunnel. "This gives our customers a significant economic benefit, especially in the context of high global energy and raw material costs," says Look.
According to information provided by the company, international interest in plastic-free packaging solutions such as BottleClip Carrier has increased markedly in recent years. The first KHS Innopack Kisters TSP Advanced equipped with the cardboard handle application option is to be supplied to the United States in the middle of the year.
Automation and ergonomic operation
The newly developed option is available for all standard models in the Advanced series. Existing machines can be retrofitted with this module, provided that certain technical requirements are met. This enables bottling plants to switch flexibly between different packaging variants depending on current demand. Operator-assisted format changeovers take only a few minutes.
KHS also highlights partly automated tool changeovers designed with an emphasis on ergonomics. As Look describes it, "The packer moves independently to an ergonomic position, allowing the operator to change the snap-closure tools with just a few manual adjustments." A similar approach was adopted for loading cardboard blanks. The blanks can be placed into the machine at a height that reduces strain on workers' backs. Once the material has been loaded, the machine prepares itself for operation automatically, without the need for further assistance, and production starts automatically.
