Multivac: end-to-end packaging solution

Multivac: end-to-end packaging… Multivac will present for the first time an automated end-to-end packaging line for industrial and consumer products in the non-food sector. Users benefit from the full integration of the line modules, the single uniform operator guidance and the opportunity of traceability marking.

Memory cards will be packed in thermoformed blisters on the Multivac packaging line to be shown in Nuremberg. This typical industrial product is produced and packaged for the end consumer in large volumes. As an electronic item, it requires particularly careful handling.

The thermoforming packaging line to be shown by Multivac fea-tures at its heart a R 535 high-end model, which offers a very wide range of equipment options. This means that the R 535 can be adapted almost without limit to individual requirements and many different applications. It offers a simple die change and easy access to the dies thanks to its innovative drawer system and electrically hinged dies. The machine has servo lifting units and is therefore very energy-efficient.

The memory cards are loaded automatically into the thermoformed cavities by the Multivac H 240 Multi-Robot handling module. The H 240 has two HR 460 four-axis robots, which can pick up the cards from every position at up to 240 pick & place cycles and can place them in an orientation. The H 240 is equipped for this with a Multivac MVS Vision System, which detects the orientation of the cards on the infeed conveyor. Despite its high performance, the Multi-Robot is particularly compact and space-saving.

A printed pre-cut card is loaded into the blister pack by a card loader from Buhmann Systems, before the packs are sealed with a flexible upper web.

The thermoforming packaging line is equipped with the latest marking and inspection systems from Multivac Marking & Inspection.

The MVS seal seam scanner checks the quality of the seal seams while the packs are in the packaging machine. Since the packs with their seal seams are held and guided very precisely after the sealing process, the quality of the image capture and seal seam inspection is higher than would be the case with a later inspection of the converged packs on the transport conveyor. The inspection is fully automatic, captures 100 percent of all packs and is performed without any contact, which means that it is wear-free. The new MVS is suitable for all film materials; at least one of the two films must be transparent.

Particularly in the case of industrial and consumer products, manufacturers must ensure seamless traceability of their products. This requires every pack to be individually labelled. Multivac has integrated a cross web labeller with printer unit into the thermoforming packaging line, and this is specially suited for serialisation and track & trace applications. The label dispensers of the labelling system are equipped with a so-called "Print Engine", which is fitted directly at the dispensing edge of the labeller. This means that the label is dispensed onto the pack immediately after printing. The cross web labeller is equipped with the HMI 2.0 user interface, which enables the labeller controls to be integrated in the machine control of the packaging machine.

The blister packs are converged and stacked at the end of the line by the H 50 handling module.

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