Kliklok-Woodman Supplies Fully Automated Cartoner and Product Handling System

2022-11-28

BRISTOL, UK — Kliklok-Woodman has supplied a fully automatic end-load cartoning & product handling system to an American food producer, specialising in sweet and savoury bakery products.

Previously packed on a top-load cartoning line, this customer chose an end-load solution whilst retaining a special “top opening” feature on an endload carton. The customer’s factory space is long and narrow; therefore an in-line system was needed to make the most of the available space.

Due to the nature of the product – topped with chocolate, icing and sugar – the new “self-cleaning” Kliklok-Woodman Smooth IPTU, (Independent Product Transfer Unit) was chosen to eliminate any debris from contaminating the flat belts.

The fresh, trayed product arrives narrow side leading in a single lane. The SIPTU smoothly and positively transfers the trays into the KW Rotary Transfer System (RTS). This carousel unit has a series of locating arms to gently guide each tray and using a rotary motion, re-orientates the trays to become broadside leading on entry to the product in-feed conveyor of KW’s HSR end-load cartoner, capable of up to 250 cartons per minute. The trays are then inserted into the cartons and glue closed in a typical fashion.

A unique feature, developed by a specific request from the customer, is a “thrift marker”. The operative will identify a substandard product when it is between two identifying marks on the product in-feed conveyor by pressing a button. The button will trigger a light indicating that the button has been pressed. The signal will be stored in a shift register within the PLC of the HSR, and be used to signal a proprietary coder to inkjet a special mark to the top panel of the appropriate carton.

This automatic line will be installed at the bakery plant in New York, USA, alongside several other Kliklok-Woodman machines still efficiently running, some after more than 25 years.

About Kliklok-Woodman

Kliklok-Woodman is headquartered in Decatur, Georgia, USA with an international office in Bristol, England. KW offers complete solutions for primary packaging with flexible film or paperboard structures, as well as secondary packaging applications. The company’s product range includes systems for top-load, end-load and wraparound cartoning; vertical form-fill-seal bagmaking; weighing; and automatic product transfer/indexing. Kliklok-Woodman has been serving the global food industry for more than 50 years, with over 20,000 installations worldwide. Website: www.klikwood.com