How a cartoner works?
Horizontal cartoner or cartoning machine is designed to place various types of products in carton packaging. Cartoner often have the option to add additionally a user manual, leaflet or spoon into cartons packaging.
Known brands: Marchesini, Cam, Romaro promatic
Example of product to package: vials, blisters, syringes, soaps, tubes, food products, medicines, cosmetics…
Horizontal cartoner
Horizontal cartoners or cartoning machines are designed to place various types of products in carton packaging. Due to their substance or fragility, products require horizontal filling from the side of the carton.
Products to package are first placed on the conveyor of the machine. Cases are picked from the loading storage area located on the equipment.
Once formed, open cases are positioned on a feeding conveyor. This one operates continuously or intermittently and transports products to the filling area. Mechanically operated push-pieces guarantee the regular introduction of the products into cartons.
Some machines are able to automatically detect and reject a case if it is not it is non-compliant. The speed of horizontal cartoning machines depends of the type of box and product.
The enclosure of cartons is done through a glue system or by folding the retractable tabs / slots available on boxes pattern. Cartoners allow to work with many sizes and provide a quick and easy format switching.
There are several types of cartoning machines in the packaging industry in order to meet requirements and needs of companies:
– Horizontal manual cartoner. These machines close the carton by applying glue. The feeding and shaping of boxes is manually.
– Semi-automatic horizontal cartoning machine (continuous or intermittently). These cartoning machines form and close boxes by gluing the carton or snapping-in strips. Product introduction is done manually. Semi-automatic cartoners are multi-format. They are adaptable to a range sizes by simply adjust the digital position indicator located on the loading storage area of the machine.
– Automatic continuous or intermittent cartoning machine. This machine forms, fills and closes the carton through gluing or snap-in flaps automatically. The product is automatically introduced. The packaging is then automatically sealed and evacuated from the machine.
Vertical cartoner
Vertical cartoning machinery form, fill and seal carton packaging. Flat cartons are loaded vertically into a large-capacity storage space. The machine will then collect them one by one in order to shape them. The picking and forming of boxes is done by suction cups (frequent in the food industry) or by a system called “articulated blade” rather used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and perfume industry.
As soon as the packaging is unfolded and opened, the box is presented at the filling station and the product is introduced. On a vertical cartoner, the product can be inserted from the top in 2 ways:
– Automatic filling: the product is selected and introduced by a robotic arm and clamps or with a robotic system called “pick-and-place”. Filling can also be done through a multihead weigher, a screw feeder or by a counting system.
– Manual / semi-automatic: the operator places the product directly into boxes. This cartoning machine can vertically fill one or more products at the same time. However, in many cases, the product is manually introduced.
A vertical cartoning machine works as follows: unfolding, closing bottom part, product insertion, folding opening, sealing top part. Once filling is complete, the machine concludes by closing the case. The carton is closed by a glueing system or by folding the retractable tabs/slots. At the last station, boxes are evacuated by a conveyor system.
Vertical cartoners are rarely an integral part of a line. It is generally used in a separate unit to the rest of the process.
A cartoning machine can operate continuously or intermittently. Some machines are able to automatically reject non-compliant cartons. The latter will be expelled using a conveyor system.
Example of products to package: bulk products (powders, granules, cereals, pastilles, rice, dry pasta…), soft or rigid bags (biscuits), metal parts, bottles, vials,… products requiring top-filling of the case.
Buying used cartoners
Buying a second hand cartoning machine remains a high investment for some companies. Prices vary according to the condition, brand, location and year of manufacture of the machine. Osertech offers a large inventory of used industrial equipment in order to find best machinery opportunities.