IWK Packaging Systems, Inc., a manufacturer of premium cartoning and tube filling equipment for the pharmaceuticals and health & beauty sectors, has introduced a pair of versatile vertical cartoners – one intermittent, one continuous – that provide premium cartoning capabilities at comparably cost-effective price points. Defined by modular extendability, high levels of positioning precision and fast changeovers, both machines are attractive options for pharma or personal care manufacturers cartoning a wide range of containers.
First, the VI 5 Vertical Cartoner is an intermittent motion machine with an open, accessible work area and a modularly extendable length that optimizes floorspace. Suitable for a wide array of containers including bottles, tubes, blister packs, jars, pouches and bags, the touchscreen-operated VI 5 can produce up to 75 cartons per minute, with a format range of 25-100mm long, 20-90mm wide and 50-230mm in height.
Among the VI 5’s key highlights is the ability to change formats exceptionally quickly. This functional versatility is aided by easy, repeatable changeover steps, a centralized transport height adjustment system, and carton buckets expediently exchangeable through a click system. No adjustment of rails is needed along curves, further expediting product switches.
The VI 5’s servo-driven, cam-guided transport system offers premium positioning precision. The basic machine comprises 22 carton carriers and a corresponding number of stations; optional transport system extensions can bring the total number of stations as high as 54. Other options, including a leaflet feeder and automatic product loading, also are available.
Meanwhile, IWK’s VC 5 Vertical Cartoner is a continuous motion module that can produce up to 120 cartons per minute. Like the VI 5, the VC 5 also features an open, ergonomic work area and an extendable length that optimizes its footprint. Easy to clean and touch-screen operated, the unit offers semi-automatic packing of a broad range of containers, including bottles, tubes, blister packs, jars, pouches and bags.
Like its sibling machine, the VC 5 can handle a format range of 25-100mm long, 20-90mm wide and 50-230mm in height. Exceedingly fast changeover is another commonality, as is exemplary positioning precision via its servo-driven, cam-guided transport system. The basic VC 5 contains 40 carton carriers and a corresponding number of stations, with extensions available to bring that total as high as 68. Other options include a leaflet feeder, automatic product loading, and a rejected carton compartment.
“Each of these new cartoners offers extraordinarily high levels of functionality at a surprisingly cost-effective price point,” said Bernie Conlon, Managing Director of IWK Packaging Systems, Inc. “Our goal was to make many of the best aspects of IWK cartoners – including handling versatility, precision positioning and modularity for evolving needs – available to a broader set of customers in the pharma and personal care products spaces.”
