Safe, quick and reliable Universal cartoning machines for diverse product combinations

The packaging of pharmaceuticals must fulfil growing requirements.The focus lies onformats that are optimally adapted to each product, an attractive androbust design as well as high safety standards. Folding cartons provide an ideal and creative solution for demanding packaging.

However, not every folding carton is the same, as the specialists from Bosch Packaging Technology know from over 60 years of secondary packaging experience. Instead of using a separate cartoning machine for every primary packaging material, Bosch banks onuniversal machines, which can be flexibly used withdifferent in-feed systems –as the new cartoning machine CUT 1405successfullydemonstrates.  The packaging industry is growing – and the same applies to the demand for economic packaging machines.

The challenge for secondary packaging lies in quick changes between different products and product combinations, which require flexible packaging solutions depending on the packaged goods. Safety, speed and reliability are the most decisive characteristics. This is why the horizontal cartoning machines from Bosch are based on a universal platform. Customers are able to safely and gently package the required amount and combination of products into cartonsusing the same cartoning machine. This includes diverse primary packaging such as bottles, vials, syringes, ampoules, tubes, blisters and trays as well as bags, stick packs and sachets.

The carton size can be variably used and individually adapted to the primary packaging, so that a 20 gram tube as well as a 750 milliliter bottle can be packaged into their according folding carton.This flexibility requires alarge format rangeand a modularmachine construction, complemented by the respective in-feed solutions. Just like all cartoning machines from Bosch, the new CUT 1405 can be equipped with in-feed systemstailored exactly to the specific primary packaging materials.

The systems are optimally adjusted to the individual product and the complete format spectrum of eachmachine.A star wheel with control wheel, for instance feeds round, oval and square glass containersinto the cartoning machine at high speeds, while an especially gentle system consisting of two star wheels facing each other at a 45 degree angle is particularly suited for ampoules. The new universal blister in-feed system, in turn, feeds blister staplesinto intermittent or continuous cartoning machines. The largein-feed portfolio is complementedbya compact and space-saving tubein-feed.This allows customers to change formats appropriately for each product. Inserts for individual and combination products can also be integrated into the modular in-feed.

Universal cartoning machines are not only more cost-efficient,they also offer a space-saving alternative for companies with little spatial capacities.  Functional and safe No matter which product combination should be packaged, a safe and practical product handling is of paramount importance.

Therefore, the horizontal cartoning machines from Bosch are available with different and flexibly exchangeable sealing variations for each packaging type, for instance tuck-in flaps for easy opening and closing, glue and safety closures as well as combination closures. Serialization, aggregation and Tamper Evident modules complying with current regulations and safety standards provideadditional safety.To prevent manipulation, the side flaps of the folding carton can either be sealed from the top or bottom or alternatively closed and secured with a label.

Appropriate Track &Trace solutionsmake it possible to integrate printing, verification, labelling and IT systems into both new and existing product and packaging lines. CPS (Carton Printing System) modules with Tamper Evidentlabelers, for instance,print up to 300 folding cartons per minute and additionally applysafety seals. Serialization and aggregation are particularly demanding for IT departments. To provide the packaging with an individual serial number, the packaging machine must be integrated into the serialization process.

Therefore, the Track &Trace solution from Bosch is based on a generic, object-orientated software platform, which can be easily integrated into the process of packaging lines.  Proven CUT cartoning concept For more than 60 years, Bosch has continuously developed its machine portfolio.

This expertise is underlined by the supply of over 10,000 secondary packaging machines. The high-performance continuous series such as the mechanical CUK seriesor the servo technology-based CUC seriesare especiallysuited for sensitive primary packaging materials and achieve an output of up to 400 folding cartons per minute.For smaller volumes, Bosch also provides the corresponding machines, such as the CUT series. With the CUT series, Bosch has developed a horizontal cartoning machine based on servo technology, which can be used for a wide range of applications.

The cGMP-compliant machine design and the patented intermittent transportsystem, which allows a stable transport of the folding cartons through the machine, account for best results.More than150 customers worldwide use the CUT 120 in a variety of application fields. The newly developed horizontal cartoning machine CUT 1405 builds on this success. It was consequentlyupgraded in regard to sensor, software, servo and safety technology. The patented conveyor systemof the CUT 1405 transports the folding carton particularly gently through the machine and achieves an optimum packaging result.

The new conveyor technology of the folding carton magazine prevents the cartons from getting caught and ensures smooth processes. Quick and precise format changes for different products are key to universal machines. Just like the entire cartoning portfolio, the CUT 1405 can also be equipped with several package good in-feeds – the main prerequisite for a flexible usage. As the system individually saves all format data and product parameters, it allows for quickand HMI-guided (Human Machine Interface) product changeovers.

Onlythose positions that must be changed are displayed,ensuring a better overview of format lists as well as quick changeover and restarting times of the system.Error messages that are displayed on the HMI can be quickly localized and easily eliminated using the automatic troubleshooting guide. Machine operators can access all data at any time via the HMI, which is password-protected against unauthorized access. From an idea to a customer line Every packaging line is as individual as the productsit packages. It comprises factors such as carton design, type and amount of products, as well as industry requirements and safety standards.

Bosch Packaging Technology supports its customers from the very beginning by planning, developing and implementing tailored lines for the respective primarypackaging materials. The focus of every project first of all lies on the products to be packaged, such as a tray with syringes, two glass bottles with leaflets or ten folding cartons in a further box. Depending on the requirements, individual, multiple or combination packages are used. Bosch supports its customers in the development of the adequate packaging type and recommends optimal and economic solutions.

Equipped with the respective in-feed system and combined with up-and downstream machines, these projects result in flexible line concepts. For example, a labelled vial is fed into the cartoning machine and combined withan ampoule, which isaddedby a second in-feed system. A leaflet and a package insert are also added to the folding carton. Once they have been packaged and sealed, the cartonsare coded with a Track &Trace systemaccording to current regulations. If required, the line can also bundle several cartonsinto one overall caseat the end of the process.

Contact :Daniel Sanwald
Bosch Packaging Technology
Product manager cartoning machines
Phone: +49 711 811 57319
Email: daniel.sanwald@bosch.com