Krones introduces new products

Krones Germany demonstrated the latest technological achievements in recent years at Drinktec 2005 in Munich, Germany. With an exhibition area of ​​more than 10,000 square meters, 23 sets of equipment were exhibited, which became the biggest highlight of Drinktec 2005, which enabled the global professional audience to re-know Krones.

During the expo, the reporter interviewed Ms. Danuta Kessler-Zieroth, spokesperson of Krones. She explained that Krones had already bid farewell to pure equipment manufacturing. In the traditional filling and packaging field, life cycle services and process technology were added. , information technology, internal logistics and factory design. Departed from the simple "steel and iron" to the "soft factors" that software solutions and intelligent service network progress. The main equipments exhibited at this expo are the latest products of the company, hoping to surprise the audience and feel a brand new Krones company.

Readers will be introduced to the new products that the company will exhibit at the show.

Integral production line Smart Line

Everything is changing, is the slogan of Krones. Only a small part of the structure of the future filling equipment is similar to the current production line. Decades ago, Krones company Mr. Müller Mühlde proposed an idea to form the bottling line as a whole, which is another step towards the future and is an important step.

Thoroughly innovative technology

A closer look at Krones' newly developed integrated production line shows that this technology has become a revolutionary step in the field of filling and packaging. This decisive innovation is to integrate the various platforms. For example, a blower/labeller or filler/box wrapper is connected via a dynamic buffer. This can be achieved through a very common, active bottle delivery method where the bottles are continuously spaced so that the user is presented with all the advantages of an integrated device. For example, the operation is simple. At the same time, the dynamic buffering device can eliminate the disadvantages of the mutual interference between the machines in the integrated device. As a result, the bottling line becomes a system equipped with a dynamic buffer module, which can compensate for the failure of a single device.

Active bottle operation in dynamic buffers

At that time, the basic idea was to develop a compact high-speed PET bottle device with a capacity of 60,000 bottles/hr, and it was hoped that the installation area would be significantly reduced, the supply and commissioning time would be shortened, and the cost-performance ratio would be further optimized for users through the design of the solution. Under normal circumstances, this program can be extended to any range of capabilities.

This advantageous bottle operation starts with a through-type heating furnace of the blowing machine and extends through the labeling machine until it reaches the filling machine. Through the dynamic, mechanical buffer system, the mechanical efficiency of the integrated equipment is optimized. The positioning and capacity adjustment of the buffer section and the additional equipment capacity adjustment system can shorten the delivery distance. At the same time, the device can cancel the air delivery device. In this way, it is possible to eliminate the drawbacks of the air flow delivery device itself, which mainly has to be adjusted according to different bottle shapes and diameters. In addition, for aseptic filling equipment, the air delivery device cannot achieve true sterility. In contrast, the operation of the buffer Acculink is completely independent of the shape and size of the bottle and is not affected by the quality of the preform, which must be taken into account by the air delivery device.

Buffer Acculink Hold Bottle Distance

The working principle of the buffer Acculink is as follows: An endless chain is laid in the passage between the outlet of one machine (for example, the blowing machine) and the inlet of the latter machine (for example, the labeling machine). The chain spirals around a horizontal axis. The skateboard system reverses the chain as needed to determine the length of the buffer section. For example, when the labeler drops capacity during the process of automatically replacing the standard roller, the length of the real bottle chain increases, and the dynamic buffer enters the bottle. After that, when the labeler runs at a short speed, the dynamic buffer starts to output. The difference between the blower and the labeler is compensated by the real bottle chain length adjustment device.

This Acculink buffer is mounted horizontally, requiring only a small footprint in the device. The bottle is delivered through the bottleneck ring. The bottles are removed from the blower's buffer Acculink by the transfer starwheel while maintaining a certain distance from each other. At the same bottle distance, another transfer starwheel is fed into the labeler. There is very little contact between the bottle and the bottle, which is similar to the condition of the bottle and the guide rail in the conventional air flow delivery. With this gentle bottle operation, scratches are completely avoided.

This bottleneck gripping mode makes the delivery independent of the quality and shape of the preform and also the shape and size of the bottle. In order to take full advantage of the different bearing diameters, adjustable necking chucks can be used.

10m2 area forms a 2 minute buffer time

The energy consumption of the buffer Acculink is very low, which is also obvious. The chain is driven by only two motors, one at the blower's outlet and one at the labeler's entrance. Chains of at least 140 meters in length operate on the principle of roller friction and require only two servomotors. For this, if you want to achieve a similar buffering capacity, the air flow needs 15 to 20 sets of motors that are twice as large. In addition, the buffer's chain absolutely does not require maintenance and CIP scrubbing is possible.

Other advantages: In an area of ​​only 10 square meters, a buffer time of 2 minutes can be achieved. The reason is that this is a dynamic buffer system. Unlike airflow delivery, it does not need to complete the delivery task, but only creates a buffering capacity when needed.

Integral production line reduces floor space by 45%

Due to the significant reduction in the buffer area, the overall floor space of the overall production line is reduced by 45% compared with the conventional production line. For example, for a 60,000 bottle/hour 0.5-liter disposable PET bottle production line, a conventional production line would need to occupy an area of ​​1750 square meters and an integrated production line would only need about 960 square meters.

Empty bottle labeling with bottleneck clamping

In the integrated production line, bottles are bottled in a Contiro 11 labeler with a bottle neck. At the front desk, the bottle is sent to the bottle fitment where low-pressure air is blown through the back pressure plate to stabilize the labeling process. When the empty space occurs due to lack of bottles, the labeling station Contiro11 quickly detached, which is also a new invention, can be achieved without loss of trademark during operation.

Just two operators

In addition to the smaller floor space and lower energy consumption, the integrated production line has another cost advantage: By optimizing the equipment layout, the entire production line requires only two operators. In addition, through the modularized standard station structure, the shortest processing cycle, in-plant acceptance, and quick installation and commissioning are achieved - just by eliminating the installation of conveyor belts, significant time can be saved.

Labeler Contiroll HS

Roll-up ring body labeling equipment with a maximum capacity of 67,500 bottles/hr.

Krones has increased the reel-type labeling capacity to 67,500 bottles per hour with the newly developed Contiroll HS high-speed labeler, which dwarfs all machines. In the future, even a high-speed filling line can use only one Contiroll HS high-speed labeler to meet all production needs. In other words, the second Contiroll station is no longer needed.

Thin film disk and cutting unit servo system

The new drive system of the film disc and cutting unit makes this high speed possible. In the thin film disc supporting the index, the servo drive is used instead of the usual eddy current brake. The servo drive can be started immediately, quickly delaying the rotation of the label. . In addition, the new cutting device also uses an independent servo motor.

A standard station for all lengths of trademarks

Simply by (quickly) changing the vacuum cylinder without the claws, different container diameters and production capacities can be achieved on the same machine. With the same speed and different vacuum cylinder strokes, the Contiroll HS high speed labeler can achieve a capacity of 22,500 bottles/hour to 67,500 bottles/hour. The corresponding trademark length ranges from 240 millimeters to a maximum of 600 millimeters.

Converting from one container to another can be done in about 10 minutes. In addition to the use of cheaper paper labels, Krones' Contiroll HS high-speed labeler can also perform automatic labeling of different films.

Integrating different trademark lengths and equipment capabilities on the same station, this new concept is the decisive advantage of the Contiroll HS high speed labeler.

Like lightning, no trademark loss labeling

The newly developed labeler Contiroll HS is very fast, so it is called "HS" (high speed). Once no bottle has entered the labeling station, its response is also very fast. If for some reason the blow moulder does not insert a bottle in a bottle position, an empty space is created. According to the traditional labeling technology, the machine will also send a trademark, causing operational failures. At speeds of up to 40,000 bottles/hour, the labelling machine Contiroll HS is able to respond quickly and does not convey the mark to the open position.

In this regard, the labeler Contiroll HS does not occupy too long a time. At a rate of 40,000 bottles per hour, the “missing mark” is only equivalent to a pause of 0.09 seconds.