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Shaping Up: Choosing the Right Machinery for a Unique Packaging Container
This article appeared in the September/October 2006 issue of Packaging Machinery Technology (PMT).
CHALLENGE: The oval shaped bottles that we use to package some of our gin and vodka brands are difficult for our packaging line to handle, causing jams and delays due to locking and shingling. How can we address this problem without sacrificing the distinctive bottles that our brand is known for?
SOLUTION: Replace outdated case packing equipment with a new system specially designed for unconventionally shaped containers.
The Shapira family founded our company, Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. in Bardstown, Ky. shortly after Prohibition ended in the United States, with the aim of producing and marketing Bourbon and premium American whiskeys. Since then, we have grown into the largest independent, family-owned producer and marketer of distilled spirits in the United States, ranking as the country’s seventh largest spirits supplier today.
Our diverse portfolio includes both domestically produced products, such as Evan Williams Bourbon and Christian Brothers Brandy, as well as a growing list of selected import brands from around the world, such as HPNOTIQ Liqueur and Isle of Jura Single Malt Scotch. Our brands are currently established in over 40 countries throughout Europe, Asia, the Pacific Rim, Central and South America, and we continue to distinguish our products by emphasizing unique characteristics, like extra aging, superior quality, innovative packaging and uncompromised craftsmanship.
We use distinctive oval bottles to package our Burnett’s Gin and Vodka, with the former in a well-known emerald hue. Although attractive and easy to handle for consumers, the oval bottles present some unique operational challenges. The rounded ends and tapered sides result in a tendency to overlap or “shingle” (crowd alongside each other) as bottles accumulate on our conveyor. As the bottles stop on the moving conveyor, the backpressure force of shingled bottles can create a wedge effect between bottles and guide rails resulting in a jam that requires operator intervention to get them moving again.
To deal with this problem, our operators were literally standing on top of our 25-year-old case packing system to manually push bottles through the conveyor. This was enormously inefficient, both in terms of manpower and productivity. Recognizing that the time had come to make a change, I headed to PACK EXPO International with six of my colleagues to find a more modern and effective case packaging solution.
At PACK EXPO, our buying team was able to discuss our production issues with a number of knowledgeable packaging experts. But when I visited the Standard-Knapp booth, I knew I had to look no further.
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| The rounded edges and tapered sides of Heaven Hill’s liquor bottles caused overlap. Versatron's APT technology pulls containers into place, rather than pushing with upstream bottle pressure. |
The company was exhibiting its new Versatron 939s APT case packer, which is specifically designed to handle nonround and unconventionally shaped containers—just like the ones we were using for our Burnett’s Gin and Vodka products. This equipment turned out to be a perfect fit.
Installing the Versatron 939s was easy, since we only needed minor adjustments to be made to our existing equipment. Standard-Knapp also worked closely with us to help get the system installed properly and running smoothly.
Once the new case packer was up and running, it provided several features that helped resolve our packaging dilemma, such as beaded lane guides that offer nearly zero side friction and robust mounting to prevent deflection. The system’s low pressure, low friction infeed automatically prevents our bottles from locking or shingling. In addition, the case packer’s Active Product Transport technology “pulls” our bottles into place, rather than “pushing” with upstream bottle pressure as other packers normally do.
This feature ensures that our bottles are transferred smoothly with pressureless product handling.
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| The new system's low pressure, low friction infeed automatically prevents bottles from locking or shingling. |
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Capable of reaching speeds up to 30 cases per minute, the new case packer has significantly increased the output of our packaging line, which could previously only handle 15-17 cases per minute.
The new equipment also allows our staff to switch between brands quickly and efficiently since it is designed for easy, tool-less changeover. And we don’t need to station two of our operators next to the case packer anymore to manually push bottles through to the packing head. This has freed up our staff to perform more strategic tasks in the plant.
So far, we’ve seen an enormous difference with the new system. Not only is it extremely user-friendly and easy to maintain, but it also offers a large amount of flexibility that helps us to streamline efficiencies. We expect a very positive return on investment from this purchase.
David Hobbs
Plant Manager
Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc.
Complete
data on the Versatron 939s APT case packer may be obtained by contacting Standard-Knapp
by phone at (860) 342-1100 or by email at info@standard-knapp.com.
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