Can achieve speeds of up to 120 PPM
Provides interposing delivery of pouches from a product filling station to a ‘pouch-in-a-box’ cartoner
Captures improperly gapped product and re-releases it into a merge section, providing the required gap at merge discharge
Allows product to pass from the upstream to the downstream modules only when a photoeye indicates that the module immediately downstream is empty
Kraken’s 2 to 1 Merge System provides interposing delivery of pouches from a product filling station to a ‘pouch-in-a-box’ cartoner.
The 2 to 1 Merge System accepts filled, open, narrow-edge-leading pouches from the upstream tube handling/conveying system. The pouches are conveyed to the Pouch-in-Box Cartoner via two parallel 30 PPM streams (together, a 60 PPM rate).
The system conveys the cartons from the Tube Handling to the Index and Merge Unit via a lower conveyor, where staging occurs to match carton delivery to merged pouch delivery (number of pouches merged depends on number of pouches to pack into each carton).
The merged pouches are packed to the carton, which then shuttles downstream to the carton top close system.
The benefit of a Product Merge system is this: upstream systems may not deliver product in a repeatable, gapped format. Kraken’s 2 to 1 Merge System provides that missing staging by capturing improperly gapped product and re-releasing it into a merge section, providing the required gap at merge discharge.
Tabletop conveyors transport cartons and product pouches (or tubes) between the tube handling systems and the infeed indexing modules. Conveyor systems are segregated to suit the required product inflow speeds and gapping requirements, and are usually comprised of two parallel lanes. Carton conveyors are mounted under product conveyors to allow product to be merged simply and effectively.
All conveyors can also be configured to change elevations to transport under and around dry-room access platforms.
Two parallel lanes are configured with four staging modules. The aluminum frame is guarded by panels over motorized and belt transmission areas to prevent personnel injury. An overhead structure supports and houses photosensors used to detect pouches, one per stage.
The Staging module utilizes regularly-spaced o-rings in grooved shafts to act as the main transport surface for pouched product.
Each of four identical staging modules allows product to pass from the upstream to the downstream modules only when a photoeye, in conjunction with a pre-programmed algorithm, indicates that the module immediately downstream is empty. If not, product is slowed or stopped until all of the necessary conditions have been met. In this way, the system ensures error-free packaging by eliminating empty or over-stuffed cartons.
The merge conveyor module accepts product (pouches) released by the 2-lane x 4-stage indexing infeed and guides them towards the center discharge conveyor. The Merge Conveyor is equipped with sensors that detect carton jams and accumulated (backed-up) product between the Bag-in-Box Cartoner and the downstream Carton Closer.
See more of our available Conveyor Merge Systems.
