Handled with care
It is hard to resist the appeal of glass: the material combines many attributes that make for outstanding packaging, not least due to its shiny finish and firm structure. No wonder beverage manufacturers rely on it to market premium drinks like champagne, sparkling wine and spirits. As versatile as glass is, as demanding it proves during packaging operations. Robot-based systems help manufacturers meet several requirements at once in a highly flexible manner – and on limited floor space.
Author: Markus Vogelmann, Sales Account Manager, Gerhard Schubert GmbH
Whoever has served champagne or other fine beverages has, in many cases, handled true design objects. Manufacturers take pride in developing product packaging with a premium touch, from the colour and shape of the bottles to artfully crafted labels and lavishly decorated secondary packaging. The bottles themselves, as well as sleeves or cases, need to be carefully handled to prevent glass breakage and damage to the secondary packaging. This proves vital not only for marketing reasons: defective packaging could potentially affect the beverages and consumer health.
As if that were not enough, consumer preferences and market trends are pushing manufacturers to reinvent their packaging constantly, whether in terms of materials, pack, or bottle sizes. Premium consumers, for instance, increasingly demand eco-friendly packaging, including recyclable materials, lightweight glass, or sustainable production methods[1]. Besides distinctive, artisanal packaging that tells a story, they also favour small-batch, limited releases that create exclusivity[2].
Standing out at the point of sale requires manufacturers not only to use refillable bottles or biodegradable labels, but to package products differently within short times. Consequently, large packaging lines are increasingly being replaced by more compact and highly versatile systems designed for small batches. This is particularly true given that limited floor space and tight budgets call for economically viable solutions.
Following the call of automation
Manufacturers rely on largely automated processes for another key reason: these systems alone can deliver the consistent results, precise operations, and high flexibility that are required in today’s dynamic market environment. What better strategy could there be than to include handling robots? They can be programmed to execute each movement with great care at high speeds — two seemingly paradoxical aspects that can be reconciled.
Take bottle handling, for instance: avoiding damage to the glass containers or secondary packaging calls for customized gripping and placing processes, since no two bottles are the same. The print-finished label and the high-quality glass body of hefty champagne bottles, for instance, put high demands on manufacturers. The bottles are filled, capped, labelled, and correctly orientated in the pre-grouping section of a given system. After grouping in the desired batch size and formation, SCARA-type robots like Schubert’s F4 make sure the bottles reach their already erected cases in an impeccable state: the robots pick up the bottles individually, tilt them 90 degrees horizontally and place the items into carton inserts.
What makes this process step special is the picking and placing technique itself. Robots pick the bottles via suction tools that avoid touching the belly or neck label. In this way, the precious glass surfaces are not scratched or otherwise damaged during the packaging process. The suction surface of the F4 robots’ tools achieves this thanks to a customized design: many grippers or suction tools can be precisely configured and printed using additive manufacturing processes like Selective Laser Melting (SLM). Advanced techniques like 3D printing allow manufacturers to create ideal production conditions for a specific type of packaging or product.
Catering to consumption trends
However, beverage packaging is influenced by more than just safety considerations. Manufacturers diversify their product range to appeal to changing consumer tastes. Packaging variants may include everything from individual bottles to larger bundles in wrap-around cartons for transport, with bottles packed either upright or horizontally.
Mixpacks containing different products of the same brand fall into this category and are popular among beverage manufacturers who want to give their consumers a taste of their portfolio. So is carton packaging that serves as an alternative to shrink-wrap film: eco-conscious manufacturers increasingly reduce the amount of the flexible material, preferring full-carton packaging instead.
No matter which option manufacturers choose, they need the flexibility to quickly change packaging formats and handling tools if the need arises, and to reliably create assortments like the ones mentioned above. Co-packers in particular are in search of versatile line layouts, as they pack products in a variety of ways for different brands. In this regard, flexible packaging systems that can process all types of carton blanks, including those from third parties, are in high demand. Schubert offers this degree of flexibility with its TLM machines. In addition, modular systems allow manufacturers to respond to new packaging concepts and market requirements by expanding production lines as needs change. For example, handling robots can be added to an existing setup to increase handling power or the performance of the system.
Fast and easy tool changes, e. g. for robot grippers, further contribute to keeping changeover and ramp-up times low, while maintaining high outputs of up to several hundred products per minute even for the most diverse product portfolio. Vision systems support handling robots in recognizing and picking the right products, for e.g., mixpacks, which require reliable product identification to achieve the desired collation.
Advanced robotics forms the cornerstone of any versatile packaging line, offering much more than just handling. The Transmodul, Schubert’s fast transport robot, serves as the centrepiece of many toploading lines and takes care of in-line transportation of primary and secondary packaging alike. From erecting and loading to closing, cartons are fixed on individual Transmoduls, which often work in parallel and carry different packaging components like bottles, cases, and inserts. Additional robots unstack carton blanks and erect them, creating a well-balanced packaging ecosystem inside the line.
Keeping it compact
As efficient as robot-based systems are, they often need to fit into existing infrastructures that don’t tolerate excessive line expansions. On the contrary, modern packaging lines, which typically produce small batches for a definite time, tend to be increasingly compact. Space-saving systems like Schubert’s solutions feature single-lane carton erection and control technology within the machine frame, among other things, paving the way to space-saving lines that comprise several sub-machines.
Robots like Schubert’s Transmodul tie into this rationale. An inductive power supply and radio-transmitted signal ensure free movement. This eliminates the need for long transport distances and saves space. The same holds for the connection of individual line modules: in-line robotic solutions like the Transmodul make sure the units are joined without additional transport technology. This way, flexibility, compact design, and gentle handling blend together to create one compact, highly versatile system that caters to the multi-faceted world of premium drinks.
[1] The Future of Beverage Packaging: Sustainability Trumps
[2] 2024 Beer Packaging Trends | Berlin Packaging
All photos: Gerhard Schubert GmbH
