Case erectors are the beginning of the end of the line – the first step in the last phase of getting products out the door. They’re important pieces of equipment – but not the kind of thing investors or customers will get excited about. You’d probably rather run one to death than outgrow it in the prime of its life.
There are lots of case erectors to choose from, but not all of them are rugged and flexible enough to meet your unique operating needs today and then evolve right along with them for years to come. “That’s why people come to us,” says Paul Hart, Senior Applications Engineer at Combi Packaging Systems.
Here are, according to Hart, six reasons why Combi case erectors are the safe and easy choice for performance and versatility:
1. Case Erector Models for every need
For starters, Combi offers a wide variety of models to handle just about any application, Hart says.
There are seven basic setups:
- The basic model with a side-belt drive assembles up to 15 cases/minute.
- The high-speed series offers three models, with ability to form and bottom seal up to 30 cases/minute.
- The XL series features four models for oversized cases.
- The sanitary series is built to withstand hot-water and chemical washdowns for the food industry.
- If your requirements call for hot glue instead of tape, Combi does that too.
- An ambidextrous unit allows a quick changeover between right-hand and left-hand boxes – and handles up to 17 cases/minute. It’s a specialty need that copackers can’t find anywhere else.
- Our random case erecting solutions use a robot arm, menu-driven assembly recipes and up to six magazines – allowing instant changeovers for short runs and the kind of endurance that only robots can provide.
2. Plentiful modification options
“One of the reasons people seek us out is because they want case erectors that meet their needs instead of adapting their processes to the limitations of the machine,” Hart says.
Four out of five units that Combi sells receive some kind of modification, according to Hart. Common examples include a low-tape alarm and an automatic case changeover feature that eliminates the fine-tuning typically required in manual case changeovers.
“We offer a ridiculous amount of options and modifications,” Hart says. “We’ll even modify the frame size to stretch the machine for extra-large or odd-shaped boxes. It’s pretty rare when we ship a stock machine without any modifications.”
3. Simple Case Erector operation
Combi machines are designed to save money on labor, training and the ongoing search for skilled operators. They’re all HMI driven, with an interface that’s under continual refinement to be more intuitive and deliver pushbutton operation.
4. Fast and easy changeovers
With case recipes stored in the HMI, manual changeovers are as easy as a smoke break – and faster. “The operator loads case blanks in the magazine, goes to the HMI touch screen and picks the correct case recipe,” Hart says. “It provides a setup guide with all the necessary adjustments – the settings for the belts, magazine and tape hold-down. It takes about five minutes.”
Not simple or fast enough? The automatic changeover package replaces manual crank handles with PLC-driven motors for one-button changeovers.
5. Part of a complete packaging system
Case erectors are only part of an end-of-line packaging setup, and sometimes it’s not just about a single machine. Combi is one of the few OEMs that can provide a fully integrated system of case erector, packer, sealer, conveyors and palletizer without all that costly system integration and custom programming. All of the components are built to work together easily – both mechanically and digitally. The entire line can be started with a single button, saving time and labor, boosting productivity and making short work of e-stops, bottlenecks and other interruptions.
6. Combi’s can-do culture
Ask anybody who works with Combi about what sets us apart and they’ll tell you it’s our culture of just getting it done. “No matter what you need, we can make it happen – and probably already have at one time or another,” says Hart. From cost-competitive modifications of our existing models to all-out-custom engineering, customers keep coming back to Combi because we listen, we understand and we deliver.
Is assembling cases a bottleneck and headache in your operation? Contact Combi Packaging Systems to see how our versatile case erector products and capabilities can help.
