DC Velocity - September 2017

NEW LOGISTICS PRODUCTS & SERVICES

EDITED BY DIANE RAND rollouts

Packaging system: Packsize International has introduced the automated X4—its first on-demand packaging system to cut, fold, label, and glue a flat corrugated box in 12 seconds. The X4 is designed to assess and swiftly create a right-sized box for each individual order, which eliminates unnecessary void fill and reduces shipping costs, among other benefits.

The small footprint of the X4 adds to its flexibility, allowing for a box to be erected and inducted onto a conveyor line, placed on a cart, or packaged right next to the machine. Packaging managers can orchestrate and manage single-piece, batch, and demanding corrugated packaging workflows. The X4 can also be deployed in a multiple-machine environment alongside other Packsize systems or be placed in a two-to four-X4 machine configuration to produce up to 1,200 boxes an hour.

The X4 includes multiple infeeds to accept up to four widths of corrugated z-Fold material. (Packsize International LLC, www.

packsize.com)

Packaging-line monitoring app:

Beumer Group has developed the Overall Operation Monitoring app, which maintains an overview of all relevant parameters of a packaging line on mobile devices in real time.

The new monitoring app allows users to keep a constant eye on the status of filling, palletizing, and packaging machines connected to their system using their mobile devices.

The app shows all lines with their most important parameters, giving staff important information on the effectiveness of the entire line: availability, performance, and quality level of the line or single machines; energy use; and compressed-air consumption. The customer can quickly evaluate all data and have it displayed in a target-performance comparison or diagram.

Users can adapt the new Beumer Group app to their specific requirements. (Beumer Group, www.beumergroup.com)

Labeling material: Weber Packaging Solutions has released two label materials designed to handle tough customer labeling challenges: Transprint 425 FL and Flexlyte Arctic 300.

Transprint 425 FL, a new version of the company’s Transprint material, features a thin clear polyester release liner rather than the standard paper liner used most frequently. The thinner liner allows for more labels per roll, extending the footage of applicable labels per roll. The liner is also recyclable.

Engineered especially for companies using Weber Model 5300 print-apply systems, these extended-length label rolls work in a 1: 1 ratio with a custom footage ther-mal-transfer ribbon. This keeps downtime to a minimum as a technician would change the label roll and ribbon at the same time.

In addition, the polyester liner is stronger than the typical paper liner, minimizing liner breaks and tears during production.

Weber’s second material, the Flexlyte Arctic 300, is a white film labeling material made for cold-temperature applications. This quick-tack, all-temperature film material uses an aggressive adhesive that can be applied to packages in wet, damp, and freezer conditions. Among other applications, the material is well suited for use in refrigerated and frozen-food packaging and labeling operations, the company says. (Weber Packaging Solutions, www.weberpackaging.com)

Stretch wrapper: Signode Industrial Group, a manufacturer of packaging consumables, tools, software, and equipment, has introduced its Muller Octopus 1825 B automatic rotary-ring stretch wrapper. The Octopus 1825 B is able to accommodate a wide range of pallet load sizes and a variety of applications, all in a small footprint.

With its simple installation and durable aluminum frame, the Octopus 1825 B requires minimal assembly and maintenance. The machine’s modular design allows for numerous options to solve nearly any stretch-wrap-ping challenge, the company says. (Signode Industrial Group, www.signode.com)