Multi-purpose case packer tackles retail-ready

Somic America, Inc., booth S-8468, is featuring its new 424 T2 (D) multi-purpose, retail-ready case packer system. It forms and loads soft or flexible products into a tight, condensed package, triggering a cost savings of 27 cents per carton for a corrugated customer.

“Manufacturers are turning to more sophisticated systems to eliminate excessive and redundant costs inside their operations. The advances in end-of-line packaging machinery, combined with improved corrugated printing technologies, makes Somic retail-ready equipment an attractive and viable solution,” says Peter Fox, VP of Sales. “We give customers the ability to produce retail-ready packages with perfect repeatability. Our systems address the retailer’s concern to reduce labor costs for restocking and maintaining shelf stock. The 424 T2 (D) assembles these packages by tightly collating, grouping and packaging products in open display trays, or trays with covers and wraparound cases.”

Fox said Somic’s high-performance systems also are fast. Using decentralized servo drives, the machine can collate 600 products per minute depending on the size of the items, and will carton up to 35 cases in the same amount of time. It can be fitted with individual format tools for a wide range of product dimensions, and Fox indicated there are other benefits.

“Space-saving features for our manufacturing customers result in a positive, bottom line impact,” he said. “With the compact footprint of Somic modular systems, the handling of the product and space requirements is significantly smaller. The forming cassette reduces the amount of space for separate case or tray erecting prior to product loading, compared to a pick-and-place system. By linking the functional groups throughout the packaging process, it delivers better line efficiencies and greater uptime.”

Samples from The Hershey Company, General Mills, Brookside and others are on display at the booth, and include coffee, cereal, flour, jam, noodles and other applications