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IWK Packaging Systems, Inc., a manufacturer of premium cartoning and tube filling equipment for the pharmaceutical and health & beauty sectors, will provide live demonstrations of its enhanced CH 4 Horizontal Cartoner at PACK EXPO 2026, October 18-21 in Chicago. At Booth W-29100 in the Healthcare Packaging Pavilion, the company will showcase the modular system’s expanded viability for autoinjector pens – an increasingly popular format amid the push for patient-centric drug delivery solutions.
IWK’s CH 4 was initially engineered to meet dramatically increased demand for the packaging of pre-filled syringes, vials, and other delicate pharma containers. At PACK EXPO, the system will run a paper tray loaded via Omron robot with an Ypsomed injection pen. Both folding carton and tray are supplied by carton manufacturer Kartonveredelung Knapp.
The IWK CH 4 Horizontal Cartoner can be offered in either intermittent-motion or continuous motion, and has the flexibility to handle carton opening from either direction. Powered by advanced servo motors, the system can produce up to 120 cartons per minute while assuring gentle product handling, simple 10-minute format changeovers, and easy cleaning. To save on operation expenses, the cartoner also employs a novel system to channel energy gained through recuperation directly back into production; as a result, overall energy consumption is reduced by more than 20%.
The IWK CH 4 Platform can form and fill cartons from 50-230mm in length, 15-160mm in width and 15-100mm in height. Depending on box size and insert parameters, the machine can produce up to 120 completed cartons per minute – considered top-speed in a sector that has experienced surging demand.
IWK
The CH 4 is expediently adaptable to a wide range of applications and cartoning specifications and, thanks to its compact design, the machine builds upon IWK’s reputation for cGMP-guaranteed, floorspace-conscious equipment. In all operating formats, gentle carton transport via timing belts and precise four-level positioning help ensure scratch-free, undamaged packaging.
“As drug formats diversify and treatments become ever more sophisticated, demand for flexible, efficient secondary packaging solutions for medical devices and drug containers continues to climb,” said Dana Austin, IWK Packaging Systems, Inc.’s General Manager, North America. “The CH 4 Horizontal Cartoner was designed as a multifunctional end-of-line solution for brand owners and contract manufacturers like, and its new ability to handle autoinjector pens makes it even more versatile – all while ensuring high throughput, gentle handling and energy efficiency.”
