Phanner: Carton blank handling/sealing/conveying for resealable gable-top cartons

The remaining 30% is from contract packaging, such as the Rebroff vodka shown here being filled on an Elopak U-S80 A filling machines at Pfanner's Lauterach, Austria plant. It runs at speeds up to 133 cartons/min, using Elopak's Pure-Pak[r] cartons. At its infeed are three horizontal magazines that hold side-sealed carton blanks. A spring-loaded device pushes the blanks from the magazine where vacuum cups open the blanks. Mechanical fingers position an open blank onto one of the six mandrels of a wheel. As the wheel turns, each carton bottom area is preheated so that flaps coated with polyethylene will bond when the carton ends are folded in at the subsequent heat-sealing station. Later, suction cups pull the carton off the mandrel and onto a transport chain that conveys it into the aseptic area of the machine, which is not shown here. Cartons are conveyed out of the aseptic area in three lanes to three downstream Elopak applicator units that use compression to create a seal between the carton's PE layer and the flange of the closure. The aseptic barrier is not broken until the consumer turns the closure during opening, breaking the score on the carton. Cartons are then conveyed to downstream case packing and palletization functions.