Sidel Cermex Flexipack Pick & Place case packer

For packing glass bottles, Sidel has introduced an agile, auto-adjustable Pick & Place case packer — Cermex FlexiPack — which provides ease of operation and enables 10 min changeovers and enhanced bottle flow management.

The robotic case packer can handle between 10,000 and 18,000 bottles/h. Each sub-module is designed to be flexible; namely, the bottle channel infeed, numerical-axis gantry manipulator and Regular Slotted Container (RSC) case conveying part. The case packer can be complemented by an upstream DiviArm — a positive bottle distribution system which limits friction when the bottles are distributed in three or four lanes.

Suitable for a range of bottle diameters and heights, the case packer can handle different bottle necks or cap designs due to the end grippers, which can be easily changed. Brushless movements smooth the product flow, while allowing automatic adjustments for changeovers.

The case packer facilitates ease of use with a human machine interface (HMI), which can help operators with statistics, diagnostic and maintenance procedures, through tablet-based navigation. The HMI also provides a step-by-step guide for new format creation while automatically generating the respective changeover settings, thereby increasing autonomy and maximising uptime.

Flow and speed management at every step of the packing process serve to protect the glass bottle and its label, while noise reduction is achieved by limiting the pressure and shock subjected to the bottles.