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Diploma in Beverage Packaging (Beer)
Unit 1.4 Small Pack Operations
Secondary Packaging
Learning Material © Institute of Brewing and Distilling 2011
Qualifications
2 Diploma in Beverage Packaging (Beer)
DIPLOMA IN PACKAGING (BEER) - MODULE 1
UNIT 1.4: Small Pack Operations
ELEMENT 1.4.6: Secondary Packaging
ABSTRACT: This section provides detail behind the
purposes, materials, and types of secondary packaging.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: On completion of this unit you will
be able to:
1. Understand the purpose of secondary packaging
2. Comprehend the different types of secondary
packaging.
SYLLABUS.
1.4.6.1 Purposes and roles of secondary packaging:
• Containment and marketing function
• Collating, handling, storing and distributing of
product
• For environmental concerns and effects of
packaging see 1.1.1.2 and 3.1.1.5).
1.4.6.2 Materials (see also 1.1.2.5 and 1.1.2.7):
• Corrugated board
• Plastics
• Cardboard
1.4.6.3 Types of secondary packaging:
• Open tray; tray and shrink; shrink only
• Hi-cone; hi-cone in tray with or without shrink
• Case with or without dividers
• Carton
• Wrap around pack
• Cluster / basket pack
• Future trends
Dipl.Pack Revision Notes v2 October 2011 3
Element 1.4.6
Secondary Packaging
1.4.6.1 Purposes and Roles of Secondary
Packaging:
Soft packaging is a term used for the packaging of product
with board instead of a crate or a case. Plastic can also be
used, for example, decorated shrinkfilm or Hi-Cone (plastic
rings) for cans This type of packaging is generally associated
with one trip bottles or cans.
Typical packaging is:
1. Multipacks. These are typically in collations of
4,6,8,12,18 and 24. Packs of 10 and 20 are also
possible. This is secondary packaging and this
packaging will be used as the selling unit
2. Cartons or Tray (or Pad)/Shrink or Shrink only. This
is normally tertiary packaging used for transporting
the primary or secondary pack to the retail outlet.
However there are occasions when a tray/shrink
pack can be used as a saleable unit. In this instance
the film used will be printed.
1.4.6.2 Materials (see also unit 1.1)
The board is normally discarded after it has protected the
goods to the point of sale. Also it does not have to really
strong due to the fact that is being strengthened with
shrinkfilm; the quality does not need to be good. Also
everything is being done to reduce the cost of packaging
(Lean Manufacturing). The tendency is therefore to follow
the following guidelines:
1. The liner board that is used for board construction is
test (recycled)
2. The weight of the liner is around 125gsm – fluting
maybe lower, say 115gsm
3. The tray sides are reduced to the lowest height
possible. This is restricted by the machine which may
not be capable of going lower than 35mm, but 25mm
may be possible
4. Reduce the tray to a pad i.e. no sides. If this is done
the board which normally carries the product
information and BBE (Best Before End) is removed.
This information will then need to be printed on the
film.
5. Remove all of the board and just use shrinkwrap. This
is fine so long as the machine can support the packs. A
standard machine will have gaps in the carrying chains
and supports may have to be fitted to support the
packs. This modification is expensive so needs to be
costed out. Also there is a loss of cushioning which
inevitably protects the contents should they be
roughly handled.
There are two types seal used on machines. One is heat
seal and the other is lap seal. See figure 1.
Figure 1 Heat Seal versus Lap Seal
Heat seal is not common and has its restrictions:
1. Registered film cannot be used because there are
two rolls of film used.
2. A repeat design can be used in a restricted form. If
there is too much ink the welded joint will come
apart.
3. The heat bar tends to need a high level of
maintenance.
4. The technology is cheaper but should only really
be used when plain film is all that is required.
As a result of this, a lap seal is the most commonly used
form of seal in the beverage industry. It is now possible to
have up to seven colours so the graphics used can be of
very high quality.
There is one important point to note. If the multipack is
shrinkfilm and this is to be packed into tray and film; two
different qualities of plastic must be used as the same
quality will fuse together in the shrink tunnel. The qualities
recommended are LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) and
HDPE (High Density Polyethylene).
The secondary packaging machine is made up of the
modules required to make up the desired pack. An example
how this may be done is shown in figure 2.
It is also possible to have a carton wraparound included as
well (known as a combi). This makes the machine complex
and machine set up must be perfect. There can be issues in
the gluing areas where there is limited space for gluing and
compression.
Use of cartons, either open or wraparound will give extra
protection and could be an option for export. Cartons are
more expensive but if this results in less breakage it is well
worth it. It is highly recommended that packs are
professionally tested for integrity for export to a specific
country – especially if it is a new market.
The most common method for cartoning is the wraparound
method. See figure 3 (Partitions are usually left out
because such a tight pack can be achieved). There are
many companies that do this. The example shown in
figures 4, 5 & 6 is the Kister Combi which can also do tray
and shrink in the same machine.
4 Diploma in Beverage Packaging (Beer)
Figure 2 Modular Set Up for the Kister. Courtesy KHS
Figure 3 Showing Carton Assembly for an Ocme Packer.
Courtesy Ocme.
Figure 4 A Kister Combi at Diageo, Runcorn
Figure 5 Kister Pack Feed at Diageo, Runcorn
Figure 6 Kister Board Feed at Diageo, Runcorn
Dipl.Pack Revision Notes v2 October 2011 5
A pack can be complex in design both physically and
graphically. It is important to get this right to ensure good
runability on the line. The board is printed using printing
methods known as ‘Gravure’, ‘Lithographic’ also known as
‘offset’ or ‘Flexographic’. For multipack design, the
Lithographic printing is the popular choice because it suits
rapid response and changes needed when on-pack
promotions and the like are run by marketing.
The gloss finish is important for two reasons:
1. It protects the print
2. It dictates the slip. This will make a difference as
too how the pack will run in the machine and on
the conveyors.
NB The gloss surface is not wanted on the areas of board
that are to be glued as it will not allow good adhesion.
The slip is measured by a test which measures the slip
angle. This is done by placing the two cut out samples with
the glossy surfaces against one another with a standard
weight placed on the top sample. The bottom sample is
secured. The slide on which they are placed is then lifted
and the angle measured as soon as the top board slips
against the bottom board. There is a standard apparatus for
this measurement.
The physical design of the pack is important for pack
integrity (holds the containers securely together) and ease
of operation within the machine. There is great expertise
needed in achieving this outcome.
The pack shape is achieved by using a die (known as a
forme) which cuts and creases the final pack. The creases
and cut outs must be clean and accurate for the pack to
perform.
Figure 7 Showing the Complexity of Cutting and Creasing.
Courtesy Mead Packaging
If there are problems with the board, it may be due to the
following:
1. Board has been stored too long – not more than
six months.
2. Storage conditions should be stable and if possible
40-50% Relative Humidity and 18-23oC. Keep clear
of heaters and cold areas.
3. Always start a run with a fresh pallet. When
returning a part pallet to the warehouse, it should
be covered with a pallet board and stretch-
wrapped.
4. Pallets should be racked rather than stacked on
top of one another.
5. The board is undercut. This is when the locks on
the wrap are not properly cut out and this could
affect the locking operation.
6. Over-creasing which could cause a split in the
board.
The wraps are packed flat on a pallet and these are then
taken from the pallet and placed in the machine. Although
it is unusual, it is possible to have this done robotically. It is
good to have a notch on one side of the card or wrap so it
is easy to that the card has been placed into the machine
the correct way.
The fully enclosed cartons and the basket packs come pre-
glued and are packed into specially designed cartons. This
design allows the operator to load the magazine directly
from the cartons.
1.4.6.3 Types of secondary packaging:
Open tray; tray and shrink; shrink only
After the multipacks have been produced they will
normally be collated in a tray or a shrinkwrap or both. It is
possible to palletise the multipacks and this trend is
encouraged by the retailer to reduce tertiary packaging.
Certainly this is easier for the larger multipacks (18+), but
with the smaller packs a purpose built palletizer or perhaps
a robot is necessary. Kister (now KHS) built a unit called a
PackRouter which collated units onto layers at the rate of
300 packs per minute.
6 Diploma in Beverage Packaging (Beer)
Figure 8 PackRouter by Kister (KHS)
Master/Slave and Master/Master Concept
When linking a multipack machine to a tray/shrinkwrap
machine it is important that this is done correctly. Once the
two machines are running a good pack balance is set up
between the two. If one should stop this balance is upset.
If the upstream machine is designated ‘A’ and the
downstream one is ‘B’, then if A should stop, the line would
empty. If B stops, the line fills until the build back switch is
triggered. This is where the expressions Master/Slave,
Master/Master, Slave/Slave come from.
In a Master/Slave situation only one machine is in control.
So if A is the Master, B will stop and start as A does.
However, when B stops, A keeps running until stopped by
the build back switch. In a Master/Master situation, both
machines are in control, so when either machine stops it
will stop the other one. This maintains the balance between
the two machines. In a Slave/Slave situation neither
machine is in control of the other. So Master/Master is
what one wants.
For emptying out there is an emptying out switch.
Hi-cone; hi-cone in tray with or without shrink
ITW started producing the equivalent of Hi-Cone in 1957. It
is perhaps the simplest and cheapest form of packaging. It
is plastic and made from LDPE which has an ingredient to
make it photodegradable (becomes brittle over time when
exposed to UV light). The most common form is the Rim
Applied Carrier (RAC) which holds cans together at the
neck. (See figure 9).
There is then the Side Applied Carrier (SAC) see figure 10
and Merchandising Panel Carrier (MPC) see figure 11. For
these versions the standard Hi-Cone machine must be
modified, but with that, the machine availability tends to
reduce.
Figure 9 Hi-Cone (Rim Applied Carrier). Courtesy ITW
Figure 10 Side Applied Carrier (SAC). Courtesy ITW
Figure 11 Merchandising Panel Carrier (MPC). Courtesy ITW
The side applied version holds the cans better giving the
pack more integrity. The merchandising panel carrier is a
part-answer to the marketing critics who complain about
the lack of advertising space when it is compared with a
cardboard pack.
Another option is to use can orientation where all the cans
are turned to face the correct way. This is an expensive
Dipl.Pack Revision Notes v2 October 2011 7
option and does tend to affect the efficiency of the line.
However, some people like it as it lends to creative artwork
giving a flow from can to can. It is argued that there needs
to be supervision in the alcoholic drinks section at the
supermarkets, so they tend to turn cans to give a better
display. So, in effect, the orientation is carried out at the
outlet.
A standard machine is shown in figure 12. The Hi-Cone
carrier material is delivered on cardboard reels and two of
these are then put onto spindles, see figure 12.
One reel runs at a time. When the first one runs out, the
tail-end is welded to the start of the second reel and so on.
The carrier then passes over a drum which is fitted with
fingers which stretch the carrier material over the cans. A
cutter then cuts the cans into the format required e.g. 2x2,
2x3 or 2x4. It is also possible to have a three lane machine
producing 3x2 and 3x4. The speed of the two lane machine
is typically 800 to 1500cpm and the three lane machine up
to 2000cpm.
Figure 12 Hi-Cone Machine. Courtesy ITW.
The Hi-Cone machine is very efficient in its standard form.
Also without glue or swath from cartons it is much easier to
keep clean. The key is to ensure that the set up is correct,
the maintenance plan is adhered to and cutting blades are
regularly changed.
Like all multipack machines a smooth infeed linked to the
machine is key. On the discharge side the packs will be
conveyed to the tray/shrink packer. The link between the
two machines is important for consistent operation.
Case with or without dividers
The specification for the board is important as it will be the
ONLY protection, unlike the tray and shrink. The weight of
the liner will be around 200 to 240gsm. It is important that
the board is balanced, i.e. it has the same weight of board
both sides of the fluting, in order to avoid warp. Warp
should be no greater than 10mm per 0.6m. There is a warp
factor and this is defined by the relationship of u/L where u
is the height of the bow and L is the length of the blank (in
metres). Warp Factor= 8u/L2
Using this formula for 10mm per 0.6m, the factor is 0.22
Board should be stored at the right Relative Humidity of 4
to 9% and should be palletised and strapped with a
top board. It should also be cut cleanly with no swath. As
can be seen in figure 32 the board is flat and clean.
The carton size must also be correct. If too small, it is
impossible to close the flaps. If the carton size is too big,
the containers will not be secure and it is also difficult to
achieve good gluing as there is no resistance during
compression. The best way is to make the carton to suit
the container plus the manufacturer’s tolerance to the
container. Ask for some blanks to be made and then try
them out before committing to a long run.
The hot resin glue needs to be to the correct specification
taking special note of the open time which is the time
before the glue gives an effective bond. The glue must be
lean and it is recommended that the granules are kept in
a clean plastic tub to avoid contamination.
If packs are being fed into the cartoning machine, the
Master/Master link between the multipacker and the
carton machine still applies.
It will also be possible to feed in loose product. In both
instances, a steady and controlled infeed is important.
When bringing in loose product the chain lubrication
should be adjust so as to ensure that the bottles or cans
do not enter the machine wet. It must be carefully
adjusted. For cans it is possible to consider dry
lubrication. For glass bottles on stainless steel a
satisfactory dry product is being developed by
manufacturers and it will be available.
Initially the product is guided into the machine and is
then separated mechanically or electronically into the
groups required for packaging in the next stage. The
guides need to be adjusted well to avoid snags.
The cardboard blanks are then fed into the machine one
at a time and are wrapped around the containers.
Flippers and guides then bring the carton together. As
that is being done hot glue is directed inside flaps as they
are closing the carton. The gluing points are then
compressed to give the final carton.
A manufacturer will offer many formats. It is wise to
ensure that the machine is capable of handling these
before committing to them. Also ensure that turning and
splitting of packs is not an issue. Some machines pack on
a length, others width. When on width, this will give a
different number of lanes for 4 packs and 6 packs.
Whereas when packed on a length it is the same number
of lanes. Also the packs are more likely to be in the
correct orientation when packed on a length. See figure
13.
8 Diploma in Beverage Packaging (Beer)
Figure 13 Demonstrating the different number of lanes
needed depending on the orientation of the carton. It is
easier to turn a carton than a pack.
Carton, Wrap around pack, Cluster / basket pack
Packaging into crates is only suitable for the returnable
trade. Multiple packaging, which is often referred to as soft
packaging, is suitable for one trip packaging, and is
extensively used to sell the product. Kraft and corrugated
board, and plastic are used in different forms in order to
collate the containers into 4s 6s 8s 10s 12s 15s etc and
these in turn are packed into a units of, normally, 24 or 30.
When a product is sold, it is in the interest of sales and
marketing to ensure that as many primary units are sold as
possible within one single purchase. Sales and marketing
are also trying to create an impulse buy. This leads to a
plethora of multipacks being produced on a packaging line;
and they are not always production friendly.
The companies that produce board produce the design, and
manufacture the pack – the board is imported. The
machines that wrap them around the containers (bottles or
cans) are leased. These packs may be open ended or be
fully enclosed FEC – Fully Enclosed Carton). See figure 14.
Figure 14 Display of Multipacks. Courtesy Mead Packaging
If exporting to the USA a ‘Carrier’ or ‘Basket Pack’ is likely to
be used. They are erected in much the same way as an
open ended pack and have a handle in the centre. They can
be designed to carry four or six bottles, usually six, in the
same number of cells divided equally between both sides of
the handle. See figure 15.
Figure 15 Diagram of Basket Pack for Six Bottles – Top view
For cans, probably the cheapest option is to use hi-cone
which is manufactured by ITW. See figure 16.The machine
for applying the hi-cone is also leased.
Figure 16 Hi-Cone (Rim Applied Carrier). Courtesy ITW
Another option is to use decorated shrinkfilm. In this
instance the film can be bought from any shrinkfilm
manufacturer and the multipacks produced in a shrinkwrap
machine which has been designed for this purpose. See
figure 17.
Figure 17 Shrinkfilm Packs. Courtesy Kister
Board Multipacks
These packs provide a good up-market style and the board
is recyclable. Apart from the look and convenience, they
can create the ideal price point by, for example, selling a
multiple which only has 18 cans in it against a pack that has
20 cans in it.
There are two types of machine needed. One for the open
ended wraparound (sometimes known as a wrap or a
clusterpak® Mead registered). See figure 18. The other for
the fully enclosed carton (FEC), see figure 19.
There are other types of packs which can be used for
multiples. In most of these cases the machine is purchased
and the board is supplied by a board manufacturing
company. Some will use corrugated rather than flat board,
and the choice of pack sizes will be reduced.
Figure 18 Clusterpak Machine for Wraps. Courtesy Mead
Dipl.Pack Revision Notes v2 October 2011 9
Figure 19 Multipack Machine for FECs. Courtesy Mead
Packaging
Without a doubt soft packaging can be the greatest source
of downtime on a packaging line if it is not managed
correctly. Both the materials and the machine set up must
be absolutely right for good efficient output.
As mentioned earlier the set up of the machine is
important. These days they are sophisticated but there is
usually some mechanical work to be done.
The set up is a good example of mechatronics. Both the
mechanical and electronic settings must be set correctly for
the pack being run. The electronic settings are set up during
commissioning for each individual pack so they are
generally correct. When the pack is selected on the panel,
these values are set automatically. However, if the
mechanical settings are not correct, it is tempting to change
the electronic values to overcome the mechanical fault –
this practice is not encouraged, as it never really leads to a
satisfactory result.
Another important point is the infeed and discharge. If this
is poorly designed there will be constant issues.
Infeed
There needs to be a smooth flow of product into the
machine and it is important that time is taken to set this up
properly. The infeed conveyors will be required to reduce
the mass flow of product into lanes appropriate for the
machine. This can be a critical part of the operation
especially for high speed canning. For bottles there is also
the issue of possible label damage and noise reduction.
Slat lubrication can also have an effect on performance.
This must be absolutely right. Too little and the containers
will not flow, too much and there will be issues with wet
board. This could give rise to poor gluing performance, pack
damage down stream, dirty marks and poor locking.
As soon as product enters the machine it is metered into
the appropriate channels. This can be achieved by using any
of the following methods:
1. Starwheels,
2. Scrolls
3. Metering flights
4. Flightbars
The containers are then collated into groups to suit the
pack format.
Discharge
This again is an area that needs to be right. Once the packs
have been formed they will need to be divided and maybe
turned. This area can also give problems if it is not done
right. It is often tempting to go for the cheaper option and
this is not a good way to go. It is better to go for a robust
divider and for a positive rotating device if this is needed.
These devices are usually available from the provider of the
multipack machine and can often be included in the lease.
It is better to have them as an integral part of the machine
as the feed into them will be more controlled.
Future trends
Shrinkwrap
This is a nice pack, more expensive than hi-cone, but less
expensive than board. See figure 17.The argument used
against this package is that it gives a cheaper image and
does not give as much protection as board. Certainly it is
not as popular as the board multipack but it could be on
the review list when cost cutting is being looked at.
The machine used is much the same as a standard film
wrap machine, using the lap seal method see figure 20.
The cans or bottles are fed into the machine and are
collated into groups of, usually, 4, 6 or 8.
Figure 20 Shrinkwrap Unit. Courtesy KHS (Kister).
The film is fed from under the machine and is split into the
appropriate width for the pack. The film is registered so as
to ensure that the decoration is always in the same place
on the pack. A cutter cuts the film as the register mark is
detected. Next, a rotating flight bar then flicks the film
over the packs, overlapping it under each pack.
These packs then enter a shrink tunnel where film is
shrunk and the tight packs are formed. It is also possible to
add a handle. See figure 21.
10 Diploma in Beverage Packaging (Beer)
Figure 21 Multipack in shrinkfilm with a handle. Courtesy
KHS (Kister)
Figure 18 Clusterpak Machine for Wraps. Courtesy Mead
Dipl.Pack Revision Notes v2 October 2011 11
Figure 19 Multipack Machine for FECs. Courtesy Mead Packaging