Safe, “green” packaging!

The safe small controller PNOZmulti 2 was already in use in the mineral water bottling plant of ACMI S.p.A, ensuring that glass bottles were handled smoothly during the filling and sealing process. The Italian manufacturer has recently expanded its line to include the Ecopack case packer, which now enables it to pack “in cardboard”. In safety terms, the cardboard feed was the most critical point: in the cardboard feed, if there is sufficient packaging material – i.e. cardboard – in the feed opening, then it is impossible to reach into the danger zone. However, if there was no longer any cardboard in the process, the operator could reach into the machine unhindered. A sustainable, expandable solution was found with PNOZmulti 2, which reliably monitors other safety functions in addition to the cardboard feed.

The Ecopack cartoner is state of the art, with a cycle rate of 40 strokes/minute and simplified handling for setup and format changes. To ensure that the Ecopack, as the latest addition to the bottling plant, is also safe for the operating personnel, the PNOZmulti 2 small controller was once again on board. The procedure: it monitors the photoelectric sensors installed directly on the infeed opening. These report the material status of the cardboard to the small controller. If necessary, PNOZmulti 2 monitors multiple cardboard stores simultaneously with a single base unit. ACMI can also implement additional safety functions such as E-STOP, safety gates or light curtains, if necessary. This provides added flexibility, which means that the ACMI plant is well equipped for the future, and can enjoy high productivity. Because Pilz had already arranged certification prior to the retrofit, ACMI also saved time during planning, design and commissioning.

• Operator safety for new plant module for the “Ecopack” cardboard feed
• Line is efficient: a single base unit monitors multiple cardboard stores simultaneously
• Rapid retrofit with the option to expand the safety functions

The Italian company ACMI S.p.A. specialises in the production of high-tech bottling and packaging lines. The company’s headquarters are in Fornovo Taro, in the province of Parma. It started as a manufacturer of loading and unloading equipment for the food and beverage industry and now specialises in all packaging processes.