Drinktec 2022: Graphic Packaging to present ClipCombo machine for fiber-based beverage clips

21 Jul 2022 --- Graphic Packaging International will present ClipCombo, a machine system that allows manufacturers to generate numerous packaging options on a single modular equipment system, at the Drinktec expo in Munich, Germany, in September.

The company expects that the world’s leading beverage manufacturers will welcome the use of ClipBombo because the market is growing increasingly in favor of fiber-based packaging solutions.

Producers can run multiple combinations of various fiber-based multipack styles across the same ClipCombo machine, for which cans and PET bottle options are available.

Machine options are available for either cans or PET bottles, offering multiple combinations, including: 

• Award-winning KeelClip plus EnviroClip fiber-based clips for can multipacks
• GripClip plus EnviroClip fiber-based clips for can multipacks
• Cap-It plus EnviroClip fiber-based clips for PET bottle multipacks

The machine functions at high speeds, producing up to 400 packs per minute (depending on the type of application) and offers rapid changeovers. It enables customers to differentiate between brands and tell premium packaging apart from standard packaging. 

The machine functions at high speeds producing up to 400 packs per minute.Future-proofed flexibility
Doug Hicks, vice president of the packaging machinery division at Graphic Packaging, looks ahead to the unveiling and says that “there is a need to futureproof machine system choices.”

He explains that is why the ClipCombo concept has been developed: to provide a machinery philosophy that enables customers to select from a wide range of existing and new packaging options as well as container and configuration choices. 

“Packers can combine products over a single machinery system, and be confident they have the options needed as the market evolves,” he says.

He adds that ClipCombo is a solution for the optimization of multipack throughput. “It gives producers the flexibility to run premium and standard pack styles on the same machine and switch between them quickly and efficiently. At a time when labor and space come at a premium, this approach reduces the need for both.”

Eliminating problematic plastics
ClipCombo technology may save capital expenditure for beverage packaging firms by allowing them to supply various pack types with a quick changeover, eliminating the need for additional installs.Graphic Packaging says the market is growing increasingly in favor of fiber-based packaging.

This flexibility frees up floor space and minimizes the number of operators necessary. With this approach to machine system development, Graphic Packaging will be able to expand its clip-style packaging variety and assist clients in eliminating plastic rings and shrink wrap throughout their product range.

ClipCombo, according to Hicks, improves the speed, scalability, and flexibility of the company’s clip-style multipack solutions. “The modern market demands sustainable packaging, flexibility and quality, and ClipCombo delivers.”

Modern machinery
Also featuring a debut at the Drinktec expo in Munich this year, KHS is set to showcase its latest machine and packaging systems, which includes the filler/seamer block SmartCan for hygiene, flexibility and simple operation benefits. 

With its new Loop Lite PET bottle concept, KHS helps optimize beverage packaging’s “eco-balance” and promotes closed recycling loops. 

The new filler/seamer block SmartCan by KHS/Ferrum will give operators greater line efficiency and maximum process reliability. Customers profit from a space-saving, flexible system that is convincing thanks to its simple operation and sets new standards with its optimized hygiene concept.

Edited by Mieke Meintjes