FachPack 2021: Schubert demonstrates two-in-one flowpacker and cartoner for plastic and paper runnability

07 Oct 2021 --- Schubert showcased a unique two-in-one flowpacker and cartoner combination at FachPack 2021. Notably, the machine can process plastic or paper-based foil material, with the modular packaging machinery specialist experiencing growing demand for fiber-based solutions.

PackagingInsights spoke to Marcel Kiessling, managing director at Schubert, about the machine’s unique characteristics, digitization and the value of physical trade shows in Nuremberg, Germany.

“It’s good to have the first show after a very long time, physically,” says Kiessling. “What we have here is a pretty unique machine – it’s a two-in-one combination of a flowpacker and cartoner.”

“For our customer Ülker in Turkey, we are packaging chocolate bars in a multipack flowrap, and alternatively, we can pack the single bars into a carton.”

“In the magazine we are erecting the carton and filling the single chocolate bars. You can also see the flowrapping unit where we are actually wrapping single bars into multipack flowrap.”Ülker is one customer benefitting from the machine’s flexibility, packing chocolate in a multipack flow wrap while also enjoying the possibility of packing single bars into a carton on the same system.

“It’s a unique combination to give more flexibility to our customers.” The machine can be seen in action here.

Paper-based possibilities
Kiessling says environmental sustainability remains the dominant industry driver. Within this overarching trend, fiber-based alternatives to plastic continue to gain ground.

“With our flowrap, it would be possible to use fiber-based material as well. The machine’s characteristics make it very suitable for paper-based foil material. This [transition] is what we increasingly see in the market and we are getting more and more demands in that direction.”

“There’s many other things we want to highlight here, for example, our Lightline program, new customized services, and some digital products as well.”

COVID-19 spurs digitization
Pandemic-induced social restrictions have limited travel, accelerating the advancement of digital technologies. Kiessling explains how Schubert has helped one customer install and commission a machine remotely in a company first.

“If you are looking at one good impact from the pandemic in the last two years, it’s that it pushed our digitization efforts further ahead,” he says.

“We had a customer in Japan, where we shipped the machine and could not travel to the country because of the travel regulations. The Japanese government shut the borders.”

“The machine was there, and the customer had an important product launch. With our support through digital services, they were able to install and commission the machine completely on their own. This [remote installation] was the first time this multinational company did something like that. It was the first time for Schubert as well.”The machine can process plastic or paper, with Kiessling noting increased demand for fiber-based solutions.

In November 2020, Schubert explained it was working to “exploit a major advantage” by providing online manufacturing support during the pandemic.

The human touch
Schubert and other leading packaging companies have embraced virtual events during the pandemic. The company unveiled its first AI-programmed pick-and-place cobot at an online press event in June.

However, Kiessling emphasizes physical trade shows will remain important. “In the end, it’s about doing business between people.”

“You need to sit together and get to know each other. It’s a matter of trust, and this cannot be achieved purely with Teams or Zoom meetings.”

In other Schubert developments, the company recently enhanced the speed of lightweight product packing with the launch of its first AI-programmed pick-and-place cobot called tog.519.

PackagingInsights recently explored how Schubert and other machinery leaders are overcoming COVID-19 obstacles in the bakery sector with robotized automation and circular economy solutions.

By Joshua Poole