New collation shrink-wrapper lifts speeds on tray-packed glass bottles by one third

Arla Foods in Denmark raised throughput on its Cocio milk product when it invested in a Prasmatic shrink-wrapper from Robopac, cutting the number of interventions and shutdowns.

The previous secondary‑packaging equipment for the bottled chocolate milk had become a bottleneck, says the Aetna-group machinery business, capping speeds at 65 packs per minute (ppm) and requiring frequent interventions. The Prasmatic TC 800 CW shrink‑wrapper installed by Arla at its Esbjerg plant has lifted this ceiling to 85ppm, an increase of 31%.

Importantly, production can also switch smoothly from a tray-and-film combination for glass to aluminium cans and shelf-ready promotion packs. The system offers an intuitive human-machine interface (HMI) and remote diagnostics for rapid recipe changeovers and proactive maintenance, says Robopac.

“There is a growth in Denmark for other companies using this equipment,” says Arla technical manager Bo Boesen. “This investment is the first of two phases.” The second phase will consist of a completely new line. “We also want to introduce a Prasmatic on this line,” says Boesen.

The success of the Esbjerg upgrade has paved the way for additional Robopac installations across Denmark. Arla itself now relies on five Prasmatic systems country‑wide.

The Esbjerg team says the Robopac technology gave it the speed and confidence it needed to keep Cocio on shelves everywhere, “without missing a beat”.

As well as the uplift in machine output, the new system offers a film integrity rate of over 99%, says Robopac, reducing rework and damage claims. It also reports improved pack stability and lower energy usage thanks to the high‑efficiency shrink tunnel design.

Commissioning of the TC 800 CW was completed on schedule and within budget, the supplier adds, integrating smoothly with existing conveyors and palletisers. Operator training was completed in under two shifts.

Arla Esbjerg’s partnership with Robopac dates back to 2012, when the first Prasmatic HSW 600/CW replaced a German automatic wrapper. Robopac argues that a decade of responsive after‑sales support cemented trust in the company, making it the natural choice for the expansion project.

01234 825050

www.aetnagroup.com

Watch the video here