Harpak-ULMA Announces 2-in-1 Automated Gravity Case Packer
Harpak-ULMA, the industry leader in smart, connected packaging solutions, announced the North American availability of its Gravity Case Packer, an end-of-line automation solution. The Gravity Case Packer may be used with a variety of products and is easily tailored to the needs of vertical bagging operations from meat and cheese to bakery operations. Its simplified, mechanical design allows Producers to easily switch between traditional tote loading of fresh goods or the corrugated cases typically used for frozen products. Two models are currently available: the GCP100 produces up to 60 products per minute, and the GCP200 is capable of 90 products per minute.
“Replacing manual labor with automation has taken on a new significance in the post-COVID era. The Gravity Case Packer offers an elegant alternative to traditional EOL vertical bagging automation choices that offer only either-or one or the other”
The lingering impact of COVID on already tight manufacturing labor markets has prompted many companies to reevaluate the need for automation investments to reduce business risk. Historically, many Producers have utilized manual loading to maximize flexibility or invested in a separate tote and/or case end-of-line (EOL) automation.
The Gravity Case Packer is already used by some of the largest global food operations. A single solution that offers both capabilities in the same footprint helps justify process automation improvements with significant ROI. Ideal for regional Producers with both retail and frozen food service businesses, Harpak-ULMA’s Gravity Case Packer is a single equipment solution that can service multiple SKUs.
Both models utilize a common conveyer and pattern former with side pushers to condense and orient a complete product layer. The layer is indexed and positioned over a set of doors before it is transferred into the tote or case. This simplified approach tends to be less expensive and achieves faster throughput speeds than comparable single-thread solutions. The design is well suited to constrained plant footprints.
The Gravity Case Packer can accommodate a range of tote or box sizes to support multi-SKU operations. In addition to offering both the GCP100 and GCP200 models, The Gravity Case Packer family of solutions includes optional components such as a carton case-former/sealer, vibratory transport, a case compactor, and QC plus Label Recognition.
“Replacing manual labor with automation has taken on a new significance in the post-COVID era. The Gravity Case Packer offers an elegant alternative to traditional EOL vertical bagging automation choices that offer only either-or one or the other,” said John Weddleton, Automation Product Manager at Harpak ULMA. “It combines mechanical simplicity with flexibility. Users can quickly change over EOL packaging to handle multiple SKUs under either approach. To learn more, visit the Harpak-ULMA website here.
