GERMANY – Romaco Noack has expanded its Unity family with the Unity 600 blister packaging line, aiming to optimize efficiency and lower emissions in the production of packs for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sectors.
The company says that the new packaging line has a maximum output of 600 blisters and 350 cartons per minute.
The machine’s double-lane high-speed line is comprised of a blister machine with rotary sealing and a continuous motion cartoner, alongside a transfer unit designed for higher cycle numbers, format flexibility, traceability, and energy efficiency.
With a maximum foil width of 304mm, blister packs up to 145 mm long and 90 mm wide can be safely processed.
Die-cut blisters are removed from the die-cutter by vacuum, which is generated in a Venturi process.
In comparison to a conventional vacuum pump, this process reportedly radiates less heat – cutting down on the energy needed to cool the cleanroom.
Additionally, since the suction cups on the indexing wheel are only active while the blisters are being transferred, the machine is thought to minimize erroneous power consumption.
The Unity 600’s stack transfer unit also ensures that only complete stacks of blisters are sent to the cartoner, according to Romaco.
A manual blister top-up magazine has been implemented to prevent disruption, with software mapping expected to track and trace the blister packs from the product feeding unit onward.
Aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of the blister packaging line, both in the manufacture and in operation, the line also features an energy monitor to measure power and air consumption as well as CO2 emissions during production.
Its smart standby functions are thought to reduce base load without impacting overall equipment effectiveness.
According to the firm, various components have apparently been made from carbon-reduced ASI aluminum and the machine also features a recycled acrylic glass housing.
Its blister-forming station contains insulated heating plates with the aim of reducing waste heat in the air-conditioned primary packaging room, and the blister line’s motors are said to recover energy.
Romaco reportedly worked alongside Forliance in its offsetting initiatives. A three-lane version of the Unity 600 with an output of up to 750 blisters per minute is also available, as is a ‘carbon-neutral’ version.
The machine is also said to be compatible with materials used to produce such sustainability-minded alternatives as paper blisters.
For all the latest packaging and printing industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
