No more broken containers!

High speeds and complex filling processes make it increasingly difficult even for machine specialists to detect weak points with the naked eye or to identify or avoid problems. “Monitoring” of conditions and processes is becoming more and more important. Digitalisation in the production environment is therefore advancing. More and more technologies are being implemented into production that can provide answers to individual problems.

However, it seems difficult to translate the individual use cases into actually relevant technologies.

One of these use cases and a perpetual problem in bottling plants are damaged containers (such as cans or glass bottles), which can have different causes. It seems almost impossible to locate sources of interference here.

A system from our partner Masitek to measure and visualise these damaging forces in filling and packaging processes can now help. So-called smart in-line sensors make it possible to measure mechanical forces that can affect containers.

There are several types of such mechanical forces:

On the one hand, collisions can cause dents or even breakage of the containers (especially glass bottles). Incorrectly adjusted or functionally impaired conveyor belts also increase the load on the containers. Cappers can cause excessive vertical forces which can lead to damage to bottles or cans.

An omnipresent problem is also bottle wear, which has a negative influence on the aesthetics –  the so-called “scuffing”.

Masitek’s solution: Our partner produces exact replicas of the containers, which are equipped with sensors. Implemented in the production line, the main causes of damage caused by shocks, pressure or vertical loading or filling processes can be identified. Localisation and elimination of the source of the malfunction can reduce downtimes, make processes more efficient and consequently reduce costs. In combination with Krones’ know-how, individual optimization measures can also be defined together.

At a glance:

So, I hope you can see that this is a highly relevant technology that can bring very concrete and measurable improvement to your production. Further information about the Masitek measuring system can be found in our eShop.