Case Studies and White Papers

Standard-Knapp CEO Mike Weaver demonstrates the features of an exciting new offering, the Unipack 2.0 pick-and-place case packer. Designed and built by our sister company BMS, this compact wonder offers both portability and efficiency in the 5 to 15 case-per-minute range.

This Podcast features an interview with Standard-Knapp’s President, Michael Weaver, who talks about our experience and expertise in the packaging industry, introduces our new Tritium™ Multipacker and discusses current and future packaging trends regarding sustainability and how Standard-Knapp will impact the industry.

What’s particularly interesting about this machine is its counterflow configuration. Product enters from one side, cases from the opposite side.

The effort to be green – that is, reducing one’s overall impact on the environment – has of late gained increasing popularity, particularly in the commercial arena. Many companies have effectively restructured their corporate headquarters, recycle their paper goods, and have reduced their use of all natural resources – not only because of legislation that requires it but because it makes good business sense.

There are many styles of case packers available including drop packers, rotary packers, wraparound packers, mechanical soft placement packers, robotic packers, side load packers, and bottom load packers. The need for a new packer may simply be to replace an aging, high maintenance machine, or it may be driven by new packages, higher line speeds, efficiency initiatives, or new packaging requirements. The following factors provide some basic considerations that can be used in the process of selecting a case packer.

Seafood canning company Chicken of the Sea International, based in California, is celebrating its 100th anniversary as an American food icon. The company recently decided it needed to add a bundling machine that could shrink wrap multiple cans into a package at its Lyons, Georgia plant. After reviewing the available options, Chicken of the Sea opted for the 597 Tritium Multipacker with Robo-Wand wrapping module, and 296 Continuum Tray Shrink packers, manufactured in the U.S. by Standard-Knapp. The new equipment lets Chicken of the Sea adapt to the particular pack styles required by various customers. Now the company reports that its new packaging equipment has helped increase production on the line by 50-75 percent, while reducing machine downtime significantly.

The Royal Wine Corporation was seeking ways to increase its bottle packaging line speed to keep up with booming demand for its wines, spirits and liqueurs. The family-owned company moved from Europe to the United States in 1948 and is recognized as the unequivocal leader in the kosher wine and beverage industry. Royal’s portfolio includes nearly 60 brands, which hail from Italy, Israel, France, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Canada and the United States.

After experiencing a higher than desirable level of bottle breakage with repurposed packaging equipment, Midwestern stalwart Boulevard Brewing Company approached Standard-Knapp to create a solution to meet its non-traditional packaging demands, which include four different bottle types, multiple packaging sizes, and no carton dividers. The packaging company responded with an innovative solution that picks the product from the infeed conveyor and gently places it into the bottom of the empty case. The company now reports virtually zero packaging breakage and has increased throughput by about 10 percent because of increased efficiency and less down time.

Saint Louis, Missouri-based distilled spirits manufacturer and bottler Luxco is enjoying the sweet sounds of silence since upgrading their packing line to technology that almost eliminates bottle breakage while increasing packer speed. Luxco is one of the leading beverage alcohol suppliers in the United States. The company receives bulk alcohol and then blends, packages and ships its own lines of bourbon, brandy, vodka, rum, and tequila, as well as a range of flavored cordials and liqueurs.