Krones ErgoBloc L wet section block for beverages

The ErgoBloc L enables PET containers to be produced, labelled and filled in a unique machinery concatenation. The ErgoBloc was introduced in 2009, and since then about 250 units have been delivered to beverage manufacturers worldwide.

This wet section block has an output of up to 81,000 containers/h and requires 70% less space than conventional lines.

The advantages:

•             Because an area of just 18 times 12.5 metres suffices for the entire wet end, the system as a whole proves to be very compactly dimensioned.

•             Footprint reduced by up to 30% compared to a conventional block.

•             Thanks to a quick-change system for the moulds in the Contiform 3, change-overs to a different container shape and size require only a minimised time.

•             A single operator suffices for labelling and filling the containers.

In recent years, Krones has continued to design-enhance the ErgoBloc L. One of the major advantages for Krones’ clients is the fast change-overs using LineXpress L. This program for automatic product change-over reduces the previous change-over times from 30 or 45 to about ten minutes. Because when a product change-over is scheduled, the system calculates the remaining fill quantity and matches the number of preforms, closures and labels required with the remaining quantity of product. As soon as the last bottle has been filled, the change-over routine will begin: all machines are changed over to the new product in full or semi-automation, with the concomitant material change-over also effected on the fly. This enabled the time required for this process to be dramatically reduced, with a corresponding gain in OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness).

Krones will showcase this and other technologies at ProPak Asia.