In 1965, Otto Brunner founded a company for the development and manufacture of packaging machines. Ludwig Brunner later took over the company and focused on the construction of cartoning machines, packaging systems, special machines and product feeders. This resulted in a standard range of cartoning machines in vertical and horizontal design as well as the associated peripherals. On the basis of standardized units and customer-specific adaptations, it is possible to process or output folding carton formats from 20 x 15 x 45 millimetres up to a maximum of 270 x 120 x 350 millimetres at cycle rates of between one and 300 pieces per minute, depending on the design, machine type, pitch and operating mode.

Brunner's customers come from the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food and technical products sectors as well as the consumer goods industry and value the performance and flexibility of the machines and systems, which are designed and built in accordance with the prevailing guidelines (e.g. GMP). Manufacturers of packaging systems also rely on the company - especially when it comes to vertical and horizontal cartoning machines for fully automatic and manual packaging.

Ralf Mohr, Managing Director of Brunner, has more than 30 years of experience in packaging technology. "Our advantages lie in the wide variety of formats and the ability to change formats quickly, easily and reproducibly. In addition, we usually use timing belts to transport the folding cartons in a way that is gentle on the product and the packaging. The machines are designed as GMP versions in balcony construction. Direct drives with servomotors are used for the motion sequences. The machines can be fed either automatically or manually or in a mix and can be expanded at a later date thanks to their modular design. In order to keep the costs of the systems under control, we rely on the aforementioned standardization on the one hand and on assemblies available on the market in the required quality on the other."

The complete handling technology solution at the end of the VCL 180 S vertical cartoner is equipped with the two handling systems for removal positioning (bottom) and for correct orientation of the folding cartons for further processing (top). © Afag

Handling technology specialist Afag was recently confronted with a special handling challenge by Ralf Mohr. Alexander König, Sales South-West at Afag and responsible for the customer Brunner, describes the company's requirements: "It was a matter of simultaneously picking up folding cartons arriving upright, swiveling them twice or turning them by 90 degrees and depositing them, which are then reoriented in the correct position and conveyed crosswise on the outfeed conveyor belt to the final packaging line. This is achieved at cycle rates of 80 units per minute and based on the output of a VCL 180 S vertical cartoner. In the past, such rather complex motion sequences were accomplished with several pneumatic linear, swivel and rotary handling modules, but this was increasingly proving to be extremely difficult due to the complexity of components, assembly and installation as well as limited cycle rates. The end customer wanted higher performance and this could only be reliably achieved with a higher degree of automation and, in this case, the consistent use of electrically operated handling modules."

Ralf Mohr and his colleagues also looked into using a robot, but rejected this for reasons of space and cost. The complete solution presented by Alexander König and Afag-Anwendungstechnik was more than just a very good alternative. The creative combination of electric handling modules into a multi-axis X-Z-B-C handling system (according to the axis definition DIN 66217) is based on the following standardized components: a linear motor-driven gantry axis (X-axis), a linear motor-driven linear axis (Z-axis), an electrically driven rotary axis (B-axis) plus an electrically driven rotary axis (C-axis).

An additional handling unit (linear motor-driven linear axis, X-axis) is also installed for the continuous provision of the folding cartons from the infeed conveyor from the packaging machine, which uses vacuum suction to pull the folding cartons out of the conveyor belt area and provides them to the multi-axis handling system in the removal position. Both the multi-axis handling system and the individual handling system were assembled and equipped ready for installation and connection at Afag, so that Brunner Engineering only had to carry out the final assembly and the mechanical and control integration. The scope of delivery also included all controllers with motor cable and plug set as well as various accessories.

The standardization of all components practiced by Afag also has the advantage for the customer that the handling systems in master-slave operation can be matched to the machine sequences and their control and synchronized sensitively, which is expressed not least in optimized cycle rates and thus a higher throughput. In addition, it is possible to program various product-related movement profiles according to the system flexibility and to call them up at any time as required. as