OCME solves End of Line Packaging challenges for Bundaberg Brewed Drinks

OCME S.r.l. from Parma Italy, a world leader in packaging, filling, handling and palletising systems for the consumer products industry, have successfully installed a Pegasus Robotic Palletiser with manipulator infeed for Bundaberg Brewed drinks.

Bundaberg Brewed Drinks, Queensland, Australia is a family owned brewery that is renowned for their famous Bundaberg Ginger Beer product and other brewed beverages that are exported to over 30 countries around the World. All of the drinks are shipped in high quality cardboard sleeves in a 3x2 format and are a popular choice on supermarket shelves.

Bundaberg were looking to improve the efficiency of their End of Line and to improve the handling of their bottles, as their previous machinery was susceptible to carton damage and struggled operating in the high humidity experienced during Bundaberg’s summer months.

The primary objective in the purchase of a new palletiser was to find a machine that could create layered patterns of cartons containing lightweight glass bottles that were filled with hot liquid without damaging them. The company reviewed a number of palletiser technologies such as traditional split type, roller deck handling and full layer robotic handling.

OCME conducted extensive testing on the Bundaberg product at their facility in Italy and were able to alleviate Bundaberg management’s concerns, as this technology had never been trialled in Australia before without the use of support under the cartons.

The OCME robotic Pegasus palletiser was found to be far superior to the other systems and fulfilled  Bundaberg’s rigorous product handling criteria. Combined with an OCME  Altair N60 wraparound case packer and a TechnoWrapp B150 stretch wrapper the complete installation exceeded Bundaberg’s expectations.

“The installation, commissioning & training phases of the project were executed extremely well and to a very high standard. The palletiser has increased our capacity from 20 to 66 cartons per minute and efficiency has increased due to the reliability and ease of changeover from product sizes” said Darren Smith, Engineering Manger at Bundaberg Brewed Drinks.