Krones : Varioline 1M – the new continuous packer for high speeds

By developing the Varioline, Krones has already found the right answer to the requirements for flexible handling of end-of-the-line packages in the beverage industry. With complete success! Since 2015, this packaging system, with more than 50 machines sold, has established itself as a dependable piece of kit in the brewing and beverage industries.

The modularised construction of the Krones Varioline enables a multi-stage packaging process to be matched to the customer's requirements inside a single machine, using up to five modules and at a speed of up to 52,000 containers per hour.

For applications involving single-stage packaging processes, Krones can now, with the concept of the single-module Varioline 1M, supply a single-lane pick-and-place packer whose output is fully comparable to the conventional packers with two lanes. The packer achieves an hourly output of up to 72,000 bottles, while the unpacker is rated at around 86,000 bottles an hour, corresponding to a cycle speed of up to 720 cycles per hour. Returnable bottles are packed in a continuous flow, i.e. without any 'stop & go' in the bottle flow or on the pack conveyor. The layout variants as a head-configuration or straight-through machine ensure an ergonomically optimised line design. The footprint measures a mere 7.5 m2 without conveyors.

During the development work for the Varioline 1M, particular attention was paid to improved accessibility for the operating and maintenance staff; this was achieved by eliminating vibrator beam, guide plate cage and centring or infeed frames.

And for the bottles' visual appearance, too, the single-lane, continuous container infeed creates another major advantage. Bottle abrasion, known as scuffing, to which glass bottles are particularly susceptible, is substantially reduced.