Packaging: Intralox conveyance technology awarded for sustainability

Intralox, the global provider of conveying solutions, was recognized for its contributions to the sustainable packaging movement in creating conveying equipment to allow processors to handle new, greener package types at high levels of efficiency. Intralox received the Innovator of the Year award in the Packaging Machinery category of the 2011 Greener Package Awards competition.

As the U.S. beverage market takes strides to reduce greenhouse gas production with new, sustainable packaging designs that use less material and create less waste, it is also searching for the most efficient and cost-effective ways to integrate these package types into production processes.

Intralox’s S7000 Switch allowed one major beverage manufacturer to do just that. The beverage producer needed a switching technology to handle its minimally packaged beverages, which were wrapped in shrink film only with no cardboard pad or tray. Conventional switching technologies have difficulty handling new packages like this at high throughput rates due to products tipping over and causing jams. Other technologies like pusher arms falter when handling delicate packages like shrink wrap, causing product damage. 

The Intralox S7000 Switch, featuring patented Activated Roller Belt (ARB) technology, effectively handles all package types at high throughput rates (up to 500 packages per minute) without jams or product damage. It can accommodate multiple infeeds and discharges, enabling a nearly infinite number of product trajectories. And because all moving parts are contained within the machine, the S7000 Switch protects the quality of products and minimizes safety risks for workers. 

Commented Greener Package Awards judge Barry Sanel of Diageo North America: “I like this technology and the associated reduction in packaging. Based on the beverage packager’s volume and how many of these devices are deployed, this should have a big environmental impact.”