Automatic Cartoning Machines

Where automatic cartoning fits

An automatic cartoner takes flat folding carton blanks, erects them, loads the product and closes the carton. It is usually the secondary packaging step after a wrapper, stick pack machine, blister machine or filler.

The 47 configurations in this family cover tea bags and tea boxes, coffee capsules and pods, stick packs, grain and protein bars, chocolate and confectionery, lipsticks and cosmetic bottles, sheet masks, tablets, blister packs and bottles, frozen pizza, bar soap and hardware such as screws. Reference models include the LV-180 for tea bags, the LV-GS150 for pharmaceutical bottles and blister packs, and the LV-250B/D for chocolate bars.

• Tea bags, coffee capsules, pods and stick packs
• Bars, chocolate and confectionery
• Cosmetics, sheet masks, blister packs and bottles
• Frozen pizza, soap and hardware parts

How a cartoning machine works

Most loading faults begin at the infeed. Products need to arrive in a consistent orientation and count, so the product feeding arrangement is usually the most project-specific part of a cartoner.

• Carton magazine and pick-up of a flat blank
• Carton erecting and transfer to the carton chain
• Product infeed, counting and grouping into buckets or pockets
• Loading by pusher, pick-and-place or gravity drop
• Leaflet folding and insertion, where required
• Flap closing by tuck-in or glue
• Coding, inspection and rejection, where included
• Discharge to overwrapping, case packing or palletizing

Start with the product and carton

Define the product orientation, number of items per carton, carton dimensions and closing method before selecting the loading system.

• Product samples, leaflet or insert requirements
• Carton board, dimensions and closure
• Feeding method and integration with primary packaging
• Flat carton blanks from your carton supplier, for checking erecting and closing

Horizontal and vertical loading

Most configurations in this family are horizontal, end-loading cartoners. Products are pushed into the open end of the carton from the side, which suits bars, blister packs, tubes, soap and grouped sachets.

Vertical, top-loading configurations drop or place the product into the carton from above. The catalog shows this for coffee pods counted by a vibratory bowl and dropped into the carton, and for perfume bottles placed into boxes. Fragile or high-value items such as lipsticks, sheet masks and pizza use pick-and-place or vacuum-assisted loading in several configurations.

Closing, leaflets and coding

Tuck-in closing needs no glue and suits cartons that the consumer reopens. Glue closing with a hot-melt system gives a sealed carton and is common for food and cartons that go on to overwrapping or shipping.

Leaflet insertion, batch coding, serialization labels and vision inspection appear on some configurations. They add stations, controls and verification work, so do not assume any of them are standard inclusions.

• Tuck-in or glued flaps, and the glue type if glued
• Leaflet size, folding pattern and position in the carton
• Code type and position: inkjet, embossing or label
• Checks for missing product, missing leaflet and open flaps

Review loading and line interfaces

Automatic loading, coding, inspection and case packing depend on the proposed configuration. Review the scope and trial conditions with the LINEVO team.

When the cartoner is fed directly by a flow wrapper, stick pack machine or capsule filler, the machines must agree on product pitch, stop and start signals and a buffer for short stoppages. Several configurations are presented as integrated lines from primary packaging to carton.

What to send for an evaluation

Send finished products as they leave your primary packaging, flat carton blanks and a closed sample carton, any leaflets, the count per carton and the output you need. A short video of the current process helps. Quantities for any trial are agreed with the team before shipping.

Questions buyers ask about cartoning machines

Should I choose a horizontal or vertical cartoner? Horizontal end-loading suits products that can be pushed in from the side. Vertical top-loading suits products that are dropped or placed in, such as bottles and pods. The product decides.

How many carton sizes can one cartoner run? Several, within its range, with change parts for the carton chain, product buckets and folding guides. List each carton size and product count.

Can the cartoner connect to my existing wrapper or filler? Usually, if the interface signals, product pitch and speeds are agreed. Send details of the existing machine so the interface can be reviewed.