Cama Group outlines how turnkey systems can offer extra efficiency and reliability in packaging

"One of the things that makes Cama unique is our turnkey systems, including secondary packaging lines,” said CEO Daniele Bellante. “These share the same electrical and mechanical standards, the same project management and commissioning services and the same responsibility as all our equipment.”

From customer requirements to a fully commissioned line, Cama’s experience in turnkey equipment is said to offer the client real added value. Company philosophy is to work in partnership with the eventual end user in the creation of efficient packaging lines. One example of this is a recent installation in Poland.

Cama tells Kennedy’s that this was the fourth occasion that the customer had approached them with such a challenging application; previously their packaging solutions had been installed in the client’s other manufacturing sites across Europe. This particular turnkey project was a collaboration between Cama and SPS (part of the PFM Group), which resulted in the development of a packaging line dedicated for peculiarly-shaped cakes, with a capacity of up to 45,000 products per hour.

The cakes are flow-wrapped in single packs, and then transferred to the grouping unit, where two Cama robots pick them up and load the products into waiting boxes. These have been automatically erected, and are then automatically glued using hot melt adhesive, and closed.

Thanks to the strong working relationship between Cama and SPS, it was possible to achieve the line with a remarkably short commissioning time whilst retaining the reliability required by such a project. The complete line was assembled for the Final Acceptance Test, carried out on the Cama premises, ensuring that the line was easy to put together and checking the primary and secondary packaging, plus the robot synchronisation. According to Cama, this significantly cuts commissioning time, therefore increasing benefits to the customer.

Cama says their main advantage as a company is that they are able to offer equipment with built in, customised robots – not just a pick and place device, but solutions conceived for specific packaging operations. Line components are carefully standardised, and as a result the robot is just another part – albeit an intelligent part – of the complete packaging solution.

Noted for their simple yet sophisticated design, the new generation machines and robotic units are said to offer the latest open architecture electronic controls, offering easy integration. Engineers harmonise various components of the machines, including servo drives, to achieve flexibility and productivity, resulting in a simple machine which meets safety standards. Leaner operation and less mechanical parts are achieved through the use of fully electronic machinery, and the fact that loading units are driven independently by brushless motors. All equipment is designed for 24-hour operation, seven days a week.

Cama’s equipment is designed with safety in mind, as well as simplicity and ease of use. All machinery from the company complies with Category 3 safety design according to the latest EN 13849-1 PL d regulation. In terms of changeovers, one option available is automatic changeover carried out by servo motor adjustments and easy releasing locking devices which do not require tools. Automatic Sizeparts Recognition does what is says on the tin, with the digital size changing system guaranteeing trouble free, accurate replacement and quick-line restarts.