Canning is all the rage in craft beer, which means shrink sleeves aren’t far behind, rage-wise. Axon, powered by Pro Mach, will be showing off its shrink sleeve applicator solutions at Pack Expo in Las Vegas, September 25-27, in booth #C-2820, which feature ease of operation and quick changeover. The display on hand will demonstrate a shrink sleeve applicator for every production environment, ranging from 70 up to 800 containers per minute (CPM).
The new SLX class of applicators for up to 800 CPM
The SLX platform, designed with ease of operation in mind, features changeover processes made fail-safe through machine self-monitoring and fast, easy-to-make precision machine adjustments. Application speed is automated and calibrated to line rate, allowing the applicator to speed up or slow down as needed without operator intervention. Axon offers the option of incorporating its new patent pending thin film delivery system for film thicknesses down to 25 microns. Thinner films mean material cost savings and more sustainable packaging. The SLX platform meets the PackML programming standard and delivers seamless communication and integration with up-stream and down-stream equipment. This results in faster start up, closely integrated operation with other machines on the line and expedient troubleshooting.
The Lanzara for application up to 400 CPM
The Lanzara, a servo-controlled, mandrel-style applicator, delivers the highest output at the most sensible price of any applicator in the industry at speeds up to 400 CPM. With the Axon Smart Speed Control feature, Lanzara automatically increases or decreases the sleeving rate, matching upstream and downstream line speed without operator involvement for set-it-and-forget-it operation. Smart Speed Control ensures optimum throughput, uptime and quality. With a new Smart Cutting System, Axon has dramatically improved its film cutting technology, reducing the number of blade changeovers required by 66 percent when compared to the previous generation.
The EZ-150SL and ThermoFlow shrink tunnel for applications up to 150 CPM
In combination with Axon’s ThermoFlow shrink tunnel, the EZ-150SL, with its mandrel-style film delivery system easily handles sleeving operations at speeds up to 150 CPM and is ideal for craft beer production environments or short-run operations for seasonal or specialty events. The ThermoFlow is a compact, shrink sleeve steam tunnel that couples seamlessly with the EZ-150SL. The ThermoFlow features a self-contained 15-PSI low pressure steam generator and condensate collection system, a unique design that eliminates the need to invest in expensive high-pressure boilers and minimizes energy consumption. Its mobile design allows the ThermoFlow to be easily rolled into a corner when not in use.
The EZ-100 applicator for up to 70 CPM
The EZ-100 has become the standard for easy, flexible and economical shrink sleeve label and tamper evident band applications at low to moderate speeds. The EZ-100, the flagship of Axon’s EZ-Series product line, features an electro-pneumatic film control system that enables rapid changeover to different container sizes without expensive or time-consuming tooling changes.
