2025 target : up to ten million cans
For 2025 , Belvoir is targeting between five and ten million cans , produced across several canning campaigns .
“ As our canning line currently shares some equipment with our bottling line , we don ’ t can all the time . We plan a two or three week ‘ canning campaign ’, usually every other month , based on forecasts ,” explains Martin .
A gem of a solution
T . Freemantle ’ s can collation solution is another unique design feature that sets the Automatic Beverage Multipack Machine apart from the competition and supports high speed performance . An infeed gate system facilitates the efficient release of cans into the machine , where they are guided into a diamond shape that is maintained along the length of the machine until they have been deposited in the open cartons .
“ The diamond formation makes it much easier to insert the cans into the cartons than if they were presented square on . It also reduces the risk of snagging on the edges of the cartons ,” explains Simon Holt , head of sales ( UK & Ireland ) at T . Freemantle .
The company ’ s engineers have also put a lot of thought into the safe passage of cans through the machine - a particular challenge for taller cans and larger collations . The cans are supported throughout the insertion process to ensure can stability is maintained . They have also focused on keeping downtime for cleaning and changeovers to a minimum ; can size changeover is simple and easy to perform with no change parts - format changeovers can be executed in as little as 15 minutes .
Multipack Machine the fastest flexible can cartoning solution on the market today . Belvoir ’ s minimum line speed requirement - set by the filler - was 12,500 cans per hour , which equates to 50 cartons per minute . Martin reports that the line “ easily and consistently ” runs at 55 cartons per minute and could potentially reach 70 cartons per minute .
Having this capacity will allow the producer to ramp up its output to keep pace with demand .
In the first six months of operation ( June to December 2023 ), Belvoir produced 1.5 million cans - more than a year ’ s worth of production under the co-packer arrangement .
“ When the figures were presented to our executive board they were really impressed ,” says Martin .
The entire project was structured with short term sales targets and a long term goal of achieving payback within five years . To this end , in 2025 , the company will invest £ 2m in new pasteurising and palletising equipment to allow the canning line to run independently , thereby further increasing capacity .
As to whether the project is delivering on its objectives Martin says : “ It ’ s early days , but already we have secured new distribution for our RTD canned launches and are seeing growth from export markets , in particular the US , Australia , Canada , Japan and China . The flexibility afforded by the Automatic Beverage Multipack Machine is invaluable in helping us to adapt to market demands , whether that is producing an extra 10,000 cans or a 10-can pack for a US retailer .”
www . tfreemantle . com
Fast and flexible
All of these features combine to make the Automatic Beverage
28 FDPP - www . fdpp . co . uk