cartoners

Cartoners are packaging machines that form, close, and seal cartons around products to create finished, carton-wrapped packages. They are used in many industries, including food, beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and household goods, to increase packaging speed and consistency. Cartoners can be standalone units or integrated into broader form-fill-seal lines.

Operation typically starts with flat carton blanks loaded into a magazine. The machine erects blanks into a tube-like or rectangular carton, then feeds the product into the carton. The carton is closed by glue, tape, or tuck closures and discharged. Common configurations include wrap-around cartoners, which form a carton by wrapping a flat blank around the product, and end-load cartoners, which insert the product into a pre-formed carton. Modern models use servo-driven motion, adjustable guides, and rapid changeovers.

Performance and considerations: Key metrics are cartons per minute (CPM) and changeover time. Changeovers must accommodate different carton sizes with minimal tooling. Many cartoners support integration with printers, coders, scanners, and quality sensors; some models are designed for pharmaceutical or sterile environments. Operators should monitor alignment, blank quality, and closure reliability.