The horticulture industry is continuously looking for more sustainable and cost-saving solutions. For example, the demand for paper sleeves and automation is on the rise. But how to combine these two? For several years, Weber Verpackungen, also known for its bloom guard paper sleeve, is working on a solution and is about to present it to the public. In-house, Weber technicians designed and developed a paper sleeve bagging machine named the pot packer. A revolutionary concept in several ways, according to Ewald Bouwmeister, Head of Business Development at this German packaging manufacturer.
See how the pot packer works in this video.
How the idea arose
Several years ago, in 2015, Weber presented their first paper sleeve at the IPM Essen. Since the introduction, they have seen the demand increase but noticed that there is a potential to grow even more. "Currently, there is no paper sleeve bagging machine on the market, and for the sleeving machines that are on the market, the change to paper sleeves seems to entail too much work. As we could not find a solution in the machines that are on the market at the moment, we tried to solve it in-house- something quite unique for a packaging manufacturer. We've engineerd a machine and did several trials with it at growers in Germany, with pleasing results."
Pay per pot
According to Bouwmeister, the concept is revolutionary because of several reasons. One is that using the machine does not need an investment. "With the retail margins being under pressure, a large investment has become a tougher decision for many. Therefore, we came up with the concept of paying per pot. In this way, no large initial investment is needed and the growers will benefit from the advantages of the paper sleeves and the machine directly."
Saving time
One of these advantages is saving time. "When running 2 lanes, it packs till 2.200 pieces per hour. This, in turn, saves up to 50% of the packaging time. On top of that, less labor is required. Another advantage during these times of labor shortages."
Uniform output
And as the machine is doing all the packaging work, the output is more uniform. "Each plant looks the same, without damages."
Paper and plastic
On top of that, the machine is flexible as it can handle both plastic and paper sleeves. "Moreover, the installation is fast; it is compact and easy to move and remove," he adds.
App-tool
Last but not least, and according to Bouwmeister also unique about this concept is the app. "This app supports the grower as it can easily show all kinds of data regarding the past packaging processes."
IPM Essen
Eager to see this machine in real life? At the IPM Essen, which will take place from January 23-26 in Essen, Germany, Weber will present the pot packer at their booth (Hall 1. Booth 1D12.C.)
For more information:
WEBER Verpackungen
Ewald Bouwmeister
Email: bouwmeister@weberverpackungen.de
www.potpacker.de
Video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1kO2vD_tJFo