An Expert Look at Cartoning Automation with Bob Burkhardt
Thanks for joining us. Could you share a bit about yourself and what you do at R.A Jones?
I am Bob Burkhardt and currently work as the Product Manager – Cartoning & Robotics at R.A. Jones, based in Northern Kentucky. Over the last 35 years I have worked at R.A Jones as a Development Engineer, Project Engineer, Application Engineer, and now as a Product Manager, designing machines and systems for both food and non-food products.
My work with some of the finest companies in the world has given me deep insight into the needs of real manufacturing lines that produce items for consumers around the globe. These days I get to work closely with customers to understand how we should adapt our existing machine designs and determine what new equipment is needed to ensure our customers are successful.
The packaging landscape is evolving rapidly. What sets R.A Jones ahead in the cartoning sector?
The breadth of our product portfolio, the varied industries and products we’re engaged with, our commitment to keeping machines in peak condition, and our practical and innovative solutions give us a competitive edge in the cartoning sector.
Successful on-going production starts by selecting a machine that’s optimized for flexibility across carton types, shapes, materials, sizes, and product configurations. That is exactly what we excel at and it’s how we’ve earned customers’ trust across many industries.
What are the main challenges customers face when selecting cartoning solutions?
Customers need to find the right balance between speed and adaptability when selecting cartoning solutions, while also dealing with labor shortages and the need to respond quickly to demand fluctuations and product variations.
Building the best packaging system for any given product first requires an understanding of how that product will be received from upstream so that it can be efficiently collated and grouped for loading into the carton in a controlled manner.
The product itself as well as the desired production speed will frequently indicate the best carton construction method and orientation (e.g., side-loaded vs. top-loaded). From that point, the carton size range, material type, and product count will point to the best machine to match speed and flexibility requirements, now and into the future.
As you said, flexibility is a key requirement. How do your machines deliver production flexibility?
All of our cartoning machines adjust in 3-dimensions to handle a wide range of package sizes, designs, materials, and counts. We design our machines for fast and predictable changeovers between these factors, increasing labor effectiveness and reducing errors and waste.
We’ve also recently patented technology that creates and loads specially shaped cartons. This empowers our customers to produce even more distinctive packages that grab the attention of consumers but also save on material usage.
This flexibility provides a future-ready assurance in ever-changing industries, maximizing the value of the machine investment. This also empowers manufacturers to more swiftly win the attention of consumers who buy products for characteristics such as value, quantity, freshness, or experience.
How do your solutions help customers address labor and efficiency challenges?
Our automation solutions seek to compliment operators by removing or lessening the burdensome, repetitive, and tedious tasks of constructing and loading cartons.
These solutions free operators for higher-level tasks, enabling them to monitor and troubleshoot any changes from incoming materials that may affect production efficiency. Consistency and clarity from reliable machine operation translates into production targets that are met with quality output, supporting business objectives and optimizing ROI.
Could you describe your main cartoning technologies—Celestion® MTX, CMV-150, and the Criterion® Family—and how they support different operational needs?
Absolutely, these three machine platforms give R.A Jones the ability to provide a solution for any cartoning need.
The Celestion® MTX is a family of fully automated top-load cartoners designed for maximum carton and product control and flexibility, capable of handling a wide range of formats and materials with fast, tool-free changeovers. Carton costs are minimized since they are formed from flat blanks that are glued to create a “container” into which products can be gathered.
Push-button changeovers make configurations such as the Celestion® FLOW, Celestion® KIT, and Celestion® TUBE a favorite of customers, with flexibility and control for unique carton designs that standout.
The CMV-150 is a vertical cartoning machine with full spectrum loading: from manual loading to completely automatic. This allows customers the flexibility to choose the level of automation in their operations, as well as the ability to scale those operations over time. The newest 5th generation design utilizes modern materials and technology to advance a machine that was first made available in 1929, with thousands produced over the years.
The Criterion® brand is a longstanding and well-known family of end-load cartoners suitable for a wide range of products and industries. As a bedrock for the production of the most known consumer brands in the world, the Criterion® CL-240, CL-300, and CLi-100 have production rates from 30 to 600 cartons per minute with single or multiple products in each package. The high-speeds possible with these machines lead to minimized costs per carton that improve profits yet delight consumers.
Whether working with your package designers or our own, we deliver tailored solutions that elevate the consumer experience, beautifully compartmentalize, and reliably protect your product.
How does R.A Jones help companies maintain a competitive advantage through packaging automation?
The product presentations that line store shelves are constantly changing to maintain or gain market share by getting the attention of consumers. That means that producers must have the agility to meet these evolving requirements while also having the resilience to create high-quality packages that are produced reliably and in a cost-effective manner.
Our portfolio of proven cartoning solutions remain adaptable for product changes while producing consistent quality, shelf-ready packages of various styles, sizes, materials and now, even non-rectangular shapes.
R.A Jones also provides on-going support for our customers with an array of services to ensure machines are ready for on-demand usage. These include operational and maintenance best-practice advice, technical services, parts support, and upgrade options that ensure continual competitive advantages and high OEE.
Looking ahead, what should companies consider when investing in cartoning machinery for the long term?
Companies investing in cartoning machinery for the long term should focus on solutions that meet their current needs but that can adapt to evolving production needs, support efficient changeovers, and deliver long-term value through reliability, scalability, and optimized resource use.
We have been in the cartoning business for over 120 years and we are positioned and resourced to do so well into the future. We are committed to supporting our machines and customers for years and even decades with innovative technologies, proven expertise, and comprehensive care.