Proco Machinery Inc., Mississauga, Ontario, manufacturer of automation systems for the blow molding industry, has launched a unique lay-flat packing technology which allows blow molders to pack plastic bottles on their sides, as opposed to necks up or down. The new tooling technology uses a collaborative robot automation system from Universal Robots, Boston, Massachusetts, with whom Proco is working to offer a complete downstream automation solution. Proco’s new Lay Flat Tooling helps blow molders and brand owners maximize product capacity for a given container. The company has developed two sets of tooling: one for straight neck-to-neck packaging in the box and another for offset neck orientation from row to row. This potentially allows for packing 270 bottles in a box instead of 250. For more information, visit www.procomachinery.com.
