Duran Machinery, the manufacturer of the popular range of Omega folder gluers for the carton and corrugated markets has designed and built a new model that combines cutting-edge technology with user-friendliness and places the company firmly in the centre of Industry 4.0 requirements.
Known as the ‘Alius’, which in Latin means ‘different’, Duran says the contemporary design of this innovative gluer is like no other on the market and will set a new standard for operational efficiency. Speaking for the company, Head of Sales & Marketing, Pinar Kucukaras said, “The Alius is definitely unique – that is how it gets its name. Along with many features that will make it an operator’s dream machine, it combines fully automated set-up by calculating the carton dimensions, with high speed operation, to create a new experience in carton production.”
Available in three sizes, 70, 90, 110, the Alius is fully servo driven with a top belt speed of 600m/min. It features intelligent set-up that calculates and automatically implements all machine settings from the carton design without operator involvement. It also stores all settings for future repeat work. “What sets the Alius apart is the degree of automation. It has 27 adjustment points that are made automatically from its computer memory,” explains Kucukaras.
Duran has also developed its own machine screening system that allows the user to monitor production from external devices like a tablet or mobile phone. Compatible with Industry 4.0, Alius shares data via its OPC UA platform which allows its current production to be screened from any web browser. Machine screens include operator help content for easy troubleshooting. It also includes a continuous factory link for remote operator support when required.
The new Alius also offers easy integration with other ancillary systems. Given its maximum speed of 600m/minute, it demands integration with pre-feeders and fully-automated packers to run this gluer at its full capacity. In addition to its regular pre-feeder, Duran also offers a turn-over pre-feeder as well as the well proven Omega Pack.
The contemporary design of the Alius gluers is based on a 30mm solid steel frame and easy set-up features that were designed with input from Duran’s technical team combining their worldwide experience.
The fully motorised Feeder memorises all job settings to make repeat work easy and has an adjustable air vibrating pile support for separating the blanks and eliminating skips and doubles. The side register is double sided, which allows use of the full width of the machine and it has just one adjustment point to set the gluer for all material thicknesses. The Pre-fold and Final-fold sections are both long to ensure accuracy when running at high speed and the up-down movement of the centre upper carrier is motorised to facilitate easy set-up.
The Alius was given a world premiere at the recent Print4All Expo in Milan, where it attracted keen interest from carton converters from around Europe and the Middle East. “We are keen to be seen as more than a supplier of machinery, because in today’s highly competitive global market for packaging, converters and suppliers need to work closely together to maximise productivity. We designed Alius from the ground up because Industry 4.0 demands a new way of thinking and working. The machine builds on the technical integrity of all existing Omega folder gluers, which have a universal reputation for reliability and productivity. It just raises the benchmark to a whole new level,” Kucukaras concluded.
For more information: www.duranmachinery.com
