+31 40 8080 193Gandae Handling Atelier
Gandae Handling Atelier, from Ghent in Belgium, has developed extensive expertise in the sleeving and de-skinning of bottles and flasks in recent years. Beer bottles were still de-skinned manually with insufficient capacity for larger volumes.
De-sleeved laser machine
Gandae's question to MetaQuip was whether they could develop a laser machine in which the beer bottle with sleeve is inserted on the one side and the bottle with the sleeve cut loose on the other side, so that the sleeve can then be easily removed. The advantage of removing shrink film with laser is that every bottle is properly cut loose and no blades become blunt and the glassware is not damaged.
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MetaQuip Fully Automatic Laser Bottle Decomposing Machine
MetaQuip has developed, tested and certified the complete laser machine for Gandea. The bottles are fed in at the entrance, cut loose in the machine and collected at the exit and the sleeve is removed manually. It is also possible to remove the sleeve from shrink film fully automatically, even at speed in a production line.
Impression of shrink wrap desleeving machine
MetaQuip's contribution to this laser machine
Process research
MetaQuip first investigated whether it is possible to use laser technology to consistently cut the sleeve along its entire length, even when the diameter of the bottle varies. After a number of tests, we concluded together with Gandae that this was absolutely possible.
Product development
After that, after the necessary financing was available, a first machine concept was developed. MetaQuip subsequently fully developed the machine, including laser safety and CE certification. For the mechatronic system, there was collaboration with two partners: Newton and 1K3.
Fully automatic
The machine works fully automatically. Incoming bottles are detected and the laser process is started automatically. If bottles are placed incorrectly, they are not processed. The machine can be adjusted so that other shapes and sizes of bottles can be processed. The current capacity of this machine is 1000-1200 bottles per hour.
Safety
This machine is used in an environment where people with disabilities work. That is why MetaQuip has looked extensively at the potential risks of the machine with a focus on the mechanical components and the laser components. The existing safety systems ensure that the machine switches off immediately if an error is detected.
Machine in operation
The machine is currently at Gandae. The machine is fully integrated into the production line. The entire machine concept is well established and can be easily replicated if the capacity needs to be increased.
Gandea in the news
GANDAE GENT AUTOMATICALLIES FOR BREWERY VAN STEENBERGE
GHENT / ERTVELDE - Gandae and Van Steenberge brewery have been working together for 20 years. In order to accommodate the growth of the brewery in Ertvelde, however, there was a need for automation.
The Van Steenberge brewery grows every year, creating more employment for Gandae's target group employees. But all these extra hands could not fully absorb the increasing work. That is why Gandae, together with the Van Steenberge brewery and design agency MetaQuip, designed a machine for decongesting beer bottles.
