A new beaded guide that can be fitted into processing and packaging lines allows multiple products to run side-by-side without bottle necks, while reducing damage, its manufacturer claims.

Standard-Knapp claims its Beaded Lane Guide has an interleaved design, which provides a continuous surface for significantly reduced side friction against bottles and containers, the manufacturer claims.

Now many lines are running round the clock, they are expected to handle multiple or different products, often during a single shift. For operations with a single line, this usually involves changeovers, which lead to downtime and loss of overall production.

Installing a lane guide into existing runs also protects pressure-sensitive labels and graphics from damage, while being suitable to handle non-round, locking, and unstable-shaped containers, the manufacturer claims.

The plastic rollers of the lane guide are engineered with a specific ratio of outside and inside diameter for minimal roll resistance, the company claims.

Lane guides are available in a range of heights to accommodate a variety of product shapes and sizes, and is suitable for hot-filled beverages in compressible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers, as well as glass, other plastic, and aluminum packaging.

The Beaded Lane Guide's stainless steel assembly components can be easily cleaned and maintained, its low-deflection mounting plates make installation simple, the manufacturer claims.

The lane guide is available with all the company's packaging machines, and is also available as a separate component.

US-based Standard-Knapp is a manufacturer of packing machinery for a variety of industries including beverage, food, and other industries. The company provides packaging solutions including tray packers, tray loading machines, case packers, shrink wrappers, and bottle packers.

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