In the children’s board game Thin Ice, players continue to load marbles onto tissue paper, hoping not to be the one holding the tweezers when the marbles “break the ice.” Although Thin Ice brings about joviality when the marbles finally break through the tissue paper, in the beverage market, having packaging that can’t withstand rough handling is a troublesome event. Experts note that as packaging materials have become thinner, material handling equipment is adapting to ensure warehouse operations protect the efficacy of beverages.
“Thinner and more delicate packaging makes automated handling more difficult,” says Michael Castor, offering manager of palletizing at Honeywell Intelligrated, Mason, Ohio. “Traditionally, conventional palletizers use pneumatic bump-turners to selectively turn boxes to match the required pattern. However, with delicate packaging, using these bump-turners can damage the product.”