R.A Jones, a Coesia Company, has launched its new Orbi-Trak TC-6 speedup kit for its Meridian XR machines, allowing beverage and food manufacturers to run a variety of canned product configurations at a reported surge speed of 345 cartons per minute. The company says that this carton feed technology surpasses the current standard speed of 300 cartons a minute, making R.A Jones’ Meridian XR machines the fastest in the industry. The Orbi-Track TC-6 is being debuted at PACK EXPO International 2022.

The new speedup kit is an updated version of the Orbi-Trak, previously patented R.A Jones carton feed technology found on its Criterion machines. The speedup kit is outfitted with six possible spindle carton pick and place locations rather than four. These two additional spindles expand the carton size range and speed capabilities of the machine, boosting overall production rates.

The main challenge with increasing carton speeds is that it can lead to carton jams and lowered efficiency rates causing production line downtime. R.A Jones says it re-engineered the spindle rotation so it was synchronized and would not interfere with the carton being picked up. By slowing down the spindle speed, the carton can better align with the speed of the air frame chains, allowing for a smoother hand off between the two devices. The matching speed is essential in preventing carton jams while still providing customers with improved reliability and increased efficiency.

Orbi-Trak TC-6 is now available as an upgrade to an existing multipacker machine and can be retrofitted to any Meridian XR already in service. The company says that the changeover from a standard carton feed to the new, faster carton feed is simple and cost-effective, typically completed in less than a week. This addition has increased the speed at which customers can produce 4-, 6- and 8-pack configurations as well as expanded machine capabilities to package a wide range of product types, diameters and heights in virtually any package style and format.