Cermex launches lane divider in 'strategic' beverage push

The end of line packaging equipment supplier's new DiviArm machine, which has guiding arm for distributing primary packaging such as bottles, containers, cans and cartons into lanes, follows the launch of its Cermex DiviSlat model at the end of 2011.

Cermex said that it was building up its complete range of lane dividing solutions to meet market demands. “This strategic decision reinforces Cermex’s position in its markets given that particular attention is paid to the reliability of the lane dividing solution in industries such as beverages, wines and spirits, home and personal care,”​ the company said.

Installed upstream from a case packer or shrink-wrapper, DiviArm is designed to transfer products such as bottles, containers, cans and cartons, which are fed in upright on one lane.

The equipment is fitted with a guiding arm mounted on two axes. The transverse axis distributes products between lanes whilst the longitudinal axis synchronizes the product progression so that products are guided at the speed of the lower conveyor without bumping.

A system automatically empties the lane divider if the downstream machine stops so as to restart quickly, with no falling products and no loss in synchronisation.

Reinforced product protection​

Product protection is reinforced by the wide scale of guide position adjustments and choice of material used to suit attributes such as product shape, resistance and label position, Cermex said.

Cermex said it had developed DiviArm to work with its shrink-wrappers and case packers. However, the new lane divider is also standalone machine, with its own independent electrical cabinet, which can be integrated into any automated packaging line.

The DiviArm machine can work at is 60 cycles per minute (350 products/min) and can operate with up to 12 lanes at a low noise level, the company said.

France-based Cermex specialises in case packing, shrink wrapping and palletising and is a subsidiary of Sidel, itself a division of Tetra Laval.

Cermex specialises in end of line packing and palletising machinery, including turnkey lines, and the development of this machinery in selected strategic fields.

You can watch a video of the DiviArm lane divider in action here​.