EXCALIBUR®, an integrated solution for palletizing lines.
Marianne Pfister, European Sales Manager
Marianne, 10 years ago, CGP Coating Innovation proposed a new solution for palletizing lines, the EXCALIBUR layer cutter.
An opportunity to review the evolution of this machine?
“We’re world leaders in the production of non-slip interlayers and other technical packaging solutions. Just 10 years ago, we had the idea of designing and developing the Excalibur. The Excalibur is a simple, reliable paper roll slitter for automated, unitary distribution of pallet dividers. Unitary distribution of layer pads ensures optimum pick-up by palletizer gripper arms, avoiding line stoppages and improving cycle times.
We began marketing Excalibur on the European market, and since obtaining UL certification 5 years ago, we’ve also been offering it to our North and South American customers. We’re growing fast, and our target for 2022 is to market over fifty Excaliburs in Europe and the United States.
It’s a solution that we’ve designed to be modular, reliable and customizable. Producing several interleaver lengths from a single reel, or even ½ formats for that matter, increasing throughputs… these are just some of the issues we’ve improved over time.”
What arethe areas of improvement and development?
“Our design office regularly works on improvements, which are largely the result of feedback from the factory and specific customer requests. There is a growing desire to work on operator ergonomics and safety, and to adapt the machine for accessibility on lines with small footprints. For example, we have specifically designed an EXCALIBUR for a Danone Group high infeed palletizer, which we call the “Giraffe”. It delivers the layer pad to the floor, while keeping the supply on the ground, which is much safer for the operator. We work closely with all integrators, as well as with upstream manufacturers. This is a guarantee for us that we can integrate a machine perfectly adapted to the industrialist’s palletizing line, with the aim of reducing production constraints.”
What is the EXCALIBUR’s business model?
“You know, we’re first and foremost a consumables manufacturer. Our aim is to make the EXCALIBUR easy to use, by offering our customers a reliable, discreet tool that will be a permanent fixture. We work mainly under long-term investment contracts. This limits investment costs for our customers, guarantees that they always have access to the latest generation of equipment, and provides them with maintenance support.
The world of automatic palletizing is evolving fast, with ever-higher speeds and increasingly versatile grippers. We’re playing our part in these developments to keep pace with our partners’ productivity, safety and ergonomic requirements.”