EXCALIBUR®, an integrated solution for palletising lines.
Marianne Pfister, European Sales Director
Marianne, 10 years ago, CGP Coating Innovation proposed a new solution for palletising lines, the EXCALIBUR layer cutter.
An opportunity to review the development of this machine?
“We are the world leader in the production of non-slip interleaves 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 reel slitting machine for the automated unit distribution of pallet dividers. Unit distribution of the layers ensures optimum gripping of the layers by the palletiser gripper arms, avoiding line stoppages and improving cycle times.
We started selling Excalibur on the European market and, after obtaining UL certification 5 years ago, we are now also offering it to our North and South American customers. We’re growing fast, and by 2022 we aim to be selling more than fifty Excaliburs in Europe and the United States.
It’s a solution that we’ve designed to be modular, reliable and customisable. Producing several lengths of divider from a single reel, or even ½ formats, and increasing output… these are all areas that we have improved over time.
Whatare the areas for improvement and development?
“Our design office regularly works on improvements that are largely based on 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 called the ‘Giraffe’ for a high infeed palletiser for the Danone group. It allows the layer pad to be delivered to the floor while keeping the supply on the ground, which is much safer for the operator. We work closely with all the integrators, as well as with upstream manufacturers. This means we can guarantee that manufacturers can integrate a machine that is perfectly adapted to their palletising line, with the aim of reducing their production constraints.
What is the EXCALIBUR’s business model?
“You know, we are first and foremost a manufacturer of consumables. Our aim is to make the EXCALIBUR easy to use by offering a reliable, discreet tool that our customers can rely on over the long term. We essentially work under long-term investment contracts. This limits investment costs for our customers, guarantees them that they will always have the latest generation equipment and benefit from maintenance support.
The world of automatic palletising is changing fast, with ever-higher speeds and increasingly versatile grippers. We’re doing our bit to keep pace with our partners’ productivity, safety and ergonomic requirements.