Application Note: Horizontal Vs. Vertical Case Packers: Choosing The Correct Solution

ESS Technologies, Inc. case packers provide a high performance solution for collating and placing packaged products into secondary cases. The Model K 15 Automatic Horizontal Case Packer and Model V 30 Vertical Robotic Case Packer both offer high performance, a very small footprint, fast changeover, and ease of maintenance. But selecting the best solution for a given application depends on the type of product and the required speed. This application note compares the configuration and performance of horizontal and vertical case packers to aid in the selection of the highest performing solution.

Case packers may be configured as horizontal case packers or vertical case packers, referring to how the product is placed in the case. As the names suggest, horizontal case packers collate product and then push the collated grouping into the open case, which is oriented on its side, while vertical case packers lower product into the open top of the case. Each method works equally well, but they are each suited to different primary product packages. For example, vertical case packing is the best choice for products that may tip over easily if pushed, such as irregularly shaped bottles and loose tubes. Vertical case packers are also more effective on products that do not push easily, such as foil sachets. Horizontal case packers are ideal for rigid products that can be easily stacked and pushed, such as cartons or carton bundles, soaps, etc.