IWK Verpackungstechnik GmbH, based in Stutensee near Karlsruhe, Germany, is part of the ATS Group and employs more than 7,500 people at 65 international production sites. It is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of packaging machines, focusing on tube fillers and cartoning systems.
With the CABLIblue 870 card-to-card blister system, the company supports its customers on their journey towards a circular economy. It processes high volumes of sturdy packaging for medical technology, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, DIY articles, and non-food – made from recyclable cardboard, completely without plastic.
Faster and more ergonomic thanks to stepper motors
When it comes to efficiency, none of the competitors’ machines can beat the CABLIblue 870. With a packaging output of 22 cycles per minute, it is 10% faster than the industry average. The machine achieves this by consistently using stepper motors of the EMMS-ST type from Festo, which enable overlapping movements. The stepper motors also reduce the noise level to below 72 dbA and lower the energy consumption of the entire machine. They thus guarantee a greater energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint.
Seamless automation
By combining pneumatic and electrical automation, we offer the broadest portfolio of hardware, software, and AI to meet any industrial motion requirement. Our open system architecture guarantees that individual components will interact in systems from Festo and third-party providers. Our Digital Experience provides support from design and operation to maintenance, throughout the entire length of the project. We complement our technology with a comprehensive learning offering that supports you every step of the way.
That’s the best fit in automation. That’s Seamless Automation from Festo.
International cooperation in Thailand
“A large part of the CABLIblue 870 was developed and assembled in our factory in Thailand. What was impressive about the cooperation with Festo was the uncomplicated procurement of the necessary parts,” explains Wolfgang Konrad, Vice President Marketing & Communication at IWK.
“With its fast response times, Festo was always the right partner for us.”
Wolfgang Konrad, Vice President of Marketing and Communications.
“The digital engineering tools were just as readily available for our developers in Thailand to use as they were in Germany and contact with the Festo project engineers in Thailand went smoothly,” says Konrad. Even if a Festo component was not immediately available in Thailand, all it took was a phone call and the component was ready for delivery in Thailand within a short time.
Konrad compares the cooperation with Festo with the relationship with IWK customers, the major brand manufacturers: “Brand manufacturers involve us early on in the development of packaging ideas so that we can work together on designing machine-compatible packaging. This basis of trust also characterizes our relationship with our development partner Festo."