Investigating the effects of machine parameters on the carton erection process of a high speed packaging machine.

Packaging cartons, nowadays, are an integral part of food items for their storage and transportation. These are normally made from paper laminate board. However changing European Union (EU) regulations are forcing carton manufacturers to use thinner recycled materials. The packaging machinery manufacturers industry in the UK is dominated by small and medium enterprises where machines designs are normally developed through empirical knowledge. There is little known about the effects of changing carton materials on the overall carton process. Thus change in material properties for the cartons is affecting the carton erection process. This research work is aimed at establishing the best machine settings for erecting cartons so that the carton buckling can be reduced by incorporating the ideal machine settings irrespective of the materials used for the cartons. Techniques from the design of experiments are used here to predict the best settings for the machine. The settings thus predicted are finally validated by practical experimentation.