Gerhard Schubert GmbH will present a new iteration of its modular cartoner system, configured as a bar packer, at this year’s IPACK-IMA trade fair in Milan. Set to take place from 27 to 30 May, the event will provide the stage for Schubert to demonstrate how its “modular machine concept from Crailsheim combines exceptional efficiency and durability.”
At Stand B82 in Hall 7, visitors will experience the cartoner equipped with “a vertical magazine with two blank stacks and a weight-optimised sealing tool.” The line has already been exhibited at ProSweets 2025, but Schubert notes that “the true magic of the line lies in its details.”
The vertical magazine replaces previous setups such as the pallet magazine and Comfort Feeder, offering a demonstration of “just how flexibly its in-house developments can be configured.” According to Julia Junker, Marketing Manager at Schubert, “Production and packaging requirements are rarely cast in stone. And packaging lines used by manufacturers in the food industry and other sectors need to be just as versatile. With Schubert, changeovers are virtually effortless thanks to the modular design.”
Operators can swap the magazine unit without changing the cartoner body. The single-lane A3 erector robot, part of the vertical magazine system, feeds stacks of blanks vertically into the machine. “Depending on the blank size, two stacks with a maximum height of 1200 mm can be placed one behind the other,” allowing the machine to “continuously pull, glue, erect and seal blanks for a full 60 minutes.”
At the trade fair, the system will “pack four bars in two layers into shelf-ready boxes,” using the A3 erector launched in 2024, capable of “quickly erecting boxes in a single lane at 60 cycles per minute.” Junker explains, “This paves the way for exceptionally reliable automated processes.”
Ergonomic reloading is another highlight. The magazine features “a table that can be moved upwards and downwards,” enabling blank refills “at an ergonomic working height.” Junker adds, “Well thought-out solutions have always been a Schubert hallmark. And we have taken this approach to the next level with the vertical magazine and new tool.”
The new sealing tool, developed under ‘clean design’ principles, weighs “about 50 per cent less” than previous versions due to a “significantly reduced number of parts.” Beyond ergonomics, it also offers “optimised rigidity and dimensional stability, thereby improving component availability.” Junker affirms: “Machines often run continuously and therefore need to be extremely durable. We also meet this requirement with the optimised sealing tool.”
Both the vertical magazine and the sealing tool are designed for ease of use and cleaning, aligning with Schubert’s pragmatic approach to machinery design.
As Schubert continues to innovate, it also reflects on its legacy. Through its ‘Pick the Original’ campaign, the company is celebrating “close to 60 years of pioneering achievements” in “picker lines, packing lines, flowpackers and, last but certainly not least, image processing and robotics.” These innovations are now being “carried forward by the family’s third generation.”
