DS Smith Packaging Systems, part of International Paper, has introduced a new range of mandrel case forming and sealing equipment designed for higher-speed packaging lines.

The company said the machines were developed as manufacturers face growing output requirements, greater demand for automation and tighter sustainability targets.

Forming capacity under the previous model range was up to 60 cases a minute, and sealing capacity up to 55 cases a minute.

The new machines offer a forming speed of up to 70 cases a minute, with a sealing speed of up to 120 cases a minute.

DS Smith said the development was driven by demand from customers operating high-volume automated lines, alongside advances in servo motion control and mechanical design.

The equipment was created using in-house research and development, within planned budgets and timeframes.

It added that initial responses had been positive, particularly from multinational customers looking for large-scale automation.

DS Smith said the machines are expected to support faster payback and margin improvement because of their higher processing speeds.

On sustainability, the company said the equipment offers 92% recyclability and reuse, is based on a 200km supply chain and has been designed with a 30-year horizon in mind.

After factory acceptance tests in early August, the business has moved to the deployment stage.

One forming unit has already been shipped to a customer in the US while the sealing unit is undergoing dry runs.

Last month, DS Smith Technicarton developed a fibre-based packaging product for automotive chassis aimed at tier suppliers in the Iberian market. 

That packaging is intended to replace metal containers commonly used to move automotive chassis through production, assembly and shipping stages.