Horizontal Cartoners & Side Load Cartoning Machines
E&B supplies horizontal cartoning machines from Cariba, providing automated side-load cartoning solutions for manufacturers across the food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetics and consumer goods industries.
Horizontal cartoners automatically erect pre-glued cartons before feeding and inserting products through the side of the carton and completing the closing process.
Available in intermittent and continuous motion configurations, systems can be specified around individual products, carton formats and required production speeds.
What is a Horizontal Cartoning Machine?
A horizontal cartoner – also known as a side-load cartoner – loads products horizontally through the open end of an erected carton.
Products can be fed manually or automatically before being collated or positioned and inserted into the carton.
Once loaded, the carton is closed and discharged ready for the next stage of the packaging process.
Horizontal cartoners are particularly suitable where the product can be controlled and inserted from the side while maintaining its required orientation.
E&B’s cartoning solutions can handle applications including:
• Food and snacks
• Cosmetics and personal care
• Solid products
• Flow-wrapped products
• Pharmaceutical products
• Household products
• Pouches and sachets
• Nutraceuticals
• Powders and granules
• Bag-in-box applications
Systems can be configured around different products, carton formats and production speeds, with both intermittent and continuous motion solutions available.
Horizontal cartoners automatically erect pre-glued cartons before feeding and inserting products through the side of the carton and completing the closing process. Available in intermittent and continuous motion configurations, systems can be specified around individual products, carton formats and required production speeds.
A horizontal cartoner – also known as a side-load cartoner – loads products horizontally through the open end of an erected carton. Products can be fed manually or automatically before being collated or positioned and inserted into the carton.
Once loaded, the carton is closed and discharged ready for the next stage of the packaging process. Horizontal cartoners are particularly suitable where the product can be controlled and inserted from the side while maintaining its required orientation.
Applications
Horizontal or Vertical Cartoning – Which Do You Need?
One of the first decisions when selecting a cartoning machine is whether the product should be loaded horizontally or vertically. The answer largely depends on the product itself, how it needs to enter the carton and the wider packaging process.
Horizontal Cartoning Machines
Horizontal cartoners load products through the side of a pre-erected carton. They are particularly suited to products that can be pushed, inserted or automatically fed horizontally into the carton, including packaged foods, pharmaceutical products, cosmetics and other solid or pre-packed items. E&B supplies horizontal cartoning machinery from Cariba, with both intermittent and continuous motion solutions available.
Vertical Cartoning Machines
Vertical or top-load cartoners load products through the open top of an erected carton. This approach can be particularly useful for products such as powders, granules, loose products, bags, pouches and applications where the product naturally needs to be dropped or placed into the carton from above. E&B supplies robust and highly customisable vertical cartoning solutions from Senzani.
What Products Can Horizontal Cartoners Pack?
Horizontal cartoning can be used across a wide range of applications. Depending on the feeding and handling system, suitable products can include:
The correct feeding and cartoning arrangement will depend on the characteristics of the individual product and required carton format.
Manufacturers
Our Pet Food Packaging Solutions
E&B works with a number of specialist manufacturers to provide complete packaging solutions for the pet food industry.
Volpak
Volpak supplies high-speed pouch packaging systems for wet pet food, semi-liquid pet food, premium treats and snacks. Their advanced machinery delivers reliable filling and sealing across a wide variety of pouch formats, making it ideal for manufacturers looking to maximise productivity while maintaining excellent pack quality.
Senzani
Senzani provides automated cartoning and secondary packaging systems, making it an ideal solution for products such as gravy bones, dog biscuits, cat snacks and retail-ready packaging.
Umbra Packaging
Umbra specialises in high-performance filling and bagging systems for large bags of dry pet food, helping manufacturers automate the handling of higher-volume products efficiently and reliably.
Hydrolock
Hydrolock offers specialist filling solutions where accurate filling, hygienic production and reliable performance are essential for liquid and semi-liquid applications.
Fully automated sterilization systems that include product handling. Ideal for petfood pouches on high speed production lines.
Intamac Machinery
Intamac provides compact, cost-effective pre-made pouch packaging systems that are particularly well suited to wet pet food, semi-liquid products, treats and snacks, making them an excellent option for smaller manufacturers or businesses introducing automation for the first time.
Machine in Action
Volpak pet food pouch packaging in operation
Cariba Horizontal Cartoning Machines
E&B supplies horizontal cartoning machinery from specialist Italian packaging machinery manufacturer Cariba.
Cariba manufactures automatic cartoners for a variety of packaging applications, with intermittent and continuous motion technology available according to the required production process.
Systems can be configured around product handling, feeding, carton erection and closing requirements to create an automated solution tailored to the application.
Intermittent or Continuous Motion Cartoning?
The appropriate machine configuration depends on the product and required output.
Intermittent Motion Cartoners
With intermittent motion, cartons move through the machine in individual indexed stages.
This approach can provide flexibility across applications where product handling, insertion or individual process stages benefit from a controlled stop-start cycle.
Continuous Motion Cartoners
Continuous motion systems maintain movement through the cartoning process and can support applications requiring higher production speeds.
E&B can help determine which approach is most appropriate based on the product, feeding requirements and target throughput.
Manufacturers
Cartoning Machinery from Cariba and Senzani
Cartoning Machinery from Cariba
E&B supplies Cariba cartoning technology for applications requiring reliable and flexible automated carton packaging. Cariba manufactures both intermittent and continuous motion cartoners, with solutions available for a variety of product and production requirements. Its horizontal cartoning technology is particularly suited to applications requiring products to be automatically fed and inserted through the side of pre-glued cartons.
Vertical Cartoning Machinery from Senzani
Senzani specialises in robust, precise and highly customisable vertical cartoning technology. Its solutions can support applications requiring high production flexibility and can form part of wider integrated packaging lines incorporating forming, bundling, case packing and palletising technology.
Sustainability
Supporting sustainable manufacturing
As manufacturers continue to reduce waste and improve sustainability, thermoforming technology continues to evolve. Modern machines process a wide variety of recyclable and recycled materials while improving material utilisation and reducing unnecessary waste during production.
Combined with efficient process control and lower energy consumption, today’s thermoforming systems can support manufacturers looking to improve both environmental performance and operational efficiency.
Gallery
Pet food packaging in production
Automatic Product Feeding
The cartoning machine is only one part of the process.
Products also need to arrive at the machine consistently and in the correct orientation.
Horizontal cartoners can be integrated with automatic feeding and upstream packaging systems to create a continuous production process.
Depending on the application, this can include integration with:
Benefits of Horizontal Cartoning
Products can be automatically fed and inserted into cartons, reducing repetitive manual packing.
Automated Product Loading
Products can be automatically fed and inserted into cartons, reducing repetitive manual packing.
High Production Efficiency
Automated carton erection, loading and closing can significantly increase production throughput.
Flexible Configurations
Systems can be specified around different products, carton dimensions and production requirements.
Consistent Packaging
Controlled carton handling and product insertion help maintain consistent pack presentation.
Production Line Integration
Horizontal cartoners can form part of a wider automated packaging process.
Choosing a Horizontal Cartoning Machine
Important considerations include:
E&B can work with your production team to establish these requirements before recommending the appropriate Cariba cartoning solution.
Horizontal vs Vertical Cartoning
The key distinction is how the product enters the carton.
Horizontal cartoners insert products through the side, while vertical cartoners load products through the open top.
Horizontal loading is typically suited to products that need to retain a particular orientation or can be mechanically pushed or inserted into a carton.
Products that are more naturally dropped, dosed or placed into a carton from above may instead require vertical cartoning.
Why Choose E&B?
E&B works with Cariba to provide horizontal cartoning systems tailored to individual manufacturing and packaging requirements.
Our team can support the process from initial application assessment and machinery selection through to installation, integration and ongoing technical support.
Frequently asked questions
What is a horizontal cartoner?
A horizontal cartoner automatically erects a carton and inserts the product through its side before closing the carton.
What is another name for a horizontal cartoner?
Horizontal cartoners are commonly referred to as side-load or side-loading cartoning machines.
Can horizontal cartoners be automatically fed?
Yes. They can be integrated with upstream machinery and automatic product feeding systems.
What is the difference between horizontal and vertical cartoning?
Horizontal cartoners load through the side of the carton. Vertical cartoners load through the open top.
Are horizontal cartoners available for high-speed production?
Yes. Different machine configurations, including continuous motion technology, can support higher-throughput applications depending on the product.
Speak to E&B about Horizontal Cartoners & Side Load Cartoning Machines
If you’re looking to automate side-load carton packaging or replace an existing horizontal cartoner, talk to E&B about your application.
We can help identify the most appropriate Cariba solution based on your product, carton format and required output.