The tissue industry has undergone significant changes in recent years, with manufacturers facing growing demand for greater production flexibility, broader product portfolios and improved operational efficiency.
As package formats continue to diversify and market requirements evolve, reciprocating wrappers must provide not only high performance, but also the ability to adapt rapidly to changing production needs.
Developed by the STAX brand within BW CONVERTING, the IMPERA reciprocating wrapper has been designed to meet these evolving requirements. By combining advanced automation, a broad operating window and simplified maintenance, IMPERA enables tissue producers to respond efficiently to changing market demands while maintaining consistently high package quality.
Expanding format flexibility
IMPERA supports package widths from 90 to 600 mm, depths from 180 to 600 mm and heights from 90 to 395 mm. Products can be wrapped in one, two or three layers, while roll diameters ranging from 90 to 200 mm can be processed across all lanes. The outer lanes can accommodate rolls with diameters of up to 250 mm, providing additional flexibility for larger products and AfH applications.
The standard four-lane configuration can be expanded to five lanes. A redesigned overhead finger system, combined with automatic recipe-controlled positioning, allows the machine to adapt rapidly to different package formats while maintaining stable product handling. The machine has been engineered with a broad operating window, enabling manufacturers to process an extensive range of products efficiently on a single platform.
Simplifying changeovers
The growing diversity of SKUs has made changeover efficiency a critical performance indicator. IMPERA addresses this requirement through a fully recipe-driven platform, in which most adjustments are carried out automatically using 32 production servo axes and a further 22 servo axes dedicated to automatic format changes.
Additional design improvements, including automatic backplate positioning, automatic film-guide adjustment, color-coded rod belts and universal side-folding tools, simplify operation and reduce overall changeover time by more than 50% compared with conventional reciprocating wrappers.
“Our objective was not simply to make changeovers faster, but to make them easier, safer and more repeatable for every operator,” explains the STAX engineering team.
BW Converting expertise
The redesigned cutting system is one example of the engineering collaboration within BW Converting. Its cassette-based knife concept was inspired by the proven perforator design used on PCMC rewinders, demonstrating how technical knowledge is shared across the organization to accelerate innovation and improve reliability.
Together, the STAX and PCMC brands provide complementary technologies that support complete tissue converting and packaging solutions.
Designed for long-term performance
In addition to productivity, IMPERA has been engineered to simplify maintenance. Improved access to the main service areas, a reduced number of trapped belts and the cassette-based knife and anvil assembly facilitate maintenance operations, enabling faster servicing and lower operating costs throughout the machine’s life cycle.
Conclusion
IMPERA represents the next stage in the evolution of reciprocating wrapping technology. By combining a wide operating window, simplified changeovers, improved accessibility and advanced automation, the machine enables tissue manufacturers to respond more efficiently to changing market requirements. Supported by the combined engineering expertise of STAX and BW Converting, IMPERA provides a reliable platform for current production needs while remaining ready for future developments.
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