For maximum efficiency , trays have to enter the robot cell in the same orientation . On this line , however , some trays exit the tray sealer narrow-edge leading , whereas others are wide-edge leading , depending on the tooling format . Brillopak addressed this potential issue with the installation of a servo turner that repositions trays after they leave the tray sealer .
The other challenge that this project presented was meeting the customer ’ s throughput expectations within the available space – the lines in this factory are incredibly close together .
A standard single delta robot cell would have fitted into the space , but wouldn ’ t have been fast enough to make the project viable from a payback perspective . Adding a second robot would have made the system fast enough , but on an unacceptably large footprint .
Six months have passed since the UniPAKer was installed and the producer is delighted with the results .
Brillopak ’ s solution was to specify its UniPAKer in a dual-pick configuration , in which a single robot performs two picks , then places the packs in the crate , two at a time . This cost-effective and space-efficient option works well for tray-sealed meat packs , which can ’ t be handled at very high speeds as the film lid may tear . With this approach , the producer ’ s 60-70 ppm speed target could comfortably be achieved .
it could pack our product before we had it delivered ,” were the Factory Operations Manager ’ s comments .
He said that in particular , he liked the way a single operator can both place crates into the system and palletise because the crates enter and exit the system from the same location , adding , “ Ergonomics are a very important part of optimising packing lines ”.
Training is also a key part of any automation project , and Brillopak was willing to spend as much time as was needed to explain and demonstrate the system to factory floor staff .
As the company ’ s Factory Operations Manager puts it : “ In automation , you can ’ t just press a button . Brillopak made our staff aware of what they needed to watch out for and how to monitor the machine and we have no real issues . Our trainer , Goku , stayed to make sure it worked and gave us the attention we needed to master the machine .”
One of Brillopak ’ s strengths is that it doesn ’ t view installation as the end of a project , and pledges to work with customers after delivery to ensure their system is operating as expected .
This promise was put to the test in the current project when , a few weeks after installation , the customer was having issues with the robot dropping trays .
Brillopak ’ s engineers were quick to get to the root of the problem : pack height variations between batches . Subtle temperature changes were causing the pack contents to either expand or contract , resulting in pack height variations of up to 4-5mm either way . These variations were hindering the robot ’ s ability to draw a vacuum , causing it to drop the pack ( if the pack was lower than usual ) or crush the pack ( if the pack was higher than usual ). Brillopak came to the rescue with a feature that allows the operator to manually adjust the position at which the vacuum is turned on .
Six months have passed since the UniPAKer was installed and the producer is delighted with the results .
“ The main goal was to improve process . We have two shift patterns , day and night , with four on and four off . The ability to save that labour on what are highly repetitive tasks provided a fast return on investment ,” said the Factory Operations Manager .
He added : “ Brillopak are efficient , they did what they said they would do , they addressed the early issues quickly and they were pro-active and helpful throughout the process . They have clever machines and they support us .”
www . brillopak . co . uk
Brillopak presented this solution to the customer , who liked what they saw .
“ The UniPAKer system looks simplistic but is actually intelligent and clever inside . It is very user-friendly , which is important , given that most of our staff do not have English as a first language . It was affordable and we were shown that
This cost-effective and space-efficient UniPAKer works well for tray-sealed meat packs , which can ’ t be handled at very high speeds as the film lid may tear .
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