A redesign of the vacuum end-effector has been key to pushing the boundaries of performance on meat , fish & poultry packs . The redesign has improved the head ’ s vacuum capabilities through a combination of more consistent , faster airflow and larger independent vacuum generators . A stronger , more uniform vacuum means the robot holds the packs squarely and tightly so it can be controlled from the conveyor to the crate at a faster speed , in a controlled manner .
Brillopak ’ s engineers are further developing the UniPAKer concept to pick an entire row at a time on the same compact footprint , which will dramatically bring down the capital cost . A pioneer in vacuum handling packing system design , Brillopak has devised a flexible solution based on a single , universal vacuum head with independently operating vacuum cups for precision control . Individual valves can be turned on and off to allow different pack combinations to be picked .
“ With this solution we are dramatically increasing throughput , while keeping the footprint of the machine really small , which is a very attractive proposition for meat , fish & poultry operators ,” says David .
With this solution we are dramatically increasing throughput , while keeping the footprint of the machine really small , which is a very attractive proposition for meat , fish & poultry operators
One of the idiosyncrasies of MAP meat , fish & poultry products is that there can be minute variations in pack height depending on the volume of gas in the pack . These variations , which can be 4-5mm either way , can hinder the robot ’ s ability to draw a vacuum , causing it to drop the pack ( if the pack is lower than usual ) or crush the pack ( if the pack is higher than usual ). This variability can also arise when there is a subtle temperature change that causes the pack contents to expand or contract .
Rather than stop the line and call engineering to adjust the system , Brillopak has come to the rescue with a feature that allows the operator to manually adjust the position at which the vacuum is turned on by the few millimeters necessary ,
Accurate feeding into the robot cell is key to an efficient crate packing operation , and in meat , fish & poultry applications , different tray orientations can cause a problem . Whilst some trays will exit the tray sealer narrow-edge leading , others will be long-edge leading , depending on the tooling format . A robot can pick packs in either orientation , but to maximise picking efficiency , all packs should normally be presented in the same orientation . Brillopak has addressed this potential issue with the design of a servo turner that will reposition trays after they leave the tray sealer .
The UniPAKer can be programmed to pack any combination of product into any crate size . Whilst supermarket customers often require half ( 300 x 400mm ) crates for higher value meat SKUs , high volume lines such as minced beef will usually be supplied in full ( 600 x 400mm ) crates . The UniPAKer can switch between both crate size at the touch of a button .
For further information , please visit www . brillopak . co . uk
Issue 48 PECM 89