Is a High-Speed Robotic Palletizer in Your Future?
Matt Kohler | 17 October 2012
High-level conventional palletizers have dominated the high-speed palletizing industry, and for good reason, as they are a robust and proven technology. However, with recent technological advances, robotic palletizers are now becoming a much more viable alternative to conventional machines with respect to equipment speed and price.
New layer forming technologies such as Intralox’s S7000 and S400 allow for layers to be formed very quickly and gently. These belts require less bump turning and pushing, and with today’s focus on reduction of packaging materials, gentler case handling is extremely important. With robot payloads increasing to 450, 500, and 700 kg and up, you can now easily and economically palletize full layers of product at a high rate.
Robotic cells are also configurable, so in general we can develop a design to fit your layout needs. A recent project we delivered for a large spice manufacturer illustrates many of the advantages of high-speed robotic palletizing. The system is palletizing two production lines, one at 40 cases per minute and the other at 5 cases per minute. We used two separate layer formers for each production line, and one robot, tending both production lines. We needed to fit this system in a tight spot, as it is adjacent to existing equipment on all four sides, so a compact layout was crucial. Take a look at this video if you want to learn a bit more about this robotic palletizing project.
Finally, I want to share some key advantages of high-speed robotic palletizing:
- Gentle case handling
- Flexible layout capabilities
- Competitive pricing
- Equipment accessible at floor height, no platforms!
- Easy to accommodate multiple production lines with one robot and minimal infeed conveyor
- Extremely reliable equipment with high MTBF (mean time between failure)
If any of these items sound important to you, a high-speed robotic palletizer might be calling your name! Contact us to find the best palletizing solution for your operations.
Did we miss any benefits of robotic palletizers? If so, please leave them in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you!
Matt Kohler, Bastian Solutions Director of Applications has been with Bastian Solutions since 2005, after receiving his degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Missouri - Columbia. The applications team at Bastian Solutions prides themselves on thoroughly understanding their customer’s unique needs and then tailors a solution that gives those customers a competitive edge in their business.
Comments
Spencer says:
8/28/2018 10:08 AM
With Amazon's Kiva systems and equipment like this it's not long until a warehouse is fully autonomous!
Portable Crane says:
8/28/2018 10:08 AM
That is true sir !! High-Speed Robotic Palletizers would be really helpful in the future.It won't be long before the whole workshop becomes automatically operated.
Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published.
Comment
Thank you for your comment.