Challenge: large working range, limited working space
This manufacturer wanted to place spools of yarn from ten production lines each separately on individual pallets. This required a palletiser with a very long reach, as it had to be able to reach all ten pallets. Moreover, it was a challenge to ensure that all pallets could be neatly placed next to each other. This was necessary to automate the supply and removal of empty and full pallets. An additional problem was that space in the factory was limited, which called for a compact solution.
Spider portaalrobot voor het palletiseren van bobijnen met garen
De ideale oplossing bleek de Spider Palletiser. Thanks to the long portal frame, the robot’s reach can be made large enough. Via an empty pallet destacker and a transfer car, the empty pallets are destacked and transported to the various stacking positions. Once a pallet is fully stacked, it is transported via the same transfer trolley to a centrally located pallet wrapper and pallet labeler. This saves time and ensures a streamlined process.
Because the Spider is of the gantry robot type, all moving parts are located above the working surface. This allowed a very compact solution to be realised, resulting in a saving of expensive factory space.
This is how we stack spools of yarn on pallets
Spools of yarn are fed flat via two lines, but must be stacked upright. The Spider is equipped with a fifth axis of movement for this purpose. The pin that picks up the spools horizontally in the core can tilt 90°, allowing the spools to be placed vertically on the pallet.
The various coils have different diameters, so the core of the horizontally fed coil is not always at the same height. The robot searches for the core by slowly moving downwards until the open core is visible and the coil can be picked up.
Cardboard interleaves between spools of yarn
Cardboard interleaves have to be placed between the layers of coils. These intermediate sheets are stored in a warehouse. The robot takes the sheets from the warehouse and places them between the layers of spools of yarn. This provides extra stability and protection for the bobbins during transport and storage.
Automatic feeding of carton sheets by the robot reduces the need for manual intervention, further increasing the efficiency of the process and reducing the risk of human error.
Advantages of automatic palletisation of spools with yarn
Thanks to the large working range of the Spider gantry robot, a single-robot solution was possible. This reduced investment costs, allowing a quick payback of the automation. The compact solution also ensured efficient use of available space. Moreover, the throughput of spools of yarn improved significantly, leading to increased production capacity.
The implementation of the Spider gantry robot has resulted not only in cost savings, but also in improved quality of the stacked coils. The automation has increased the accuracy and consistency of the stacking process, contributing to overall customer satisfaction.
All in all, choosing the Spider gantry robot has led to an optimised production process, lower operating costs and higher output, enabling the company to strengthen its competitive position in the market.