Efficiency and ergonomics through automation
Manufacturing jerry cans is a slow process. After all, jerry cans are blown, and producing a jerry can takes a while because of this. Therefore, manufacturing companies of canisters often have many production lines.
Several types of canisters are produced at the same time, which makes automating the stacking process on pallets a challenge. After all, each type of canister must be stacked on an individual pallet. Moreover, the pallets are stacked very high, which makes manual palletizing ergonomically difficult.
The challenge of palletising jerry cans
The diversity of jerry cans and the need to palletise each type on a separate pallet did not make the search for a suitable palletiser easy. Traditionally, this stacking process is performed manually, which is not only time-consuming but also physically demanding for the workers. The ergonomic difficulties, such as the continuous lifting and stacking of jerry cans at a great height, made the process inefficient and increased the risk of work-related injuries.
Solution: automating jerry can palletisation with the Spider gantry robot
Using a gantry robot offered a very innovative solution to these challenges. A gantry robot can cover a large working range, allowing the palletising process of the 8 lines to be automated by one robot.
A leading manufacturer of jerrycans chose our Spider gantry robot to automate the palletising of jerrycans from its 8 production lines. Full layers of jerrycans are pre-formed and these are picked up via a self-adjusting gripper and stacked on individual pallets.
Working method of the Spider gantry robot palletiser
Two pallet positions are provided per production line. When one pallet is fully stacked, it automatically continues stacking on the other pallet after which the full pallet can be exchanged. This ensures that the total investment remains low and the automation became feasible in terms of payback time.
The Spider Palletizer gantry robot also offers additional functionality: full layers of jerry cans can be fed by the robot onto the infeed of a shrink film packaging machine. After packing, the packed bundle of jerrycans is picked up again by the Spider Palletizer and stacked on a pallet.
Benefits of automation
Automating the stacking process with the Spider gantry robot offers numerous advantages:
• Efficiency: Automating the stacking process increases productivity by allowing the robot to work continuously and without interruptions. This leads to higher output and faster turnaround time.
• Ergonomics: by eliminating manual stacking of the jerry cans at high altitude, the physical strain on employees is reduced. This lowers the risk of work-related injuries and increases employee well-being.
• Cost savings: the investment in a gantry robot can be quickly recouped through increased efficiency and lower labour costs. Moreover, one robot can work on a lot of pallet positions, eliminating the need for multiple robots which would compromise the payback time..
• Quality and consistency: the robot can accurately palletise jerry cans, which improves the quality of the final product and minimises damage to the jerry cans.
Conclusion
The automation of canister stacking using the Spider gantry robot offers an efficient, ergonomic and cost-effective solution to the challenges in canister production. The combination of a large working range, a self-adjusting gripper and the ability to process bundles via a packaging machine makes this robot a valuable investment for jerrycan manufacturers.
Automation allows companies to optimise their production processes, increase productivity and reduce the physical strain on their employees. This not only improves overall efficiency, but also ensures product quality.