Automation at a leek packing plant
At a leek packing company, a complex challenge arose to fully automate the process of depalletising and palletising crates of leeks. This process required the deployment of an advanced robot with a large working range.
The goal was to depalletise full crates from four pallets and transport them to two processing lines. In addition, the robot had to be able to palletise the empty closed crates returning from the processing lines.
These tasks required considerable flexibility and accuracy from the robot as well as a large working range. Furthermore, the space available for the automation was very limited, which added to the challenge.
Problems in palletising folding crates with traditional robots
A solution using a traditional articulated arm robot mounted on a rail proved unfeasible as this setup would take up too much space. A fixed mounted articulated arm robot would not be able to reach all the pallets that needed to be destacked due to its limited working range. Traditional robots were therefore not suitable for this specific situation, which highlighted the need for an innovative approach.
The Solution: the Spider portal robot
The solution was found with the deployment of our advanced Spider gantry robot. This palletiser was specifically designed with a longer portal frame to reach the five pallet positions.
In the middle of the working area, the two discharge conveyors to the processing lines were provided, as well as the take-up point for the empty tightly folded crates. This configuration allowed the robot to perform all the required tasks within the limited factory space.
As all moving parts of the robot are located above the working area, a very compact set-up could be achieved, allowing for great space savings.
Benefits of the Spider gantry robot for palletising crates
Conclusion
The automation of depalletising and palletising crates at the leek packing plant was successfully achieved by deploying the Spider gantry robot. This solution not only offered a compact set-up, but also resulted in a cost-efficient investment. The case study highlights the benefits of deploying a Spider gantry robot for automatic palletising and depalletising.