Customer requirements:

• Identify physically similar product by the colour of its wrapping which arrives down a single line conveyor.

• According to a selection by the operator, to either bulk palletise particular colours at any of 5 palletising stations, inserting slip sheets between layers, or else to pack into corrugated cartons, seal with hot adhesive, weigh, print and apply label with product ID, weight and barcode, confirm barcode and bulk completed carton.

• Send packed information to stock handling system for automatic stock updating. System to operate reliably.

AHP solution:

Construct a robot work cell with robot mounted on slider base to extend its working envelope. Cell incorporated 5 pallet stations with selection controls to enable either bulk palletising of raw product, or else product packed into cartons. Any colour/product could be packed at any of the stations.

Also incorporated with the robot cell was an AHP designed carton erector married to a third party top and bottom case sealer.