Automation at the end of the assembly line is much more complex than simply providing a case packer or palletizer. The product must be packed into cases, moved from station to station, and then packed onto pallets before being moved into storage or shipment.

If all of these steps are not coordinated, a delay in any step can have repercussions throughout the line. A company that plans to automate its packaging process needs to take all of this into account.

Case packing and palletizing are related but distinct operations.

The case packing system is one that packs items into boxes or other containers. In certain applications, items have to be sorted, oriented, and picked using appropriate robotic grippers. Bottles, the weight of the items, types of packaging materials used, and case shapes all affect the design of the system.

The palletizing robot builds stacked layers of packed cases on pallets following a prearranged pattern. This process must consider the size of the cases, the size of the pallet, and the height of the stack.

Integration of these two processes enables manufacturers to progress from packing the item to palletizing.

An example of a case packing and palletizing line would be made up of various interrelated components.

It is vital that products are fed to the packing area in the right way. A conveyor or guide can be used to keep up a steady flow of the product being packed.

Afterwards, the robot packer packs the products into the case as per the necessary arrangements. Techflowbot's automatic twin-axis case packing robots can be considered for applications that require robotic case packing. The gripping method used should fit the product being packed for safe transport.

Conveyors transport packed cases from the packing station to the palletizing station. The design of conveyors must take into account case sizes, direction of transfer, cycle times, and space available on the floor.

In case the packing and palletizing stations do not run at the same speed, it may be useful to have a section where cases accumulate or a process for controlled transfer of cases.

The palletizing robot accepts completed cases and places them on pallets. The weight capacity, reach, gripper technology, stacking method, and size of the pallets must be taken into account when designing the palletizer.

The control system integrates the stations through control of operating signals, equipment status, and error handling. These interfaces need to be established during the engineering phase.

While the actual setup might differ from application to application, the general procedure includes the following:

For a practical example of how a robotic palletizing system handles products and pallet transfer in a production environment, see the IFR case study on robotic palletizing at Sun Chemical.

All the procedures depend on each other. If cases are packed faster than they can be palletized, then the cases will start to accumulate and ultimately halt the equipment working upstream. If pallets cannot be removed on time, then the palletizing station may also wait.

Thus, planning the whole process can help manufacturers notice those bottlenecks beforehand.

There are a number of practical considerations affecting the design of the automated packaging system.

Size, weight, format of cases, and packaging pattern dictate the necessary method of handling and grippers. In the event of packaging different products, the requirements of changeovers have to be taken into account as well.

The systems of case packing and palletizing have to cope with the required rate of production. It is important that the manufacturers take into account the real operating cycles, transfer time, pallet changes, and potential interruptions, and not only the performance of the individual machines.

The layout should leave enough room for robots, conveyors, pallets, and operators. Maintenance and handling of completed pallets also have to be considered.

Interfaces, fault handling, emergency stops, and access restrictions have to be considered at the stage of system design. The required safety measures depend on the equipment used and the application risk assessment.

For some manufacturers, the project includes not only interfacing the case packing robot with the palletizing robot. The existing conveyors, feeders, and pallet handlers may require integration.

Techflowbot specializes in robotic case packing, palletizing, conveyor transport, and end-of-line automation integration. Its solutions can be developed with consideration for product specifications, packaging requirements, production targets, and factory layout. Their solutions can be developed with consideration for product specifications, packaging, production, and the factory layout.

Prior to commissioning, the project team needs to determine the interfaces, material flow, and procedure of operations. Commissioning will check if the cases travel properly between the stations, palletizing occurs as required, and the system reacts correctly to any malfunctions or interruptions.

It means that the goal is to assess the entire production process, not just the capabilities of separate machines.

An optimized system of case packing and palletizing will bring together product handling, case packing, conveyor systems, and palletization into a single process. Selection of equipment is important; however, other factors, including cycle time, packaging types, factory design, and station-to-station communication, play important roles.

Those planning to automate their production line need to start from their real requirements and determine how processes will work from step to step. This helps to better understand equipment choices and design a system to match the operation.

For more information about robotic case packing, palletizing, and end-of-line systems, please refer to Techflowbot's automation solutions.