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Handbook palletizing is a quite common drawback for producers. Integrator CRUM Manufacturing sees many firms struggling to manually palletize effectively.
One such firm got here to CRUM Manufacturing with an issue…
A buyer got here to CRUM Manufacturing with a palletizing drawback
CRUM Manufacturing is a Common Robots-Licensed integrator of automation options based mostly in Waterville, Ohio, USA. There are two divisions of the enterprise: a producing facet for the automotive business and their automation facet.
Kyle Heitmeyer is a controls engineer at CRUM. He explains:
“For the automation facet, we are able to automate no matter our buyer really wants. Whether or not it’s palletizing, machine tending, or creating new high quality test fixtures, if an organization needs one thing automated, they arrive to us and we design, construct, and combine these methods.”
One buyer got here to CRUM with an issue. They wanted to automate the palletizing of their product packing containers.
Kyle says:
“Most firms haven’t got a devoted palletizer or particular person to palletize. They’re working one line and once they have a some downtime they attempt to hurry up and cargo a couple of packing containers on the pallet. It isn’t environment friendly.
“Additionally, most firms wrestle to combine some form of handbook or hydraulic flip/raise desk themselves for ergonomic causes. It is an issue that individuals are nonetheless making an attempt to unravel.”
The Activity: Palletizing and a number of other pre-processes
As an integrator, CRUM is usually known as in to deploy robotic purposes which might be extra than simply “out-of-the-box.”
There are sometimes additional “pre-processes” that may add additional complexity to the duty. For this buyer particularly, the palletizing job concerned a number of processing and verification steps along with placing packing containers onto the pallets.
The pre-processes for this buyer’s job had been:
- The packing containers got here down one among two conveyors.
- The robotic wanted to select them up.
- A weighing course of was used to validate every field and take a look at its weight.
- Then, the field was positioned on a fixturing level.
- A customized label was produced by a printing machine.
- The robotic wanted to take the label and stick it to the field.
- Then the robotic would palletize the field.
There was added complexity because the buyer was utilizing recycled pallets so the pallet heights weren’t all the time constant. The client wanted a method to simply deal with batches of various top pallets with out having to name CRUM to reprogram the system. This meant that the programming wanted to be quite simple.Â
How CRUM would have solved this drawback up to now
Earlier than the Robotiq Palletizing Resolution got here in the marketplace, palletizing with a collaborative robotic wasn’t all the time straightforward.
Up to now, Kyle had built-in different palletizing purposes utilizing a Common Robotic.
He defined how difficult it was earlier than:
“With one deployment, we had the pallet itself on a flip/raise desk. So we had been capable of place three layers of product at one top, however we had been solely capable of attain half the pallet.
“First, we might end one half of a layer, we might rotate the desk, after which do the opposite half of it. After the primary three layers, we might drop the pallet down and begin on the similar top the place we initially began for Layer 1. When rotating, you’ll want to think about the velocity and acceleration as a result of you do not need the packing containers to fall over when the desk is in movement.
“The system did work however the mechanical engineering and design added much more time. Additionally, the programming was extra in-depth and never as user-friendly for the client.”
An thrilling new palletizing resolution arrives in the marketplace
For this new buyer, Kyle had the chance to check out a brand new palletizing product that had simply come in the marketplace.
He describes how he got here throughout it:
“A distributor notified us that Robotiq had a brand new product popping out. That they had a demo unit at their facility. We had been capable of go down there throughout that point, test it out, and I may take a look at this system.
“The convenience of the setup was the promoting level for us. With Robotiq’s palletizer system, their built-in URCap for Common Robots actually made it straightforward to arrange. It additionally offers you some flexibility to tweak the system to suit your present state of affairs as a result of not every little thing might be an out-of-the-box state of affairs.”
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Professional-tip: Get your arms on the robotic as quickly as attainable
Whether or not you might be an integrator your self otherwise you simply wish to use robotic palletizing in your individual facility, Kyle has a pro-tip for you…
He explains:
“My recommendation is to do your analysis and see examples of it working. Be sure to really feel snug that this resolution will be just right for you.
“When you’ve got a possibility, get your arms on the robotic or view a video demonstration. For me, as a controls engineer, that was an enormous factor. Any time we usher in a brand new product, we now have the weigh the advantages it may present with the educational curve that it’d carry to us.
“With this resolution, I may see how straightforward it actually might be to arrange. And it let our mechanical engineer see how a lot he does not have to fret about. Simply having the ability to get our arms on it helped us loads to make the choice to maneuver ahead with the Robotiq resolution.”
The little steps that make a robotic deployment difficult
For this utility, the little tweaks that Kyle wanted to make had been important for the success of the duty. These had been the steps regarding these pre-processes we talked about above.
Kyle says:
“The palletizing portion was the best a part of it. The toughest half was weighing and labeling the packing containers. However, the palletizing was easy.”
“With the obtainable seventh axis in Robotiq’s system, we had been in a position so as to add the pre-processes in addition to the palletizing itself.”
One impediment he encountered was that the purchasers’ packing containers wanted to hold over the pallet about half an inch on both sides. This isn’t an out-of-the-box characteristic of the palletizing resolution.
Kyle explains that Robotiq help was instrumental in serving to him to get previous this problem:
“Robotiq had been very useful. They appear very caring about ensuring their product does work for the corporate and so they’re there to help you during.
“Once I had questions on programming, I bought placed on with one among their tech help. He was very attentive with all of my questions and answered them in a short time. Kendra, our account supervisor, would additionally attain out to me and ensure nothing else popped up.”
The answer to dealing with the field overhang?
Kyle explains how they overcame the problem:
“We added a spacer to mechanically offset the pallet. So we had been capable of make the pallet just a bit bit wider to cheat the system. However, the pliability of the programming is what made that attainable.
“Kendra from Robotiq had one other buyer with the identical drawback and so they had been looking for the answer for it. I shared what we did along with her, which helped them. It undoubtedly helps that we’re an integrator as a result of we see much more out within the area than the typical particular person.”
How lengthy does it take to deploy robotic palletizing?
A priority that many firms have once they begin utilizing automation is that the deployment will take a very long time.
This is without doubt one of the benefits of utilizing an out-of-the-box resolution. Deployment can take simply days or perhaps weeks as an alternative of months.
Kyle explains how lengthy a easy deployment of the palletizing resolution would soak up a buyer’s facility.
“Often with tasks like this, we are able to order the palletizer instantly after receiving a purchase order order from our buyer. Upon receiving the unit, we may most likely deploy it in 2 weeks if it is only a palletizing course of with no pre-processes.
“I would say that we may most likely have it up and working in a few days, however we wish to run the system onerous to debug it previous to giving it to the client. You roughly wish to attempt to “break it” earlier than you give it to a buyer, is how we normally describe it.”
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The consequence: Saving 20 hours every week for only one job
What has been the impression of the palletizing resolution on the client’s line?
Kyle says:
“I believe it is saving them about 20 hours every week, of two operator’s time: for a primary and second shift.
“Additionally, it is only one much less factor they’ve to fret about. Earlier than, it was one of many line leads that needed to handle it. As a substitute of having the ability to watch one thing else, they needed to stroll away and handle the palletizing.
“It actually permits a buyer to take possession of their system, which is our purpose. They really feel snug sufficient that when small modifications occur, they will program the modifications themselves.”
And what does the client consider the Robotiq Palletizing Resolution now that it has been in manufacturing for a while?
Kyle provides:
“I’ve reached out to the client a few occasions, simply to test up. They mentioned it is most likely the most effective automation methods they’ve of their facility. And so they have already got at the least 8 methods there — 4 cobots and 4 industrial.
If you want to see what the Robotiq Palletizing resolution may do for your corporation, take a look at our product web page or get in touch instantly.
What questions do you’ve about robotic palletizing? Inform us within the feedback under or be a part of the dialogue on LinkedIn, Twitter, Fb, or the DoF skilled robotics group.
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