In a major food manufacturing facility producing sauce bottles, empty bottles are delivered packed in sealed plastic bags measuring approximately 550mm x 1100mm. The bags are stacked on pallets, two per layer, with layer pads placed between bags for certain products. Previously, operators manually de-stacked the bags, cut the plastic film and emptied the bottles into a hopper that feeds the filling line.
Apex Automation and Robotics designed, manufactured, installed and commissioned a complete automation solution for this section of the factory. At the core of our system is a robotic cell incorporating a 6-axis robot with a proprietary end-of-arm tool, integrated with a purpose-built bag cutting machine.
Pallets of bagged bottles are loaded onto a roller conveyor by a forklift operator, where they queue before being transferred into the robotic cell. The following sequence takes place inside the cell:
- The robot picks each bag from the pallet and places it on the bag cutting machine
- The bag is pushed against a reference then the bottom of the bag is cut open
- The robot picks up the slit bag and empties the bottles into the hopper
- The robot places the empty plastic bags into dedicated bins
- For the pallets with layer pads between bags, the robot removes and stacks the layer pads on a pallet or into a cage
This sequence is repeated until the all bags have been depalletised. The empty pallet is then conveyed to a pallet stacker, and a new pallet is presented to the robot.
Key features of this system include:
- Robot force control combined with laser sensors to accurately detect the top of each stack
- A novel bag cutting machine, that separates the plastic film and engages a custom-designed blade to slit the underside of the bag
- The ability to handle bags positioned up to 200mm out of alignment
- It can achieve a throughput of 250 bottles/min.
The system is designed and built for continuous 24 hr operation. It is fully guarded with perimeter fencing, interlocked doors, light curtains and muting sensors. The safety circuit incorporates redundancy and safety monitoring devices in compliance with relevant Australian standards. A user-friendly colour Touch Screen allows the operator to change the setup, operate the system and perform troubleshooting.
This project showcases another innovative automation solution delivered by Apex Automation and Robotics to the food industry, helping manufacturers reduce labour costs, enhance hygiene standards and improve workplace health and safety.
