When it comes to handling, moving and lifting bulky products, automation technology today can certainly pack some punch. Previously deemed too weighty, fragile and cumbersome to move between production lines, let alone sites, packing machinery is now designed with portability in mind giving manufacturers more versatility than ever before.
Offering huge advantages over stationary systems, Pacepacker Services has seen a dramatic rise in the demand for bespoke and transportable bagging, pick and place and palletising solutions over the last 18 months.
Belmont Farms is a great example. Handling up to 1000 tonnes of potatoes each year, Pacepacker created a ‘plug-and-play’ robotic palletising and conveyor system. Measuring 5 x 4-metres and weighing 2500kg, the system was installed within a customised moveable frame that is now easily transportable via a fork lift on a trailer around the 13-mile long family-run farm. This flexibility facilitates expansion opportunities and is especially beneficial for manufacturers which have numerous packing operations across multiple or single sites.
Full line automation is often perceived as expensive – particularly if you are packing numerous products of varying consistency. Space limitations can also be a barrier that hinders a move to automation. This is something Pacepacker addressed for horse feed manufacturer F H Nash Ltd. Rather than doubling up on the number of systems, they minimised the automation outlay by creating a single bespoke system that toggles between two production lines to handle both dry and wet product. Taking into account a limited footprint, Pacepacker mounted a C21 Multi-Pile Sack Placer and a Total Bag Control (TBC) bagging system onto sliding rails. Because it was only the TBC moving between lines, Nash was able to use two separate weighing systems to keep the different product consistencies apart – completely eliminating the risk of contamination.
Many of these developments are now possible due to a rise in robotic solutions designed for packing applications. To put this in context, Pacepacker’s portfolio now comprises over 50 palletising and pick and place robotic options and choice of dozens of different end-effectors, making it much simpler to engineer a bespoke solution to improve product quality, reduce waste and boost throughput.
The ability to withstand harsh environments is equally important. Earsham Gravel tasked Pacepacker with creating a portable yet heavy-duty turnkey line, incorporating weighing, bagging and robot palletising technology that could be moved between quarries. The entire line was built into two interconnecting containers measuring 40 x 8 x 8ft. As well as meeting space constraints, the kit was designed to withstand the abrasive and wet quarry environment.
On 17th June, Pacepacker will demonstrate the latest pick and place robots at a free educational event. To book a place, contact on the details below.
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