Revolutionizing Logistics

Bringing together the best of the cobotic and robotic worlds delivers higher palletizing performance, improved agility and operability in a compact footprint. Image courtesy of Sidel

Digitalization is Transforming Palletizing Into a Smart Scalable Solution

By Fabien Chiron, Director Product Management of Palletizing/Depalletizing at Sidel

Industry 4.0 is the next phase of digitalization in the manufacturing sector, with robotic machines and intelligence software taking the lead. As digitalization, robotics and data-learning converge, they’re transforming palletizing equipment into a game-changer for food, beverage, home and personal care manufacturers, helping them to meet greater consumer demands.

Collaborative robotics are driving this change, boosting production line efficiency by replacing manual palletizing with automatic solutions. It promises an affordable solution and can be easily integrated into low and medium speed lines. These innovations are not only enhancing working conditions, but also empowering operators to focus on higher-value tasks.

Cobotics – Powering Efficiency in Palletizing

There is increasing market demand for compact and cost-effective cells, and cobotics can replace manual palletizing operations. End-of-line solutions utilizing cobotics or robotics can enhance productivity, and reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries.

For example, we have introduced a palletizer that uses a cobotic arm to handle cases weighing up to 19kg. With a robot working envelope of 1,700mm, this cobotic machine is ideal for replacing manual palletizing as it makes end of line operation fully automatic, while reducing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders associated with manual operations.

It can also reach pallet heights of up to 1,900mm while operating at speeds of up to six cycles per minute, all while providing free and safe circulation for the operator around the fenceless cell. To increase flexibility and autonomy, configuration and simulation software allows producers to create and modify pallet patterns directly from the palletizer’s human machine interface.

The CoboAccess_Pal is a palletizer that uses a cobotic arm to handle cases weighing up to 19kg. Image courtesy of Sidel.

Robotics & Cobotics – Compactness and Competitiveness at the Heart

Combining cobotics and robotics provides a uniquely capable solution that delivers improved agility, operability and compactness to the packaging line.   Some applications and production lines for the packaging market are reaching the limits of collaborative robotics technology in terms of speed and payload, and traditional robotic palletizers have a larger footprint and longer return on investment, despite offering higher technical performance.

Bringing together the best of the cobotic and robotic worlds can deliver high palletizing performance, improved agility and operability in a compact footprint. For instance, palletizers can now deliver speeds of up to 12 cycles per minute and enable a case payload of up to 25kg.

Palletizing systems designed for low to medium speed packaging lines now offer a new level of compactness, with a footprint of less than 12 square meters for two stations, with a significant pallet height of 1700mm. This affordable palletizing system can enable businesses to realize a return on investment within one to two years.

Digital Solutions – Optimizing Line Performance

Agility is more important than ever when facing manufacturing constraints and challenges, and digital solutions enable our customers to turn data into smart decisions. For example, digital solutions can be designed to supervise and optimize line performance. Through a unique cloud suite with built-in intelligence, smart apps turn unused raw equipment data into powerful knowledge that organizations can use to achieve peak performance.

By aggregating and analyzing equipment data 24/7, the system offers real-time and pro-active alerts, notifications, customisable dashboards and reports, enabling customers to monitor their consumption levels and overall productivity, as well as calibrate their production line equipment to get the best results.

Digitization, robotics, and data learning as game-changers for manufacturers, driving them to meet growing consumer demands. These packaging solutions give organizations the capability to boost productivity, enhance line flexibility, and deliver scalable solutions across the industry.

About the Author

Fabien Chiron is the Director for Product Management of Palletizing/Depalletizing at Sidel. With over 50 years of experience in palletizing, Sidel has 5,000 installations worldwide, including 1,100 in robotics and 140 in cobotics. Learn more at www.sidel.com.