published on 04/01/10
Agroup of mechanical engineersr from a local outsource provider are due to design and install a new automated robot palletising system at Cadbury in Sheffield, where they produce a variety of gum and liquorice products.
The new arrangement incorporates three independent robot palletising calls each comprising of an ABB IRB660 robot complete with vacuum gripper, utilising the latest operating software. Each cell also includes a dedicated pallet handling conveyor system to receive and hold individual empty pallets prior to the load station, a load station adjacent to the robot to receive, locate and hold an empty pallet against defined datum’s, and a discharge section to hold a loaded pallet ready for transfer to the end-of-line stretch wrapping station.
Operationally, the system was installed and commissioned over twelve weeks with the loss of only twelve hours production. Since being implemented the department has gone through a 22 week period of peak volume and delivered service levels above v99.5%.

Read the full article at Food and Drink International