Advantages and Disadvantages of Cobot Palletisers

Posted on June 16, 2023 by Granta

Cobot palletisers, also known as collaborative robot palletisers, are robotic systems designed to work alongside human operators in palletising tasks. They offer several advantages and disadvantages, which are outlined below:

Advantages of Cobot Palletisers:

  • Increased productivity: Cobot palletisers can work continuously without experiencing fatigue or requiring breaks, resulting in higher production rates compared to manual palletising.
  • Enhanced safety: Cobots are designed to collaborate with humans in a shared workspace, equipped with advanced safety features such as force and proximity sensors. They can detect the presence of humans and adjust their speed or stop to avoid collisions, making them safer to work around than traditional industrial robots.
  • Flexibility and adaptability: Cobots are programmable and can be easily reprogrammed or reconfigured to handle different products or palletising patterns. This flexibility allows businesses to adapt to changing production needs and reduces the time and cost associated with retooling for new product lines.
  • Improved ergonomics: Cobot palletisers can perform repetitive and physically demanding tasks, reducing the risk of musculoskeletal/repetitive strain injuries for human operators. By automating the palletising process, cobots can free up workers to focus on more complex and value-added tasks.
  • Space efficiency: Cobots are often compact and can be installed in smaller spaces compared to traditional industrial robots. They can be integrated into existing production lines without significant modifications, saving valuable floor space in manufacturing facilities.

Disadvantages of Cobot Palletisers:

  • Cobot palletisers normally have to run too slow to be commercially viable if you run them in collaborative mode for palletising. As a result, nearly all cobot palletiser installations still need some element of guarding or area safety scanners to enable the cobot to be run faster and still be safe and compliant with CE and UKCA requirements.
  • High initial investment: Implementing cobot palletisers can involve a significant upfront investment, including the cost of the robot, necessary safety measures, and programming or integration with existing systems. This initial cost may pose a barrier to adoption for some businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
  • Limited payload and speed: Cobots typically have lower payload capacities and slower operating speeds compared to larger industrial robots. While they can handle many palletising tasks, certain heavy or high-speed applications may still require traditional industrial robots.
  • Complex programming: Programming cobots can require specialized knowledge and expertise, making it challenging for non-technical personnel. Although efforts have been made to simplify programming interfaces, it may still require additional training or hiring of skilled personnel to operate and maintain the cobot palletisers.
  • Integration challenges: Integrating cobot palletisers into existing production lines can be complex, especially if the infrastructure or control systems are not compatible. The coordination between cobots and other machinery, conveyor belts, or sensors may require additional engineering and customization.
  • Dependence on humans: While cobots are designed to collaborate with humans, they still rely on human operators for tasks such as supplying materials or troubleshooting issues. This human dependency may introduce inefficiencies if the cobots have to wait for human intervention or if human operators are not available when needed.

Please note that many low cost cobots palletisers solutions are sold with a certificate of incorporation for CE / UKCA which means they are not fully safety compliant until they have been set up with the relevant safety, integration and guarding, and then properly certified with a CE/UKCA certificate of conformity, before use. This is very important to understand as there are many non-compliant installations across the UK currently, where end users have not understood the significance of the certificate of incorporation rather than the normal certificate of conformity for a fully CE/UKCA marked ready to use machine.

It’s also important to note that the advantages and disadvantages of cobot palletisers can vary depending on the specific application, industry, and business requirements. Evaluating these factors is crucial in determining whether cobot palletisers are a suitable investment for a particular manufacturing operation.

If you would like more information on cobot palletiser systems, then please do get in touch on 01223 499488 or helpline@granta-automation.co.uk and we will be very happy to help.

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Fully Automatic Measuring and Programming Palletiser

Posted on June 6, 2023 by Granta

Auto programming is an advance on Granta’s already patented software options. By combining a laser measuring system and the Granta software, no programming is required at all to set up pallet stack patterns and program the robot.

The product is automatically measured as it enters the cell and if it is a different size to the previous product it will flag up a message offering to create a new stack pattern from the new product size.

The system is much more reliable than hand measuring product and entering dimensions and requires minimal human input. The use of more accurate dimensions also results in more accurate and neat stack patterns.

This fully automated programming is at the cutting edge of AI for the palletiser industry and opens up the opportunity to use robotic palletisers for very short runs of product, even as little as one pallet load.  It makes automated palletising viable where previously the set up time was prohibitive to automatically palletising.

If you would like more information on the Granta auto measuring and programming palletiser system, then please do get in touch on 01223 499488 or helpline@granta-automation.co.uk and we will be very happy to help.

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Manufacturing Root Cause Analysis Tools

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Granta

As we all know, the first step towards stopping an issue from reoccurring is to find the root cause of the problem and then fix this.  All too often we tend to fix the surface issues without taking the time to find the root cause. This is largely due to the fact that the root cause of the issue can often be masked by the surface issues: you may have a lot of customers complaining about late deliveries and assume it’s because despatch aren’t sending goods out in a timely manner, whereas the route cause may actually be the fact that manufacturing keep having breakdowns on a particular machine and aren’t getting goods to despatch at the appropriate time.  Using these tools to analyse the root cause will enable you to find the root cause issue in manufacturing rather than just fixing the apparent despatch issue.

There are six basic steps required in any root cause analysis to ensure that the issue is clearly identified and rectified.  These are:

  1. Recognise the problem – recognise when something isn’t what it should be.  Without recognition that there is an issue, it will never get resolved.
  2. Define the problem – it is important to define the problem so that everyone has a clear understanding of what the problem is and what the situation is that needs to be resolved.
  3. Analyse the problem – carry out analysis of the problems, find out the areas in which the issue occurs, how often the issue is occurring, and what the consequences are of this issue occurring.
  4. Find the root cause – having completed the above, it is then important to analyse and categorise the information you have gathered to enable you to identify what the most likely root cause of the issues is.
  5. Eliminate the root cause – having identified the root cause it is then important to eliminate this cause.  However, in some cases this may not be possible to eliminate entirely, but you should at least be able to improve the root cause issue in some way.
  6. Monitor the symptoms – this step is very important as it is essential to know if you have indeed eliminated the root cause issue.  This will also help you to identify if the root cause has now moved to a different area, having fixed the first root cause issue.

We’ve pulled together some of the best methods to help you with identifying the root cause of manufacturing issues. These are all well-established tools that have been used for many years in root cause analysis.

The Five Why’s
The 5 Why’s is one of the most effective methods of getting to the root cause of a problem.  Asking the question ‘Why?’ five times enables you to go deeper in your analysis of the problem and gain a clearer picture of where the underlying issues is.  An example of the 5 Why’s questioning method may go something like this

  1. Customer phoned and complained that his parcel was late – Why?
  2. The goods were despatched after the promised ship date – Why?
  3. Despatch received the goods a day later than they should have done – Why?
  4. Quality control didn’t release the goods when they should have done – Why?
  5. There had been a machine breakdown and repair and all of the goods in first few batches following this repair had to be inspected which made extra work for quality control and therefore the goods were late getting to despatch.

Having been able to identify the root cause, you are then in a position to start fixing the root cause and putting measure in place to ensure that if such an issue does occur again, there’s processes that can be followed to minimise disruption.  In this instance, it may be a case of putting a system in place to ensure there are more staff in quality control following a machine breakdown to ensure that there is enough resource to inspect the additional quantity of goods, and therefore goods don’t become late to despatch.

Fishbone Diagram

A fishbone diagram is typically used where there is no known root cause, and a very broad and in-depth brainstorm session has to take place to try and identify the root cause and enable a resolution to be reached.

The fishbone looks at the problem, and then helps you to break it down into subcategories that link back to the main issues, enabling you to investigate these subcategories in more details.

The fishbone diagram example below shows how it may be used to identify the roof case of an incorrect or delayed delivery.

There are many free downloadable templates that can be used for this analysis, however the headings show above are the ones most commonly used when trying to identify a manufacturing root cause issue as they are the key components of any manufacturing process.

Matrix Diagram
A matrix diagram is useful when you find there are a number of causes that have contributed to the problem, and you are trying to identify which of them is having the greatest impact. 

A matrix diagram looks like the below, and you will need to brainstorm the characteristics and possible cause of the problem to enable you to complete the matrix.  Once you have identified these, the characteristics of the problem can be plotted down the left-hand side of the matrix, and the possible cause of the issues should be plotted along the top.  The next step is then to start filling in the matric with a number defining how big an impact each of the causes has on the characteristics; ie. how big an impact does inaccurate planning have on production starting late?  Low impact is usually defined as a 1, and high impact would be 9.  Any number between 1 and 9 can be used. 

Having completed this table, scores for each possible cause should be added together and totalled at the bottom of the matrix. The possible cause with the highest score is typically the root cause that needs to be fixed.  Once you have fixed the initial root cause issue, you may find it useful to re-run this matrix as you may still be having the same type of issue, but the root cause may have moved on to another area.

Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA)

The failure mode and effect analysis tool is typically used to identify potential process, production and product issues before they actually occur.  It is usually used prior to the implementation of a new process, product or production process.  It identifies areas where the system is likely to fail, and then each potential failure is assessed for the severity of the failure, the occurrence of the failure, and detection of the failure.  Having identified these areas of risk and given them a risk score, these scores are then totalled to give a risk priority number (RPN).  Risks are then prioritised according to this score and action taken to reduce or eliminate the risk.

These are just four of the most commonly used root cause analysis tools, but as you can see, they will enable you go quickly get to the root cause of any manufacturing issues.  Just like when you identify bottlenecks in your production process, it is very important to continue to undertake root cause analysis once you have solved the first issue you identify.  This is because you will often find that when you fix one root cause, the issue often then moves to another place in the process.  Systematically working through and fixing these issues will enable you to have a far more effective and productive manufacturing process, which will typically result in a vastly improved OEE.

If you would like any more information on these analysis tools, then please do get in contact on 01223 499488 or helpline@granta-automation.co.uk. 

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Palletiser

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Granta

A palletiser is a system that stacks products onto pallets. There are many different types of palletiser on the market but the most common and versatile for different types of application is a robotic palletiser.

How do they work?

All palletisers are equipped with a gripper for picking product and an actuator or robotic arm for moving the gripper and product. An infeed conveyor feeds product into the palletiser and then products are picked by palletiser from the infeed conveyor and stacked onto pallets automatically. The pallets can be automatically fed into the system with a pallet feeder or they can be manually fed into the system with a forklift or pallet truck. Finished stacked pallets can be manually removed from the system, or automatically fed out of the system on conveyors. Automated pallet wrappers can also be included if required.

Example grippers

Example grippers used on a palletiser include:

  • Foam pad gripper – a foam pad gripper lifts product using vacuum
  • Bag gripper – a bag gripper has tines that close around the product.
  • Underneath gripper – an underneath gripper had a plate or tine that the product is slid onto and then clamped
  • Parallel Gripper – a parallel uses two plate to grip either side of the product.

More information on griper types and their suitability for different products is available here.

Application examples

There are many different applications in which a palletiser is used. Some of the more common applications are listed here:

Software

All palletiser systems will have some form of software controlling them, there is a wide range of software available from hard coded robot paths and stack patterns where every move is individually programmed by a skilled robot programmer, through to fully automatic software that any person that is familiar with computers can easily use to automatically generate stack patterns in less than 5 minutes. One of the fastest and most flexible software options on the market is the GA15 Palletising software.

Hardware

There is a wide variety of hardware needed in palletising cells such as conveyors, robots, actuators, grippers, control gear and much more. Some of the better palletiser systems on the market have modular systems that enable easy re-deployment and re-configuration of the system layout, along with very fast install. The GA15 Palletiser has a patented modular system that enables very fast install, modification, and accommodates almost any layout requirements, it is known as the Lego of palletisers.

Some key factors to consider when installing a palletiser include:

  • Palletiser speeds required
  • Product type and structural rigidity
  • Size and weight of products
  • Stack patterns
  • Integration requirements with upstream equipment
  • Types of pallets
  • Layout and available space requirements
  • Scanning and barcode reading for sorting products
  • Pallet wrapping requirements

More information on factors that need to be considered when installing a palletiser is available here.

Planning a palletiser install?

There are a lot of factors to consider to ensure you achieve successful palletiser installation, see below for a link to a guide to palletiser installations and downloadable template URS.  https://www.granta-automation.co.uk/news/palletiser-buying-guide/

Support

Having good support is a key to a successful palletiser install, both for ongoing training of new users and quick fault recovery. A good support contract will include 3 site maintenance visits per year and remote support availability.

Further information on palletisers

For further information on palletisers see https://www.granta-automation.co.uk/types-of-automation/robotic-palletising . You may also wish to download our free robotic automation resource pack https://www.granta-automation.co.uk/resources

If you would like to discuss this in more detail, or would like further information on the Granta GA15 Palletising system, then please do get in touch on 01223 499488 or helpline@granta-automation.co.uk. 

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Palletiser Buying Guide

Posted on May 8, 2023 by Granta

There are many different automated palletising systems available on the market, so we have put together a few key points that you should consider before investing. This will ensure that your investment will meet your current needs as well as being flexible enough to cope with any future changes in your requirements.

Key Benefits of An Automated Palletising System

1. Production Increase

Most companies typically experience a 40%+ production increase following the installation of an automated palletising system.  There are several reasons for this level of increase:

  • An automated system does not take holidays or breaks, so you production process does not need to stop
  • As the system is automated it forces a takt time. This means that the production process up the line has to keep to this takt time to ensure the palletiser is running at optimum speeds.
  • The system will run 24/7, working longer hours than an employee palletising by hand.
  • An automated system will achieve faster palletising speeds as there is no risk of the system stopping palletising due to distractions or RSI issues.

2. Fast Payback

The payback time on an automated system will be specific to your applications but it is usually very quick. Typically, as a rule of thumb, if you have the equivalent of one person employed full time for palletising, there is payback in less than 2 years.

3. Reduction in Health & Safety Claims

An automated palletising system completely removes the risk of repetitive strain injuries occurring, and therefore removes all of the associated costs that go along with RSI Health & Safety claims.

4. Other benefits

There are many other benefits associated with an automated palletising system, but some of the more commonly recognised benefits include; impressed customers, reduction in pallet stacking errors, improve stack quality, less transit damage, improved staff morale.

Return On Investment

The payback time for an automated palletising system is usually very quick, as not only do you remove the manual labour element and associated costs, but production can also continue to run throughout break times, etc.  This enables you to improve your production speed and throughput capacity, enabling you to product more product in less time.

To help you calculate the ROI for your project, we have created a free, downloadable robotics and automation resource pack www.granta-automation.co.uk/freepack. This pack includes an automation project payback calculator to help you determine your predicted return on investment based on production rates, shift times, HR costs, downtime, etc. It also includes an intangible benefits calculator as these are also something that need to be considered when working out your predicted return on investment as they can have a significant effect on the payback time of your project.

Things To Consider When Buying A Palletiser

1. Staff Training and Ease of Use

How easy is the palletising system to use? Can it quickly be reprogrammed to palletise different bag or box sizes? Can your staff reprogram it themselves? With some conventional palletising systems it can be very difficult to change the stacking pattern or bag placing positions without support from a specialist programmer. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the system you choose has easy programming software as this will enable your staff to reprogram the palletiser quickly and easily. This saves you the cost of having to call out an expensive robot programmer to reprogram the system when you need to change a stack pattern or bag size. It is also important to choose a system that has automatic stack generation software so that you can simply choose which stacking pattern you wish to use without having to spend time planning. Having a system with easy programming software will also ensure that your palletising system is future proof against any changes of product size or pallet type.

It is also important to ensure that your staff will receive training as part of the palletiser installation process.  A good training process will give your staff the needed skills to operate the palletising system in the most efficient and effective way.

2. Futureproof Throughput Capacity

What throughput do you need to achieve currently? What throughput are you looking to achieve in the future? Not only do you need to be sure that the system can meet your current throughput requirements, but it is also important to ensure that it has the necessary capacity to enable you to expand your sales and increase your throughput in the future. The last thing you want is to increase your sales only to find your palletiser has become a bottleneck in your production process! Spend time to think about where your business is heading in the future and ensure you invest in a system that will meet your future demands, or is easily scalable to meet them.

3. Stack Neatness

Neatly stacked pallets are key to your product reaching its final destination in the best condition. They also make for safer storage, and easier container and lorry loading. With several different methods of automated pallet stacking available, it is important that you choose a method that creates the best stack for your product. There are many factors that affect how bags will stack best such as how full the bag is, what type of product is in the bag, and how free flowing the material is within the bag. Several systems are available for shaping and flattening bags to ensure that they stack in the neatest possible way. Running a trial of your product on a palletising system before you commit to the capital expenditure is a very good way to determine what the best method is for palletising your product neatly.

4. Easy to Move/Re-site

Ensure that the system you choose can be easily moved. As your processes evolve over time, the last thing you want is to end up with a palletiser stuck in the wrong corner! There are modular palletising systems available; which means they can be quickly and easily re-situated and reconfigured to a different layout should the need arise. The modularity of these systems also allows you to adapt the palletising process over time by adding further processes at a later date such as pallet shrink wrapping, slip sheet feeding, automated pallet feeding, labelling etc. 

Downloadable Palletiser URS Template

To help you with choosing and specifying an automated palletising system we have created a downloadable Palletiser URS template.  This includes all of the key specifications that need to be considered when specifying a automated palletising system, and helps to ensure that the system will not only meet your current needs, but also your future requirements as well.

As you can see, when chosen wisely, an automated palletising system will not only provide the immediate benefits of increased reliability and throughput, but will also service your future requirements. With changing market demands and the ever-quickening pace of technology, it is important to ensure that the equipment you choose to invest in is flexible and adaptable enough to cope with these changes without the need for further significant investment.

One of the most adaptable and flexible palletising systems on the market is the Granta GA15 palletising system. It is fast and easy to program without the need for specialist programming skills. The easy programming software also includes automatic stack generation for an infinite variety of products, pallets and stack configurations. Having input the bag or box size you are palletising the optimum stack pattern is shown along with a variety of other stack patterns. All you have to do is simply select the stack pattern you require using the touch screen.

As the Granta GA15 palletising system is a modular system, it can also be simply and quickly reconfigured should your production requirements change. The modularity of the system also results in short lead times and a quick install time.

If you would like to discuss this guide in more detail, or would like further information on the Granta GA15 Palletising system, then please do get in touch on 01223 499488 or helpline@granta-automation.co.uk. 

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Can Pallets Be Depalletised Automatically?

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Granta

Almost any type of product can be automatically depalletised, and the best method will vary depending on the type of product that is being depalletised and the speeds required. Depalletising of boxes or bags will often be done by a robot picking and placing the items one at a time, but for high-speed applications, such as depalletising bottles onto a production line, the product will usually be picked and placed as a complete layer to meet the speeds required.

There are many different reasons why a pallet may need to be depalletised, and some of the most common reasons are listed below:

  • Cross stacking product from Euro pallets to UK standard pallets to fit the UK distribution network and pallet storage system.
  • Depalletising items such as empty bottles or containers onto a production line ready for filling.
  • Depalletising boxes or bags off a pallet onto a conveyor ready for loading into a container for shipping.
  • Depalletising and repalletising of boxes or bags to get the correct quantity or stack pattern onto a pallet.

Cross stacking of bags or boxes from one pallet to another will typically be done by a robotic depalletising system and the system will usually be designed to suit your specific application and speeds.  The robotic arm will pick and place one item at a time and compensator tools may be used by the robot to allow for product variations. An angled alignment frame or conveyor system may also be needed to enable the product to be accurately re-positioned onto the new pallet.

Where product is being depalletised onto a production line or onto a conveyor for loading a container, the speeds required will determine the pick and place method. For slower speed applications items will be picked and placed individually, whereas for high-speed applications a complete layer, or row can be picked and placed onto the production line. Once the product is on the conveyor, it will then be orientated and separated as required by the production process.

Typically, a depalletising system will be built to suit your exact requirements, and can be designed to include pallet wrapping and labelling if needed.

Some of the key benefits to automatically depalletising product include:

  1. Improved efficiency: An automated depalletising system is more efficient than manually depalletising as it will not need to stop for breaks, holidays, etc., enabling you to run your depalletising process 24/7 if required.
  2. Improved safety: An automated system will remove the need for manual handing of product, and therefore reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries occurring.
  3. Flexibility: Some automated depalletising systems have software that can be reprogrammed by your staff which gives you flexibility and enables you to use the system to depalletise a wide variety of products on the one system.

If you would like to discuss your depalletising application, feel free to contact us on 01223 499488 or helpline@granta-automation.co.uk. 

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Can You Lease A Palletiser?

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Granta

Yes you can, is the answer to this question!  Leasing is a very efficient way of purchasing a palletising system as it helps cashflow by removing the need for a large capital outlay at the time of purchase. It also removes the need for CapEx approval in the buying process.

With leasing you pay nothing until the palletiser is installed, and start making savings over and above the lease payments from the day the palletiser is installed.

To give you an example; over the last few projects, with a 3 year lease scheme, our customers would make an average production cost saving of £63,063.60 per year after making the lease payments.

These savings do not include the value of:

  • Production increase – which with a palletiser is typically at least 15%, and more commonly around 40%.
  • Reduced Health & Safety claims.
  • Reduced HR time and cost.
  • Boosted staff morale.

At the end of the lease period the palletiser becomes yours for a small nominal fee of 1%.

Click here to download our Automation Payback ROI Calculator with Leasing Options and find out what savings you could be making. This calculator covers the many different factors that need to be considered when comparing your existing processes with an automated system.

If you would like to discuss leasing a palletising system feel free to contact us on 01223 499488 or helpline@granta-automation.co.uk. 

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Automated Product Sorting and Palletising

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Granta

It is a common requirement both at distribution centers, and on the output of production lines, to need to sort products and palletise them ready for dispatch. Some common requirements include:

  • Sorting and palletising into van/delivery routes
  • Sorting and palletising by barcode
  • Sorting and palletising into product types
  • Sorting and palletising by product weight
  • Sorting and palletising by size
  • Sorting and palletising by customer order number

Key information required for product sorting

Almost any product can be sorted and palletised including boxes, totes, trays, bags and much more, but there is some key information that is required to be considered first:

  • What products need sorting?
  • Are they consistent, or a range of different types and sizes?
  • What speeds do they need sorting at?
  • What is the input to the system; is it multiple lines that need combining and sorting, or one line that needs splitting and sorting?
  • How many sorted output pallets need to be stacked at one time?

What is the method for detection for how products should be sorted?

There are several methods by which products can be sorted, some examples are below:

  • Barcode – Barcode readers detect the barcode and sort according to data from a database or pre-set program.
  • QR code – QR code readers detect the code and sort according to data from a database or pre-set program.
  • Size measurement – In-line 3D measuring systems can detect product sizes and sort accordingly.
  • Weight measurement – Scales in line with the input to the system can weigh products and then sort them accordingly.
  • Character recognition off a label – Vision systems can detect the code and sort according to data from a database or pre-set program.

Sorting and palletising methods

Products can be sorted in multiple ways, typically you have products entering the system on a conveyor combined together and they are detected and allocated for sorting to the correct pallet by one of the above sorting methods. Once this allocation is made the products need to be sorted physically and palletised. The key methods for sorting and palletising are as follows:

  • Sorting with the robotic palletiser
  • Sorting with conveyors then palletising
  • Sorting with a buffering system

These are explained in more detail below.

Sorting with a robotic palletiser

Sorting with a robotic palletiser is where the input conveyor to the palletiser has mixed products that need sorting. The palletiser has multiple palletising locations and stacks the products onto the relevant pallet.

For example, the image below shows two sorting Palletisers both stacking to six output pallets; so overall the system is sorting and palletising products between twelve different pallets.

Sorting with conveyors then palletising

Sorting with conveyors is where products are diverted off into different lanes going to the palletiser, this means products are already sorted and combined on input lanes into the palletisers. This is more common where there is high production throughput and products need to be pre-sorted before the palletiser to enable row grip (multi picking products to improve production speeds).

Sorting with a buffering system

Sorting with a buffering system is often effective where there are many different output pallets required but overall production is not all that fast. With this type of system the products are all sorted and stored temporarily in elevated storage systems into batches of product ready to be palletised once a whole pallet worth of product is ready. Like this you can often have just one or two robots serving a large sorting requirement.

Database integration

Often to sort most effectively the barcode or QR code information needs to be looked up on an existing customer database system. To do this the palletising system is integrated using bespoke coding that links up with client databases or imports excel / CSV outputs from client databases. The system then uses this information to determine the sort method and palletise.

If needed, feedback to the database can be given from the palletiser and sorting system to show any extra information from the product; giving real time information on where products are in the system and where products have been stacked. For example; often a barcode reader in the final palletising cell is used to verify the products have been palletised and is used as the method of scanning the product out of the system for delivery.

Conclusion

There are multiple methods of sorting and palletising and often these methods are combined along with database integration to achieve the best outcome. For help with your specific sorting and palletising requirements contact us on 01223 499488 or helpline@granta-automation.co.uk. 

contact us

Bag Palletiser

Bag Palletiser

Barrel Palletiser

Barrel Palletiser

Box Palletiser

Box Palletiser

Crate Palletiser

Crate Palletiser

Tray Palletiser

Tray Palletiser

Posted in Auto Palletiser, Automated Palletising, Palletiser - Granta Palletiser System, Palletising, Robotic Palletiser, Robotic Palletising, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments Off on Automated Product Sorting and Palletising

Granta GA15 Compact Palletiser Cell

Posted on February 23, 2023 by Granta

The standard layout of a Granta GA15 compact palletising cell is approximately 4 meters x 1.6 meters in size, but this can vary depending on your application. The main advantage of this cell is the fact that it is very compact, whilst still having the benefits and payloads of an industrial robot palletising system.

Key features of the compact palletising cell include:

  • Pallet trucks can be used for pallet change as well as fork lift trucks. This is very useful where space is tight and pallet trucks need to be used as there is not room for a fork lift truck.
  • The system can be used on high speed lines and can include row gripping if required. Many compact systems are not able to handle high speeds and volumes of product as they are not able for the required cycle times. This systems has the benefit of being compact as well as able to handle quick cycle times.
  • 120 kg robot payload which allows the system to palletised heavy boxes and bags despite it’s compactness.
  • Entry to the system can be via a physical gate or light curtain

Points to be aware of with a compact palletising cell are:

  • The system will stop whilst pallets are removed and changed over. This does not usually present a problem unless you are running a very high speed line and do not have the necessary buffering space.
  • Slip sheets and auto pallet feeding can be added to the system but this will increase the cell size.

Compact palletising cells are typically used where there is very little floor area available, and the budget is tight. The system is very compact in size, but is more versatile than a cobot palletising system as it has the payloads and speeds of an industrial robot palletising system.

If you would like to discuss the best palletising system for your specific application, and the speeds/cycles times that can be achieved, feel free to contact us on 01223 499488 or helpline@granta-automation.co.uk. 

contact us

Bag Palletiser

Bag Palletiser

Barrel Palletiser

Barrel Palletiser

Box Palletiser

Box Palletiser

Crate Palletiser

Crate Palletiser

Tray Palletiser

Tray Palletiser

Posted in Automated Palletising, Bag Palletiser, Box Palletiser, Palletiser - Granta Palletiser System, Palletising, Robotic Palletiser, Robotic Palletising | Tagged , | Comments Off on Granta GA15 Compact Palletiser Cell

What Palletising Speeds Can Be Achieved with Different Grippers?

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Granta

Depending on the product and gripper size, robot grippers can pick many products at a time speeding up the throughput of the palletiser by picking and placing multiple products at a time. The speed that the system can run in products stacked per minute is calculated as follows:

Cycles per min with the robot and gripper X no of products picked by the gripper each cycle = palletising speed in products per minute.

The table below shows typical speeds that can be achieved with different grippers. These are approximate average speeds and are very dependant on application, please contact us to get the actual likely speeds for your application.

If you would like to discuss the best gripper for your specific application, and the speeds that can be achieved, feel free to contact us on 01223 499488 or helpline@granta-automation.co.uk. 

contact us

Bag Palletiser

Bag Palletiser

Barrel Palletiser

Barrel Palletiser

Box Palletiser

Box Palletiser

Crate Palletiser

Crate Palletiser

Tray Palletiser

Tray Palletiser

Posted in Auto Palletiser, Automated Palletising, Palletiser - Granta Palletiser System, Palletising, Robotic Palletiser, Robotic Palletising, Technical Information | Tagged , | Comments Off on What Palletising Speeds Can Be Achieved with Different Grippers?