The Challange
A repeat customer approached us looking for a solution to palletize 50-pound bags of cocoa powder created from an existing ELEMENTRA inline valve bagger that was installed back in 2022. The customer’s key requirements for this palletizing solution were a compact footprint combined with high productivity and cost efficiency.
The Solution
Following our initial meeting, we looked back to the details of our prior project at this facility for the inline valve bagger provided in the past. After carefully reviewing the drawings of the packaging area and analysis of the filled valve bags, we finalized a solution consisting of our AMICUS® PAL – Standard Robotic Cell. At the core of our robotic cell is the AMICUS® PAL robotic arm, powered by FANUC and equipped with our advanced Gripper End-of-Arm Tool (EOAT). This innovative gripper is designed to seamlessly manage pallet and slip-sheet handling within the cell, ensuring efficiency and precision.
When we installed the ELEMENTRA valve bagger in 2022, it included an integrated metal detection system within the packer body, along with a downstream checkweigher to ensure product compliance. If filled bags are flagged by either the checkweigher or integrated metal detection, the AMICUS® PAL can receive the signal of the non-conforming bag and place it at a reject station present within the cell. Additionally, the robotic palletizing cell features a bag flattener that automatically adjusts to your product recipe and bag dimensions for consistent brick shaped bags.
To simplify operator access inside the robotic cell, both the pallet and slip-sheet pickup zones are positioned near the entrance doors along the safety fence, allowing quick reloading with just a pallet jack. Every AMICUS® robotic solution also includes our intuitive and easy to use HMI, empowering operators to effortlessly change and create pallet recipes. After the finished pallet is created by the AMICUS® PAL, it goes downstream to a WULFTEC turntable stretch wrapping system that will be installed within the cell as well at the customer site.
This comprehensive solution ensures reliable, hygienic, and safe packaging of cocoa powder, meeting the highest industry standards cementing history of innovation and repeat success in the food industry.