Our Customer’s Problem:
Recently one of our customers in the food and packaging industry came to us to help with their palletiser which had been causing them problems. This customer had a JMP Robot Head System which they used for palletising their finished product. Due to our customer’s diverse product range, the robot needs to handle a number of different sized boxes at different weights. However, due to the capabilities of the existing pump and cups, it limited the customer to what product lines they could facilitate on this pack out line. The original set up could not run larger boxes because the original OEM cups and pump were not capable of consistently lifting and shifting the target pick. In addition to this, the existing pump was in continuous operation to deliver the required vacuum flow to ensure safe and effective palletising, which created an expensive on-going operating and servicing cost. The challenging surface of the shippers showed that the cups also required replacement due to premature wear, which takes a considerable amount of time to replace. The constant servicing and cup replacement were only adding to the expensive operating costs.
Our Solution:
Using VMECA's new Magic Gripper technology, Pneutech was able to provide a unique solution for the palletiser system. We supplied our customer with a complete vacuum robot head assembly featuring MAC control valves to allow 18 different zone combinations which only added to the palletisers flexibility. The MAC valve technology has proven itself to deliver improved performance, reliability and repeatability. The system is a plug and play solution.
How did this help?
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Flexibility: The increased vacuum capabilities that VMECA provides allowed for more flexibility, which eliminated our customers problem with handling larger boxes, and with VMECA's improvements in valve control and zoning, there was greater flexibility in packaging patterns. The slotted mounts also allow future changes in cup positions if required, which makes the Magic Gripper system even more flexible.
- Reliability: The independent vacuum generators ensure that there is no loss of vacuum if one or more cups do not achieve contact with the product, which allows for more reliable vacuum. In most recent times, the need for shelf ready cartons from retail outlets has only highlighted the challenges of vacuum levels when cups are in contact with pre punched holes and or perforations.
- Decreased servicing maintenance costs: The Magic Gripper system also has a built-in cleanable filter element in each suction cup coupled with a blow off system, to prevent further losses of suction from fibre build up and extend the intervals between servicing. As well as this, the cups are made up of a modular construction, and individual components can be swapped without complete disassembly, saving significant amounts of time.
- Minimal downtime at installation & commissioning: We provided our customer with the complete head already coupled to the robot hood, which allowed for the installation process to be completed in less than one shift. Pre-delivery testing also ensured trouble-free installation. Design parameters required the new head to be dimensionally the same, so no programming mods for the robot were required.
Here are what our customer’s engineers had to say about the VMECA’s Magic Gripper System:
- Reduced complexity of robot programming, with venturi cups there is no longer a need to turn off the rows/columns that don’t line up with the shippers.
- Robot head no longer has the weakness of “lose one suction cup lose all suction cups”
- Ability to pick up heavier products that couldn’t previously be sent to the JMP robots including heavy tape sealed products.
- The energy savings were approximately $2k p.a. per robot switching from vacuum pump to compressed air.
- By removing the vacuum pumps, we eliminated 3 monthly planned maintenance on each pump.
- The noise in the area and power consumption from the vacuum pumps has been a big saving.
- We now have easy maintenance access to each head and are planning our maintenance frequency to suit.
- By working in stages and trialling as we go, we are able to maintain our production needs to ensure we got the required results.
Publication Date:
Author: Zac Smith (Customer Service, Pneutech)