Handling of packaged beverages

The robot, which replaced a layering palletizer, is fed trays of PET bottles by two conveyor segments and a roller table. The trays are distributed on the two conveyors in accordance with the specified stacking pattern. A pusher moves the trays from the table onto the so-called “roller carpet” of the robot gripper. The KR 500 centers the trays and holds them securely while moving them. Depending on the size of the bottles, the robot picks up either ten trays with 3 x 5 bottles each, or nine trays with 6 x 4 bottles each. In addition to these usual packages, the six-axis machine can also handle smaller ones. The number of layers is likewise based on the size of the bottles (maximum of six layers for 0.5-liter bottles). The KR 500, which can also pick up smaller film-wrapped packages without trays, sets the bottles gently down on pallets by retracting the roller carpet of its gripper. The trays are centered on the pallet by an external axis guided by the PC-based robot controller. If necessary, cardboard slipsheets are inserted by an automatic external device. The robot constantly varies the stacking pattern, thus enhancing the stability of the palletized load.

• KUKA KR 500 robot
• PC-based KUKA KR C2 robot controller, including control panel with Windows interface
• Robot programming
• Commissioning
• Gripper (KHS)
• Complete filling line, from the arrival of empties right through to shipping (KHS)
  
  

Supplied by the KUKA systems partner KHS Maschinen- und Anlagenbau AG, Worms, Germany.

• Flexibility
  
  

  The main advantage of the KR 500 compared to a layering palletizer is its significantly greater flexibility. The heavy-duty robot can be reconfigured quickly for new bottle sizes by means of simple program changes. Other remarkable features of the six-axis robot are its long reach and the enhanced flexibility provided by its custom-tailored gripper.

   

  At present the KR 500 palletizes 34 different products in bottles ranging from 0.35 to 2.0 liters. This diverse range of beverages encompasses “still” and carbonated soft drinks, beer, and fruit juices which are filled while hot. The KUKA robot’s flexibility means that the user can respond quickly to changing market conditions, using the line to process new products.
  
  
  
• Performance
  
  The robot achieves a throughput of 40,000 half-liter bottles per hour. Although the robot is a KR 500, the largest KUKA robot, it takes up significantly less space than the layering palletizer that was used previously. The KR 500 also stands out for its short cycle times, positioning accuracy, low maintenance requirements, easy operator control and high availability (well over 95 percent).