|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
Sorted by robot, washed and returned to the field |
| |
| Starting point / Task definition |
| |
 | | Sorted by robot, washed and returned to the field |  |
The task was to plan a state-of-the-art logistics center. Speed was to be of the essence at GLC AG’s 12,000 m² plant, as the RPCs delivered by truck today must already be on their way back to the producers, sorted by type and washed, tomorrow.
The main requirements on the KUKA robots concerned the stack height and the necessary intelligent handling. |
|
| |
| Implementation / Solution |
| |
The crates are brought to the logistics center by truck. Unsorted and collapsed, they are transported by fork lift truck on pallets to the first station in the sorting and washing system. Once the RPCs have been separated, they must be sorted. Each of the five conveyors is equipped with an electronic recognition system. This uses laser lines and a camera to determine the type of the delivered articles. The RPCs are then arranged by type in small stacks which can be gripped by the KUKA robots.
The two KR 140 L100 comp robots are each mounted on a 900 millimeter pedestal which, in turn, is mounted on a linear unit. In this way, by making use of the linear traversing unit, the robots can reach all 12 lines. They reliably lift the packages out of the sorting destinations and set them down on a prepared Euro pallet. Once four by three packages have been stacked here, the pallet is full and is carried away by a fully automatic transverse shuttle. It is currently the only system for RPCs of this kind with an integrated robotic solution.
To enable the KUKA robots to stack cleanly to a specific height, they are fitted with a
400 millimeter arm extension and intelligent grippers, specially developed by moveline AG for this particular automation solution. At the end of the sorting system, a fork lift truck whisks the pallets away. The sorting system ends here. The pallets are now transported to the washing system. |
|
| |
| System components / Scope of supply |
| |
|
|
| |
| Results / Success |
| |
The automation of the RPC cleaning was primarily a response to cost pressure and high quality requirements within the industry. The system was also immediately ISO-certified on completion, thus documenting its high quality and hygiene standards. The sorting accuracy has also been significantly increased as a result of the automation.
The system runs 24 hours a day, 6 days a week, in three-shift operation. The seventh day is set aside for servicing. The number of crates in circulation is increasing significantly every year. For this reason, the system is already designed to cope with a higher workload in the future. |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| Industry |
| |
Food and beverages
Agriculture |
|
| |
| Application |
| |
Handling, loading and unloading
Palletizing
Packaging and order picking
Other handling operations |
|
| |
| Customer |
| |
| GLC AG, Switzerland |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
| |
© Copyright 2012 KUKA Roboter GmbH All rights reserved |