MU 2017 November December

22 MACHINERY UPDATE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 www.machineryupdate.co.uk
Installation News
Four arm robots help deliver
a fast retail punnet payback
Omron says this line is a perfect showcase of the capabilities of the new Delta robot for packing applications as well as the advantages of Sysmac software
Omron’s Quattro Delta
robot is the key to
a fresh approach to
punnet loading taken by
Brillopak when approached
by a leading UK retailer to
improve punnet throughput.
After considering the
project’s specification,
Brillopak decided that the best
way to accomplish the task
was to single pick if possible.
If the punnets could be
individually packed, then
it would solve both the previous
problem with accumulation
(meaning fewer stoppages)
and require less staff.
The retailer would also be
able to pack the produce in
a variety of ways, instead of
in a single direction.
To accomplish this single
pick implementation at such
a high rate, Brillopak selected
Omron’s Quattro Delta robot –
the world’s fastest robot with
a top speed pick rate of
300 per minute.
Another first for Omron’s
Quattro Delta is its fourth arm
design which allows it to reach
30% further than similar sized
robots. The additional axis
also allows the robot to tilt the
load, making it much more
flexible and therefore ideal for
placing packs in tight spaces,
such as punnet crates.
Brillopak designed and
manufactured a bespoke
line named Meteor, which
incorporates two Quattro
robots, one placed after the
other and using Brillopak’s
own custom designed heads.
The heads use multiple
vacuum cups, which each
have their own generator, to
provide a secure grip on the
punnet. This is particularly
useful when handling a
punnet with multiple holes in
the film lid, as it means that
a single cup won’t break the
vacuum seal for the rest.
To further protect the line
from any downtime, Brillopak
uses Omron’s Pack Expert to
set up packing formations to
accommodate new products.
The software can be used
offline, has a drag-and-drop
feature for better control of the
packing process, and offers
3D simulation to provide
a greater level of visibility.
In operation, once the
retailer is happy with the new
layout, it can be downloaded
quickly to the line, keeping
any stoppages to an absolute
minimum.
INTUITIVE SOFTWARE USE
Brillopak integrated the
packing solution under
the control of an Omron NJ
PLC and Sysmac software,
accessed by Omron HMIs.
Intelligent design of the
software and GUI for the HMIs
was also essential to cutting
downtime. Furthermore, as
the line operator may not have
English as a first language,
the software for the HMI was
specially designed to show
the most likely actions in an
intuitive way.
Over time, Brillopak has
shown that this approach is
very effective in getting the
line back up and running
promptly, and requires less
call-out for engineers.
The system also has a remote
access feature, allowing
Brillopak to access almost
every part of the system to
determine the cause of any
line stoppage.
“For this installation,
the customer demanded a
return on investment in less
than two years,” says David
Jahn, managing director of
Brillopak. “To achieve such
a demanding target means
keeping the line operating
almost continuously,” he
explains, “which is why the
line was specifically designed
to eliminate the stops that
occur frequently because of
problems with accumulation.
“It was also designed to
minimise the time taken to
get the line up and running
after changeovers, or any
other stoppages, which
can lead to over an hour of
downtime every day,” he tells
Machinery Update.
T 01622 872907
W www.brillopak.co.uk
T 01908 258258
W www.industrial.omron.co.uk