Pacepacker Services highlights faster reprogramming
Reprogramming the way a pallet is stacked using the usual robot teach pendants can be a laborious, time consuming, trial and error process. At PPMA 2017, stand C50, automation specialist Pacepacker Services unveils its NEW Pallet+ technology, which, thanks to time saving features including off-line programming, slashes set-up of a new pallet stack layout from around one hour to several minutes.
Live palletising time trials will demonstrate how to modify a stacking recipe using Pallet+ versus using a robot teach pendant. Thanks to graphical elements and value-entry boxes, the Pallet+ interface can be operated without users understanding complex programming language, cutting recipe programming times by up to 800%!
“Pallet+ is especially beneficial when handling rigid boxes where there is very little stacking tolerance, 5mm in some instances,” reports Pacepacker’s Technical Director Richard Gladwin.
Could this be the end of engineer programming visits? Pacepacker believes so, giving packers more machine uptime, faster turnaround and greater production capacity.
Compared to the previous steps of modifying a palletising stack format, which could involve multiple robot jogging and coordinated recording steps, Pallet+ users can perform programme changes on a control panel local to the machine or off-line via a separate computer. Pacepacker can even create new palletising recipes and email them to customers, or login remotely and upload.
Pallet+ is being installed on all Pacepacker’s new robot palletising systems as standard. It can also be retrofitted to existing robots supplied by Pacepacker, including case loading, from all food and bulk sectors. Operation requires little or no programming knowledge, which given today’s in-house engineering skills shortages is proving a real benefit. As testimony, one longstanding customer is converting its entire robot programming systems after trialling Pallet+.
Ideal for manufacturers and contract packers reliant on machine uptime to meet contract delivery schedules, Pallet+ enables factories to rapidly adjust to changing product formats, shapes and pack sizes, creating fast yet stable delivery pallets. It virtually eliminates any need for operatives to touch the robot pendant and cuts out all the time-consuming programming steps.
Pallet+ will appear on a fully automated case erection, loading, closing and palletising line up, which forms the centrepiece of Pacepacker’s PPMA 2017 display.
Visit the Pacepacker Services website for more information
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