Having started his career in the aerospace industry, Declan has more than a decade of experience, working successfully in control systems, robotic automation, AMRs and latest vision technologies. He is a proven engineer and team leader, with the ability to create working partnerships with both our customers and suppliers alike.

With his inclusive approach, Declan will lead CKF’s controls and applications team, integrating and developing leading edge technologies into system solutions, that deliver efficient automation to our customers.

Declan’s appointment as Head of Automation will focus CKF’s development of new strategic opportunities to deliver the automation technology for the future.

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The banana inspection and packing lines within Primafruit at its Evesham facility were heavily reliant on manual labour. Imported produce, cardboard trays filled with bananas, were received stacked on pallets, typically to a height nearing 2.5m. The operation for Primafruit was to de-stack the cardboard trays, inspect the produce and re-pack the fruit into either cardboard trays or collapsible, returnable plastic crates prior to re-palletising and despatch to their retail customer.

Primafruit wanted to automate the process at its state-of-the-art facility which is perfectly located in a central hub for agriculture and have a dedicated pack house, chilled storage, and ripening chambers. The new system was another important step in its automation journey creating a more efficient and safe working environment.

CKF has vast experience, designing and building robotic palletising systems for a wide range of industries. This application demanded that the CKF team fully understood the challenges such that customised solutions could be developed to provide Primafruit with an efficient automated process. The challenges were identified as:

• De-stack filled cardboard trays from a pallet 2.5m high that could have an inconsistent stack form and deformed cases due to transit.
• Manage and deliver cardboard trays containing bananas to each inspection and re-packing station ensuring there is always an empty tray or re-useable plastic crate available at each station to enable continuous inspection and re-packing.
• Re-stack either cardboard or re-useable plastic crates onto the finished pallet ready for despatch.
• Minimise the system footprint for the efficient use of the existing floorspace.

For the automation to be cost effective CKF proposed a single robot for de-stacking and re-stacking. Searches, tolerances, case quality and stack profile are all key elements to the success of any robot palletisation. To undertake the de-stacking and re-stacking utilising a single tool would require a bespoke design.

The CKF Engineering team also understood the demands on the tool to handle two differing containers – ie cardboard trays and plastic collapsible, re-useable crates. It was vital that the tooling developed would maintain the integrity of the bananas, without marking or causing any damage.

By using a single robot cell, the system would maximise the floor space available to ensure that designated access routes for personnel and the movement of materials would be maintained.

CKF, an experienced ABB value provider for over 13 years, utilised an ABB IRB 660 industrial robot system in the solution design; this dedicated palletising robot is designed to handle a load of up to 180kg at a reach of up to 3.15m. Its low weight upper arm, 4 axis design and parallel rod system means it delivers optimised speed, reach and payload. This robot is exceptionally fast making it ideal for palletising bags, boxes, crates, bottles and more.

The CKF Engineering team developed the bespoke gripper to pick either two or three cases at a time (dependent on stack orientation). The single tool was designed to suit both de-stacking and re-stacking, together with handling two case variants of differing dimensions, location points and material.

Based on an anodised aluminium framework to reduce weight, the tool utilises pneumatically actuated side grippers and base slide plate for transfer of the multiple case format, additionally, a vacuum assist is required to enable lifting of the product trays prior to separation from the stack. Due to the lack of conformity of the pallet stack from the suppliers to Primafruit, the CKF team developed the robot positioning for de-palletising using an onboard sensor array to determine the coordinates of height and stack position prior to the pick operation.

Once transferred from the pallet, stack cases are transferred to and from the inspection cells on the CKF range of ZPA conveyor sections which utilises the Interroll DC platform. This perfectly matched range of controls, motor rollers and power units enable the provision of a unique combination of conveyors for this system. This includes CKF accumulation conveyors configured to provide individually controlled zones, allowing zero pressure accumulation of the product trays and the flexibility to be configured to different sizes.

The system is driven on a Rockwell platform using a compact GuardLogix 5380 safety controller with a 10″ SVGA touch screen for operator interface. Troax safety fencing is used around the robot cell to provide the enclosure, with Leuze light guards providing protection for pallet entry and exit.

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CKF’s range of Standard Palletising cells are quick to install, easy to use, economic and flexible, offering the ability to be reconfigured and expanded. This low-cost simple palletising system is based on the Yaskawa PL80 robot and CKF’s standard 24 V DC ‘CRC’ case conveyor system.

The robot cell has been designed so it can be mechanically located and installed with minimal interruption to production due to the innovative plinth that allows the robot and all ancillary elements to be installed and tied back to the main system structure.

The palletising system has been produced with the Yaskawa Pallet Solver software at its core which allows for fast commissioning and flexibility to introduce new pallet patterns as and when required with minimal specialist training. Suitably familiar operators / site engineers will be able to create new pallet patterns on the local HMI screen.

The robot system has been installed with a simple, single zone vacuum gripper that will allow the picking and placing of single cases, multiple cases, sturdy bags or flow wrapped packs of product in a single movement. Designed with second life in mind, the CKF palletising system can easily be relocated and repurposed with minimal modifications.

Cases are fed to the system from the production floor directly above the system, via decline belt and spiral conveyors manufactured and installed by CKF. Once on the ground floor the cases are handled on CKF’s inhouse 24V DC CRC conveyor system which allows the additional functionality of a manual feed and an ebb and flow buffer area. When pallets are exchanged, the robot must stop for safety, cases are buffered on the Zero Pressure Accumulation (ZPA) system. The cases are then fed back into the palletiser along with the cases from production, allowing pallets to be exchanged without affecting production.

Vandemoortele is currently utilising the system on its pastry products line where it handles a throughput of up to 20 cases per minute with a variety of case sizes and weights.

“We are delighted with the standard end of line robotic palletising cell installed by CKF which has already allowed us to increase throughput and streamline our operations,” said Gareth Manton, maintenance coordinator at Vandemoortele. “The installation was quick, smooth and to an extremely high standard.

“Our investment will serve us for many years as this solution can easily be repurposed if we decide to upgrade or change our operations. It has allowed us to remove repetitive manual handling and reallocate valuable personnel to more interesting tasks.”

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CKF is celebrating three and a half decades of commitment to designing, manufacturing and installing innovative systems which transform the operations of customers in the manufacturing and logistics industries. This special anniversary has been made even more momentous due to two large central palletising systems orders which were bolstered with a number of orders for smaller automation projects demonstrating the varied scope of projects that CKF has the capabilities to complete for its customers.

CKF has built many strong relationships with supplier partners and customers during this time, with many customers returning time and time again to meet their automation requirements.

CKF is actively looking to add talented engineers to their team across a range of disciplines including sales, proposals (concept engineering), projects and skilled technicians. Find out more here.

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This latest install will provide fully automated palletisation, taking cased product from seven existing production lines. Elements of the systems design were carried over from the two large Robotic Central Palletising systems already supplied and commissioned by CKF for them at another of their plants.

CKF has more than 30 years’ experience supporting different industries including food and beverage, logistics, pharmaceutical and automotive. This new multi-million-pound system is the latest robotic system to have been delivered and commissioned by the experienced engineering team at CKF, aiding its client’s drive for the improvement and automation of the operations within its manufacturing facility.

This system is a full turnkey solution from CKF Systems incorporating CKF’s own range of pallet and case conveyors along with ABB robots, Apollo Spirals and Intralox ARB equipment. CKF is a ABB Value Provider and is the only company in the UK to hold a full Preferred Partnership agreement with Intralox, giving CKF a license to manufacture Intralox’s ARB equipment in house.

Jamie Quinton, CKF managing director, said: “CKF Systems have built an established and successful relationship with our customer spanning more than 25 years. We’re delighted that they have again chosen CKF Systems to help automate their operations and further drive their ambitions to increase productivity, streamline their operations and reduce manual handling through effective use of automation and robotics.

“The length of the relationship shows how much trust has been established between our two companies and the confidence they have in the reliability of our solutions.”

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This is the latest robotic system to have been delivered and commissioned by the experienced engineering team at CKF, aiding the client’s drive for the improvement and automation of operations within its packing and distribution facility.

The branded pet food products within shelf-ready cardboard cartons are delivered to the automated cell on CKF modular belt conveyors, the system being designed to handle a number of product formats to meet the customer specification. An automatically formatted collation of cartons is presented to the robot at the pick area, ready for placing into an outer case. Outer cases are delivered from a case erector, pre-conditioned and tracked in the robot place zone via variable speed twin side drive belts, providing positional accuracy for the robot placement.

An ABB IRB2600 robot with custom vacuum tooling has been used to pick and place the cartons into the cardboard outer cases. The CKF team opted to use positional tracking to enable the case throughput to meet the client’s specification. The robot cell has been designed to handle 25 cartons per minute.

The system is driven via the ABB IRC5 Controller, with the controller housed adjacent to the robot system. The robot cell is configured to fit within a designated area within the clients’ facility and is protected with a safety enclosure using a Troax safety guard system. Operator access into the robot cell is gained through a Fortress interlocked, access door.

Installed and commissioned by the CKF engineering team, with minimal disruption to the customers operation, the automated case packing system has been delivered to meet the clients’ specification and performance. It has provided the client with the opportunity to re-allocate staff from what has been a repetitive task and enabled improved operational efficiency.

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CKF Systems has been part of the Alcumus SafeContractor scheme since its inception in May 2009. Alcumus SafeContractor is a leading third-party accreditation scheme which recognises extremely rigorous standards in health and safety management amongst contractors. It is used by thousands of organisations in the UK including SMEs and FTSE 100 companies and we are delighted to extend our relationship with them.

Gemma Archibald, managing director of Alcumus SafeContractor, said: “There is an increasing need for organisations to ensure their supply chains are compliant across all trading practices. This can be very daunting for businesses to manage but is absolutely necessary given the risks associated with non-compliance.

“SafeContractor has 20 years of experience helping businesses manage their complex supply chains ensuring they are safe to partner with, so it was a natural step for us to extend our offering beyond core health and safety topics.

“This new product will support businesses in every sector to pre-qualify their supply chain so that they can choose to work only with contractors who share mutual values and are operating safely, sustainably and ethically.”

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CKF will be on Stand G38 from 27-29 September 2022 in Hall 5 of the NEC Birmingham. Its technical team will be available to talk to visitors throughout the event so they can discuss their unique requirements and discover the potential for their operations. There will also be a live demonstration of an ABB robot on the stand and footage of successful systems in action.

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CKF is a UK based robotics and automation systems integrator who have vast experience serving the UK logistics industry enabling them to meet demand by offering increased agility, throughput, flexibility and safety. Membership of UKWA further reinforces CKF’s commitment to UK logistics and will help them to continue to deliver high quality solutions.

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This success and growth was also reflected industry-wide with the results from the CBI Industrial Trends Survey showing that UK manufacturing total order books in November improved to their strongest on record (since 1977). The survey showed that manufacturers expect output growth to accelerate in the next three months.

Jamie Quinton, managing director of CKF Systems, says: “CKF have received substantial orders from both large blue-chip companies and smaller up and coming businesses. This just highlights the importance of automating your operations to remain competitive whatever the size of your business. This also shows how positive things are looking for UK Manufacturing with substantial growth on the horizon.

“CKF have a wealth of experience and knowledge in our team – our people are our greatest asset. We handle the full manufacture and design at our state-of-the-art facility in Gloucester which means we can be cost-effective at the same time as offering a solution that is perfectly suited to your unique operational needs.”

This success has meant that CKF Systems now have a number of exciting new roles to fulfil their plans for growth in 2022.

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