Compact, Affordable Robotic Palletizer for FHPC Bottles

Sidel, a supplier of PET stretch-blow molding machinery and complete filling/capping/packing lines, is introducing at Pack Expo in Las Vegas (Sept. 11-13) the RoboAccess Pal S, described as a compact and capable palletizing solution with improved agility, operability and compactness for food, home and personal care (FHPC) markets. This system is said to combine the compactness, mobility and affordability of cobots (collaborative robots) with the higher speed and payload capabilities of traditional jointed-arm robots.

Designed for low/medium speed packaging lines, the  system runs at up to 12 cycles/min. (one to six cases per payload, depending on size). Payload capacity is up to 25 kg (55 lbs) with a vacuum gripper and 20 kg (44 lbs) with a clamping gripper. The system handles all major pallet sizes and pallet height up to 1,700 mm (67"). Average ROI is said to be one to two years (based on one operator working two shifts in Europe or North America). Delivery time is quoted as 10 weeks.

The compact unit has less than 12 m² footprint for two pallet stations and less than 8 m² for one station. Contributing to this compactness is the clamping head design with independent clamps and lightweight carbon-fiber construction, as well as a mobile physical curtain system that’s said to occupy less space than light curtains. The system can be moved “effortlessly” in 15 minutes with “plug-and-play” features, thanks to the folding guarding system.

For safety, full pallet removal and new empty pallet supply are done in “hidden time” with full protection from the mobile physical curtain system isolating the operator from the robot working on the second pallet station. Changeovers are said to be fast and repeatable. And the modular design enables various configurations from a large library of standard modules.