Beverage packaging equipment supplier, Sidel, takes a positive turn with a new robotic palletizing application at Interpack in Dusseldorf.

Sidel will present at the packaging industry trade event Interpack a new robotic palletizing application. Featuring a «positive turning» infeed system with neither “collision” nor impact, the system reduces the risk of damage to the packs and increases line flexibility.

End-of-line packaging equipment is in full development to keep pace with the latest requirements of the beverage market. The current trend, as can be seen on the Sidel stand with NoBottle* and FlexLine*, is for lighter bottles. Add to this the demands of major retailers for the reduction or even elimination of secondary packaging (the film around the packs and the pads between the pallet layers) and for more varied bottle and pack sizes.

To reconcile less robust packing with an increasing demand for flexibility, Sidel has created a state-of-the-art application for the preparation of pallet layers which will replace the conventional collision system of layer formation, where the rotation of the pack is caused by impact. This new system consists of a flat mat conveyor that feeds the packs and one or more lateral robots which position them. The robot is fitted with grips which seize the pack and position it as it moves forward. The grip system moves and/or turns the packs while never leaving the surface of the conveyor and positions them in such a way as to perfectly reproduce the predefined pallet pattern.

Reductions in damage

The system is known as a «positive turning» system because packs are not turned by impact with a device in their path as with a conventional collision system. The surface of the conveyor is flat, which prevents the packs from wobbling and reduces the risk of them falling over, thus considerably reducing the risk of damage.

Greater versatility

Format changeovers are simple and fast. While conventional format changes require manual operations, the simplicity of this application allows automatic changeovers to be made directly from the control station. This greatly increases flexibility for production that requires frequent format changeovers. The modular system allows robots to be added or moved and can easily be adapted to complex pallet patterns and a wide range of high-speed outputs.

The system can be used for packs of PET bottles, glass bottles or cans. Following Interpack, the first robots will be installed at the packaging production facilities of one of our American clients.