LRC-500 - Baked Goods

The Project

Our customer came to us with a complex project brief calling for a solution to case pack a variety of products from five independent production lines. The project consisted of a number of challenges including controlling back pressure, the large size differences between the products and most significantly the elasticity and irregular shape of the products. There was only one option that could reliably handle the complexity of the project – robotic packaging. The versatility of robotic packaging was also the only cost-effective method to successfully meet our customer's request.

Ray Ollerton, Project Manager, commented on the solution used to manage product elasticity, "We developed a proprietary controlled gating system that overcame the elasticity of the products and accurately counted the number of products per load. In this way, we were also able to prevent undue back pressure." The unique robotic head is also able to handle the great difference in the variety of product sizes and was the only way to accommodate current as well as future products.

In the end, two 240 ppm multi-lane packing systems were installed, each capable of running mixed products. In addition, both systems feature an auto runout facility whereby if a problem is detected in one lane, this facility allows the other lanes to continue operating while the fault is automatically cleared. Once the fault lane is cleared, new product is introduced and the operation continues as normal. The integrated label applicator and label verification ensures that each case is correctly identified and contains the correct product.

The market has moved to packaging solutions that adapt to customers’ ever changing needs; and Langen has once again shown that it can more than just meet technical specifications, but also provide a truly flexible and reliable solution.

Installation Elements

• Two Langen LRC-500 top load case packers.



• Customized end-effectors.



• Collision sensor to prevent damage to the robot and the end-effector.



• Full safety guarding with lock-out key features.



• Programmable maintenance position to simplify robot access for cleaning, maintenance, etc.



• Recover cycle for easy jam clearance.

Product

• Over-wrapped cookies.

Product Configuration

• LRC-500 #1: three products are collated into five different pack patterns and two different case sizes. This LRC-500 is designed to handle two different products and cases simultaneously.



• LRC-500 #2: two products are collated into a common pack pattern and a common case size. This LRC-500 is designed to handle two different products simultaneously.

Method of Operation

• Product is carried from an up-stream flow-wrapper on a conveyor belt and is side-transferred to a low-friction conveyor belt where the product is accumulated.



• The product accumulation area is adjustable in both length and width, whereby the accumulation pattern can be easily adjusted depending on the type of product being run.



• Product is accumulated until the desired count is reached.



• Due to the flexibility of the over-wrap packaging affecting the product profile, Langen has developed an accumulation system whereby the product is controlled by the use of compression to ensure product profile consistency.



• Simultaneously, three cases (or six for two lane product loading) are accumulated in the loading area where their flaps are held open by flap-openers. Three cases are loaded simultaneously.



• Once the desired count is reached, the 6-axis FANUC robot with customized end-effector picks up the accumulation via a vacuum, separates the accumulation into three even segments, and then gently places the product in the cases. The product is not dropped into the case due to its delicate nature.



• Once the required number of layers is reached the cases are released from the loading area and are transferred to the case closing area.