Case studies from specific projects include: -------------------------------- Nufarm Debco Armstrong World Industries

NUFARM

Flexibility to Expand

A leading Australian-based international chemical manufacturer has incorporated robotics into its local manufacturing operations for the first time and is thrilled with the results.

Based in Laverton on Melbourne's outskirts, Nufarm Limited produce a range of agricultural crop protection products as well as industrial and specialty chemicals. To meet increasing demand for their products, Nufarm upgraded their palletising operations through the installation of a Motoman SP100 robotic palletiser from Robotic Automation Pty Ltd.

Nufarm are using the Motoman SP100 to palletise products in 20 litre pails and 20 litre plastic "cubes". With a payload of 100 kg, the SP100 is ideally suited to high speed palletising of heavy products. In operation now for several months, Nufarm couldn't be happier with the results.

Flexibility and the ability to expand were driving reasons behind Nufarm's choice of robotic palletising. By custom designing the gripper, a robot can be used to pick up and palletise pails, cubes, bags, boxes, cartons, tins, just about anything! And by using a robot to palletise heavy products, Nufarm is eliminating Occupation Health & Safety issues associated with manual palletising.

To ensure the palletising process is safe for personnel working at Nufarm, light curtains and optoelectronic sensors have been incorporated as part of a perimeter guarding system.

Robotic Automation are leaders in palletising technology and offer a complete turnkey service; site evaluation, design, supply of all automation equipment including optoelectronic and barcode equipment, installation, commissioning, operator training, and after sales support.

DEBCO

Since their beginnings almost 30 years ago at Tyabb just outside Melbourne, Australian owned Debco have grown to become one of the leading producers and marketers of potting mixes in Australia.

Debco put their success down to ongoing research and development programmes coupled with the implementation of new standards for the manufacture of their products. In keeping with its policy of leading the quality end of the market, Debco has pledged not only to meet but exceed Australian Standards for commercial and domestic products.

Debco's modern in-line system uniformly packs each product under strict quality control. In keeping with these high standards, Debco recently commissioned Robotic Automation Pty Ltd to design, supply and install a robotic palletising and stretch wrapping turnkey system at their brand new western Sydney manufacturing facility.

The system designed by Robotic Automation incorporates a Motoman SP100 high speed robotic palletiser, a Robopac Twist fully automatic stretch wrapper and light curtains & optoelectronic sensors.

Flexibility and Speed
Using a Motoman robot for palletising allows Debco the flexibility of palletising a range of bag sizes from 10 litre up to 50 litre bags on the one piece of machinery. The robot is equipped with a tyne gripper designed and built by Robotic Automation which is ideally suited to handling bags.

To maximise the rate of palletising, Robotic Automation incorporated a special pick-off station in the Debco system which raises each bag to a pre-set level before the robot picks it up for palletising. When used in conjunction with a pallet dispenser, the task of palletising is continuous.

To complete the process, a Robopac fully automatic stretch wrapper has been incorporated as part of the system. The fully stacked pallet is moved to the stretch wrapper where the load is automatically secured and protected by stretch film.

To ensure the entire process is safe for personnel working in the area, light curtains have been incorporated as part of a perimeter system to guard the system.

The entire process is overseen by one operator via a panel view touch screen. With software written by Robotic Automation, this touch screen gives the operator an instant overview of the palletising and stretch wrapping process and the location of product within this process.

Through their experience in solving palletising problems and close association with international suppliers of a range of equipment, Robotic Automation offer a complete turnkey service; site evaluation, design, supply of all automation equipment, installation, commissioning, operator training, and after sales support.