LEADING PAPER PRODUCTS MANUFACTURER

As part of the multi-million dollar refurbishment of the Victorian plant of a leading paper products manufacturer, equipment and expertise from the RA Group were utilised in a high speed robotic palletising and stretch wrapping line.

This turnkey project called on the resources of RA Group companies' Robotic Automation and RA Technologies. It is the single largest robotic palletising system in Australia.

The system makes light work of a wide range of often oversized or non-standard shippers and contains six Motoman SP-100 high speed palletising robots, two Robopac HS40 rotary arm high speed stretch wrappers and a myriad of barcode scanners, sensors, light curtains and other safety devices.

The Robopac HS40 stretch wrappers have a capacity of over 80 pallets per hour and have no difficulties with the very high and light pallet loads at this leading paper products manufacturer.

COCA-COLA AMATIL

Coca-Cola Amatil has recently installed two Robopac fully automatic stretch wrapping machines from RA Technologies, at its Northmead plant in Sydney's western suburbs.

Critical to Coca-Cola Amatil's Engineering Manager Rob Mosley when choosing stretch wrappers, was reliability, speed and after sales service. Coca-Cola Amatil chose Robopac stretch wrappers from RA Technologies.

The 2 Robopac HS40 high speed fully automatic stretch wrappers were installed side by side in the warehouse and distribution area. The machines operate at speeds of up to 85 pallets per hour, providing protection and stability to the pallets of cans.

The success of the HS40 is its simplicity of design and ease of operation. As robust and reliable units, the HS40 stretch wrappers will give many years of service.

The units were commissioned in late 1998 and have been operating successfully on two high volume production lines since that time.

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.

IT'S A WRAP AT GOLDEN CIRCLE

The installation of automatic stretch wrappers from RA Technologies at Golden Circle's Brisbane distribution centre was part of a recent upgrade, which included a decision to stretch wrap all palletised product prior to it entering the warehouse.

Proven Ability
One of the key reasons Golden Circle chose RA Technologies was its ability to provide local service and backup through trained staff in its Brisbane office. RA Technologies were also familiar with Golden Circle's operations and says Mark Gibson, National Warehouse and Distribution Manager, "We were impressed with RA Technologies' range of equipment, too".

The company famous for canned goods and fruit drink products installed four stretch wrappers - two Robopac HS40 units in the manufacturing area, one for canned goods and one for beverage products, and two Robopac Twist units in the dispatch area, again one for canned goods and one for beverage products.

Satisfaction
Satisfaction with the performance of the Robopac stretch wrappers has led to a fifth stretch wrapper recently being added.

The HS40 wraps at a rate of 85 pallets per hour and the Twist wraps at a rate of 35 pallets per hour. In consultation with engineers from RA Technologies, it was determined that this combination would cater for current production of 150 pallets per hour and dispatches of 1700 pallets per day, and be able to cope with future increases in production. The system includes a pallet identification label being applied to each wrapped pallet.

RA Technologies is part of the RA Group of companies which have supplied world class materials handling, packaging, robotics and automation systems to Australasian industry for over 10 years. With facilities in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and New Zealand, RA Technologies can provide a high level of service.

AUSSIE ICON UNDER WRAPS

Leading Australian manufacturer of the Aussie icon, the Hills Hoist, Hills Industries have chosen Robopac from RA Technologies as part of their Brisbane plant expansion.

In addition to the famous Hills Hoist, Hills Industries manufacture a range of products including amongst other things, metal, fibreglass and timber ladders.

Based in Brisbane, Hills Industries' ladder manufacturing division have chosen the Robopac Spiror Horizontal Stretch Wrapping Machine to secure their pallets of ladders. The ladders range in size from 1.2 metres to 6.0 metres and up to 60 pallets per day are wrapped by the fully automatic Spiror.

Turnkey System
RA Technologies designed and installed a full turnkey system for Hills, comprising semi-automatic pallet dispensers, extensive conveying, and the Robopac Spiror 2500FW itself.

The spool carriage unit of the Spiror is complete with a frictioned roller mounted on a steel rotating ring to ensure constant wrapping tension despite variations in spool diameter. The Spiror 2500FW offers a 100% pre-stretch capability to optimise film usage.

With a motor-driven system located on the upper frame on infeed and/or outfeed sides of the Spiror, complete wrapping of the longest product is ensured.

Robopac are acknowledged as world leaders in stretch wrapping systems, both in horizontal and the more common vertical stretch wrapping systems, and can quote many successful installations around the world including many in Australia and New Zealand.

IT'S A WRAP AT CARTER HOLT HARVEY

One of New Zealand's largest manufacturers has recently installed a Robopac high-speed stretch wrapper as part of the refurbishment of its main production line.

Based in Auckland, Carter Holt Harvey's Case Division were looking for a cost-effective and efficient method of stretch wrapping pallets of corrugated board. Their exacting requirements and high expectations led the company's search to RA Technologies Pty Ltd, exclusive agents for the Robopac range of Stretch Wrapping equipment throughout New Zealand and Australia. The solution chosen was a Robopac Helix HS40, fully automatic, high-speed stretch wrapping machine.

RA Technologies were able to offer Carter Holt Harvey Case Division a solution which met all of their requirements, ie fully automatic operation, catering for a wide range of product dimensions, retaining high production capacity, fully automatic Top Protection application, etc.

		Ashley Hales said, "We are delighted with the performance of the Robopac HS40. Since its installation several months ago, it has been operating even better than we anticipated." Hales added, "RA Technologies and Robopac are both widely regarded as experts in stretch wrapping so we had a lot of faith in their ability to understand our problem and devise a solution to meet our requirements". —Ashley Hales, Carter Holt Harvey Case Division's Operations Manager

The solution, which was devised by John Lawson, National Production Manager RA Technologies and Robopac Sistemi, incorporated a large dimensioned Robopac Helix HS40 fully automatic stretch wrapper with additional high-speed gearing and an external Top Sheet applicator. The Robopac Helix HS40 comprises the latest in state of the art, patented cutting, clamping and sealing technology.

The Robopac Helix HS40 securely wraps the pallets of corrugated board without damaging the product in any way. The Helix HS40 is equipped with an external top sheet dispenser which offers additional protection from dust and splashes to each wrapped pallet, whilst simultaneously allowing optimum production throughput. Once wrapped, the product is ready for distribution to customers.

The Robopac Helix HS40 is capable of wrapping 65 plus pallets per hour, and Carter Holt Harvey Case Division are achieving rates in excess of this. Fed by one production line, the Helix HS40 more than keeps up with current production and will be able to handle future increases.

RA Technologies is part of the RA Group of companies which have supplied world class stretch and shrink wrapping, strapping, materials handling, packaging, robotics and automation systems to Australasian industry for over 10 years. With facilities in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and New Zealand, RA Technologies can provide a high level of service.

PHILIP MORRIS

The Philip Morris Limited Moorabbin manufacturing plant in Melbourne recently underwent a complete upgrade of its manufacturing, materials handling and palletising systems. A sophisticated multi-lane, multi-product, robotic palletising line was designed and installed by Robotic Automation.

The plant employs around 800 personnel and manufactures many well-known brands in a high-speed manufacturing environment. The upgrade had to comply fully with the latest workplace noise and other strict safety regulations, as well as being compatible with the HMI (Human Machine Interface) control system.

Robotic Automation worked closely with Philip Morris in designing a flexible robotic palletising system that easily integrated into the new conveyor system. This final stage of the plant modernisation will be completed with the commissioning of the multi-lane robotic palletising line, which comprises four six-axis articulated Motoman Sk120 robots, a product sortation system, robotic shuttle car and automatic support machinery, including pallet dispenser, taping machine and Robopac stretch wrapper.

A unique seventh axis on the Motoman robots operates as a servo gripper, enabling it to open and close on any carton size while instantaneously allowing each robot to palletises two pallets with discrete product lines. Currently, the line operates at around 20 pallets per hour but has the capacity to operate at three times this speed as the manufacturing output increases.

Each of the four robot cells is operated independently and allows total flexibility in operation and product flow, as one or more cells can be shut down without affecting the operation of the rest of the plant. Each cell has a dedicated Siemens 95U PLC networked to a central Siemens 135U PLC. The entire palletising system is controlled by a SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) program, which was designed and written by Robotic Automation's engineers to conform and interface to the existing sophisticated Philip Morris HMI system.

Using suction pads (a unique solution designed and engineered by Robotic Automation), the robots take the slip sheets from the slip sheet magazine, placing them on top of the pallet layer as required.

Another unique solution designed and engineered by Robotic Automation specifically for Philip Morris' requirements is the shuttle car system that removes each pallet of product as it is completed and replaces it with an empty one supplied automatically from a pallet dispenser. The full pallets are taken by shuttle to a Robopac stretch wrapper or a taping station for securing, and are then discharged to storage and taken away by forklift truck.