Automation Update - July 2015

AUTOMATION UPDATE WWW.AUTOMATION-UPDATE.CO.UK DNA4UK.pdf 1 30/10/2013 09:39

JULY 2015

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Automation Update is an engaging, editorially led publication & directory giving the reader news and updates on new products and services to our ever Progressing industry.

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This Digital only branch off from our parent publication Engineering Update provides an in-depth look at the Automation side of engineering we distribute the magazine to over 23,000 readers monthly.

With Automation being ever present for the Industrial Engineering Sector we provide the latest news and unbiased opinions throughout the UK’s market place.

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NEWS

PACEPACKER ON THE PULSE AT

ASKEW & BARRETT A complete packing and palletising line from Pacepacker Services has boosted productivity by 15-20% at Askew & Barrett, within three months of being installed.

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skew & Barrett sources pulses from key agricultural merchants and then sorts, cleans and grades them at its processing plant in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. The pulses are bagged into 12.5kg and 25kg paper sacks and 25kg woven polypropylene (WPP) sacks, before being palletised and transported to food manufacturers and retailers at home and abroad.

Overcoming obstacles

Until very recently, this entire operation, from empty bag placement to palletising, was performed

in the available space. For example, we designed the TBC to kick bags off at 90 degrees and then transport them round a corner rather than in a straight line,” says Pacepacker sales manager Ian Merchant.

The problem was that in order to keep up with demand, during busy periods Askew & Barrett had to operate the line 24 hours a day, six days a week.

Although the working day was split into either two 12 hour or three eight hour shifts, this was still physically demanding work, and the company didn’t want to continue exposing its staff to that level of manual handling.

“It takes it out of you standing at the end of the line, stacking sacks onto a pallet. We wanted to take steps to ensure the physical wellbeing of our employees,” explains production and warehouse manager Chris Askew.

Askew & Barrett already had Pacepacker equipment it was pleased with in another part of a reputation for custom designing reliable, costeffective sack packing lines. It therefore engaged Pacepacker to design a fully automated packing and palletising line that would reduce manual handling and increase productivity.

The line, which includes a T22 automatic sack placer, ticket dispenser, Total Bag Control (TBC) system and FANUC dual cell robot palletiser, was installed in February this year. It has increased line speed with a potential of 10 bags per minute, and will in time, hopefully enable the company to reduce laying anyone off - staff has been redeployed to less physical tasks. Chris also reports that bags are now stacked more consistently onto pallets allowing for much safer storage within Askew & Barrett’s warehouse and loading these pallets onto containers has become much easier.

“Pacepacker has delivered everything we wanted - building a line that has eliminated the need for manual involvement and has already yielded double digit productivity improvements,” he says.

4 - Automation Update July 2015

The project was not without its challenges: space was limited and Askew & Barrett had stipulated that they wanted to maintain good, clear access for forklift trucks.

“We

worked

closely

with

the

WPP is always a potential issue for sack placers, which use a vacuum to pick up the bag on the top of the pile.

WPP bags with a loose weave, like the ones at Askew & Barrett, prevent the vacuum system from working properly.

However, through its experience with sack applications, Pacepacker has developed a tail separator that ensures the sack placer only takes one bag at a time.

“We use a high volume vacuum system to pick up the bags, however due to the porous nature of WPP bags there is the potential that more than one bag will be picked up. Therefore the tail separator lifts the tail end of the bag – the closed part – and holds it in place while it is rotated by 45 degrees and transported to the clamp After being placed on a clamp by the through the TBC system - a fully automated presentation device for

“Because it never lets go of the bag until it has been stitched, the TBC ensures consistently perfect presentation, which in turn eliminates sack and product waste,” explains Ian. Pacepacker also integrated a Loma IQ3 metal detector into the line and designed an automatic reject system for diverting contaminated bags.

The metal detector is located just prior to the robot pick point for screening the smaller bags for metal. If metal is detected, as the sack rolls onto the pick conveyor, a stop gate lowers to allow it to pass onto a reject conveyor.

Askew & Barrett opted for a dual cell robotic palletiser, incorporating the FANUC M410iC/185, for maximum performance. In a can swivel between two cells. This means that as it starts to palletise on the other pallet in the cell. as the robot is always in use – it can start loading a new pallet while the full pallet is being transported to the delivery area,” says Ian. Askew & Barrett has another reason for wanting a dual cell palletiser; the company is looking to replace an adjacent packing line with a Pacepacker TBC system, and link the two lines at the point of palletising, so that they can both be serviced by the existing palletiser. continued support, this upgrade will further increase productivity.

“Currently, the line is producing 10 tonnes per he says. “Our ultimate goal is 15-20 tonnes per hour, which would equate to a 100% increase on what we were producing just a few months ago. Pacepacker has been and will continue to be instrumental in achieving this ambition.”

stitcher or heat sealer.

As the bag drops from the clamp, motorised grip arms close in on it, securing it in its formed state. These arms release the bag into a twin belt feeder where an integrated ticket dispenser inserts a tag with batch data, best before date and origin just before the bag is stitched.

Within three months the packing and palletising line at Askew and Barrett has boosted productivity by 15-20%

July 2015

NEWS THE BIG BLU: ROBOT RAMPS UP MARINE MINERAL PRODUCTION Investing in a Blu-Robot from Pacepacker Services has enabled Microferm, a UK producer of

Part of the Marigot Group, Microferm Ltd is a UK based provider of

a solution that would guarantee a secure stack and would handle the output, but also alleviate the health

magnesium

and

trace-minerals

harvested under licence from the West Iceland and then shipped to Microferm’s UK BRC (British Retail natural mineral complex is used as

Last autumn John Smith, managing director of Microferm, visited the

features a vacuum plunger that

Services was one of the exhibitors “Speaking to others who had invested in Pacepacker Blu-Robots

Pacepacker also painted the BluRobot white for aesthetic purposes -

satisfaction in the performance and install and commission, and was “On the face of it, a new robot didn’t appear to cost much more, but when we factored in all the extras, the Blu-

However, with demand for its products growing, Microferm was keen to make its operation more

Maintaining high global quality standards to ramp up production further

boxes - to be stacked onto each

and precise placement were two

performing as per our expectations and we’re impressed with its

that one operative working between the packing and palletising line

24|

Automation Update - 5 July 2015

NEWS

Endoline picks up second coveted award for their UNRIVALLED SEALING SYSTEM For the second time in less than 12 months Endoline Machinery’s 744 Fully Automatic Random Case Sealer has scooped a top automation award.

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n Friday Alan Yates, MD of the quality end of line equipment designer and manufacturer picked up the coveted robotics and automation gong - in recognition of the 744 and Endoline’s engineering excellence – at the Food Processing awards.

Endoline originally designed and manufactured the 744 system in 2012 after being approached by a leading global snacks manufacturer who was looking to seal random sized cases of crisps at high speed. Endoline’s original random case sealer – the 734 – had been successfully boosting manufacturer’s production lines for many years. However the demand was for a system which could deliver output at rate of almost 50% faster than current random case sealing equipment.

Endoline’s team of engineers worked with new technology and implemented servo drives to design a bold system overhaul in the 744 Fully Automatic Random Case Sealer which, when tested, met the desired 30 random sized cases per minute.

Since the original build and installation the Endoline 744 has made a huge impact on the market with over 20 installations throughout the globe. Over this period the system has evolved in line with changing needs for more variable size and weight ranges. All of which documents packaging machinery – and Endoline’s ability to meet this need.

6 - Automation Update July 2015

Alan Yates, centre, accepting the Food Processing Robotics & Automation award

Alan Yates comments: “We are delighted with this win as it is testament team and engineers. We are already expanding our portfolio of are pushing the need for automisation within manufacturing units globally.”

Helen Bahia, Editor of Food Processing magazine, comments: “Voted for by the readers of Food Processing, the Robotics & Automation Award went to Endoline this year for their 744 Fully Automatic Random Case Sealer. With customers in the food processing industry looking for new solutions to the challenges facing them, Endoline’s technology allows them to pack different case sizes to meet retailer and customer demand.”

NEWS

NORD drive systems for the steel industry Heavy loads, frequent severe shocks, extreme temperatures – reliable drive operation is challenging in a rolling mill in Bahrain. NORD provided robust and heavy machinery and plant engineering.

PROJECT CHALLENGE In recent years, a large steelworks complex was erected in the Hidd industrial zone in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Its approximate annual production of 600,000 tons of steel covers one sixth of all previous beams and section imports of the entire Middle East. As part of the Hidd complex, steel industry specialists SMS Meer have designed and installed a heavy section rolling mill with state-ofthe-art equipment.

Standard systems preferred SMS Meer also needed other resilient and powerful drive solutions for additional machinery. These include a straightener with double supported rollers that rely on hydraulic adjustments.

The engineering company was determined to keep the need for special drive solutions to a minimum, and therefore required a comprehensive portfolio of units they could use in as many cases possible.

Finally, SMS Meer used the high

to extreme ambient and operating temperatures.

Rough Conditions The plant required scores of gear drives designed to handle the typical load cycles in rolling mills, most notably S5 intermittent duty, as well as S9 duty with non-periodical load, speed variations, and frequent overloads. 16-ton beams pass on roller tables through the reversing mill. The many drives installed along these tables must cope with the shock impact of alternating acceleration and deceleration of the blanks. Moreover, the roller table drives in Hidd are faced with excessively high ambient temperatures due to the climate of the Gulf state.

available drive systems.

with input and output shafts on both sides, therefore may be operated in either direction. These industrial gears required special output shafts with suitable borings and were equipped with encoders supplied by SMS Meer.

APPLICATION SOLUTION an extremely robust design: encased in single piece housings, gears with exacting standards provide superior stability even under high radial and axial loads. Even greater resilience and durability can optionally be achieved by using reinforced shaft material (e.g.

42CrMo4) and stronger bearings. In addition, shock-absorbing housing materials help reduce the impact of abrupt rough movements. Special special coatings are available to adapt

Versatile to use In addition to over 600 roller table drives, SMS Meer also uses other standard parallel shaft gears for chain conveyors at the cooling bed, where they replaced special drives that were previously needed for this application.

Four high-torque large industrial gear drives used for straightening the heavy

Extensive industry expertise SMS Meer for more than a decade on versatile steel and metal industry drive solutions for applications ranging from roller tables to cooling beds, from shear lines to casting ladles, and for many other applications involved in the metal industry production processes.

Automation Update - 7 July 2015

EDITORS CHOICE

LumaSense PULSAR 4 for Condition Based Monitoring of Petrochemical Combustion Vessels

LumaSense Technologies, Inc.® introduced its next generation petrochemical infrared sensor, the PULSAR 4 for optimization of Sulfur recovery processes. With installations at over 550 petrochemical facilities world-wide, the PULSAR 4 is LumaSense’s latest addition to its E2T line of petrochemical infrared sensors.

“Any one of these vessels can force a shut down that will cost $1M or more per day”, said LumaSense CEO, Steve Abely. “Unplanned downtime eats into

Oil & Gas operations are heavily dependent on combustion based processes to supply the world’s growing energy needs. The PULSAR 4 is intended for monitoring the Refractory and Gas temperatures inside Sulfur Recovery Units, Sulfur Burner Furnaces, and Thermal Oxidizer Furnaces frequently found at these facilities.

The PULSAR 4 is an explosion proof infrared thermometer (pyrometer)

8 - Automation Update July 2015

4 is a condition based maintenance continued Abely.

and simultaneously deliver the Refractory Temperature and Gas Temperature with precision to 0.3 °C and a range of 350° to 2000° C. The PULSAR 4 Advanced features LumaSense’s propriety Smart Flame Measurement Algorithm (Smart

transparency that can affect the temperature readings for a more precise view of activity inside these vessels. LumaSense’s updated and powerful InfraWin software interprets the data from the PULSAR 4 for analysis inside control room.

“Our Smart FMA™ technology, serviceability, and long standing relationships with major producers is what separates the PULSAR 4 from the rest”, said Gerard Ames, Managing Director of LumaSense Benelux, responsible for the E2T product range.

Customers with PULSAR II and III can leverage their existing infrastructure to upgrade these units to the new PULSAR 4 and its advanced capabilities.

Improved sailing performance with DesignFlex enabled Sip-and-Puff Variohm EuroSensor has recently supplied World Magnetics DesignFlex™ pressure switches for a customised Sip-andPuff pressure switch system that allows quadriplegic World Champion sailor Melvin Kinnear increased control of his servo-assisted Hansa Liberty sailing dinghy. Developed by Paul Bennett – a volunteer for the charity Tideway Sailability - the single-crew dinghy features servomotor driven winches for its main and jib sails which are normally reeled out and

Puff controller with the DesignFlex

Automation Update - 9 July 2015

The rise & fall of the robotic march in the plastics industry

By Nigel Flowers, Managing Director of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK A growing number of injection moulders are embracing automation with BARA reporting a 75% rise in robotic integration within the plastics industry between 2013 and 2014. Testament around 25% of IM machines we sold had a robot feature risen to almost 32%.

The main reasons for this rise, in my view, are twofold.

Firstly, the cash injection into the automotive industry at the start of the year has led to an increase in large machinery investment within this sector. Secondly industrial (6 axis) robots, which were historically deemed too expensive and complicated, are becoming easier to implement and have lower investment costs.

Manufacturers are realising the potential these systems solutions coupled with the capability of handling new products and increasingly complex operations.

In-mould labelling (IML) is a key element of the packaging sector and a prime area for automation which has really taken off across the UK and Europe as it offers and improved graphics to maximise the on-shelf impact of consumer brands. Speed 10 - Automation Update July 2015

is all-important in this role, and IMM suppliers can integrate high-speed sideentry robots, incorporating label dispensing and placing technology. For hygiene sensitive markets, such as medical and healthcare, it is possible to attach a robot to the frame of the IM machine, enabling manufacturers to automate functions like handling and packing within a compact and enclosed cleanroom-standard cell.

Robots attached to the frame of an IMM have added to the growth in automation adoption, particularly within hygiene sensitive markets

sitting in a cell that’s cleaner than the average operating theatre.

While in the long term I do not expect to see this growing trend continuing – largely due to the investment cycle within the automotive industry coming to a close - there are growing arguments that speed, yield, repeatability, reliability, multi-tasking and long-term cost saving are reasons why end users might opt for a robotic injection moulding solution. The latest robots are easier to integrate, and today’s improved designs often have fewer parts, making them easier to Nigel Flowers, Managing Director of Sumitomo maintain. These include the (SHI) Demag UK new breed of collaborative robots (cobots) which are designed to work alongside the human workforce without fences around them.

LG Motion acquires controlling interest in ultrasound equipment manufacturer Precision Acoustics LG Motion, a leading designer and manufacturer of motion technology products has enhanced its technology portfolio with the acquisition of a controlling interest in the ultrasonic measurement equipment manufacturer Precision Acoustics Ltd. The acquisition of the Dorchester based company took effect from May 1st 2015.

Existing shareholders Dr Andrew Hurrell and Dr Paul Morris maintain their interest in the company, whilst founder member and managing director Terri Gill has taken the opportunity to retire from the business.

With 15 employees and annual sales in excess of £1.5 million, Precision Acoustics is a leading manufacturer of ultrasonic measurement equipment with an established worldwide customer base in sectors as diverse as medical equipment manufacture, industrial non-destructive testing, national standards metrology, academia, space and defence research.

focus areas.

The Company has more than 25 years’ experience in acoustic measurement and material development with an extensive competence for equipment for the MHz ultrasound markets with over 75 percent exported globally. Its hydrophones, ultrasonic transducers, scanning tanks and other acoustic measurement products are used worldwide.

The move allows us to offer our customers a wider product portfolio, particularly in our positioning and scanning solutions. We believe this is the beginning of Precision Acoustics setting a new benchmark in the ultrasound measurement market in terms of product performance and customer service.”

The continued product development and research implementation will be overseen by Dr Andrew Hurrell & Dr Paul Morris.

Precision Acoustics is just over an hours’ drive away from LG Motion facilities in Basingstoke. The move will maintained - with the Dorchester site continuing to operate as a production and development centre for acoustic & ultrasound components – fully utilising the two companies’ complementary expertise and product

Gary Livingstone, LG Motion’s managing director comments, “This is an excellent addition for LG Motion, in the production of acoustic scanning tanks and motion technology.

Terri Gill, BSc (Hons), DSR(R), the former managing director at Precision Acoustics would like to thank the customers and suppliers that have contributed to her successful career over the past 25 years and comments, “I couldn’t be happier with the new partnership following LG Motion’s acquisition.

The potential synergy, particularly in mechanical and electronic motion control, will help drive the technology and product development skills of both companies.”

Automation Update - 11 July 2015

PPMA announces call for nominations for the 2015 Ones to Watch awards 29th September – 1st October 2015, NEC, Birmingham

The organisers of the PPMA show, the UK’s premier free-to-attend complete production line event for processing and packaging machinery, have announced the call for nominations for the Ones to Watch awards which returns to the 2015 exhibition to recognise the industry’s most talented young engineers.

In an effort to further acknowledge and reward young engineers across the UK’s manufacturing industries, the Ones to Watch Awards, will welcome entries from young engineers, under the age of 35, who have been working in the processing and packaging industries for a minimum of two years. Entries are welcome from every area of the processing and packaging industry, including robotics, automation and machine vision, and from any discipline including engineering, programming, research and development, marketing or sales.

Sponsored by Festo’s Training & Consulting Division, the 2015 Ones to Watch winner will be chosen by a select group from the PPMA Group Industry awards judging nominate themselves. All entries, which are free-of-charge, must be supported by a reference from a manager, mentor, employer or business partner.

If you’re a young engineer who has designed new line, or you know a colleague who has won a string of top accounts and improved sales across the business, the PPMA wants to hear from you. Individuals who have shown exceptional entrepreneurship, commitment and diligence within their role make ideal nominees.

Dan Stamp, gold winner of the 2014 PPMA Ones to Watch award and Design Engineer for Kliklok, a leading global packaging manufacturer, said: “I was delighted to have won the gold award at the PPMA Show’s Ones to Watch awards.

Not only is it great to be recognised by a professional encourage other young professionals and graduates to take notice of the packaging and processing sectors, and explore what career opportunities it has to offer.

“It does worry me seeing so few young people entering the packaging and processing industry. There are so many interesting challenges that face packaging and processing professionals so it’s great that the PPMA continues to 12 - Automation Update July 2015

recognise their contribution to the industry, driving awareness for the next generation of engineers.”

Sponsors of the 2015 Ones to Watch, Festo, will provide Consulting employee engagement workshop; ‘Don’t just feed me chicken’ worth £250. This unique training course leadership principles to engage, enable and empower employees by interacting and observing the behaviour of a range of birds of prey at the Hawk Conservancy Trust.

Gold, Silver and Bronze winners will also win additional training courses, with the Gold winner receiving a complimentary, course worth £5,000 from Festo’s Training & Consulting portfolio. Silver and Bronze winners will also receive complimentary training courses worth £1,500 and £1,000 and will appear in the achievement gallery at the show.

A wide range of training courses are available for selection including people management, organisational management the winners’ business needs and requirements.

Grant Collier, Head of Marketing for the PPMA Group, added; “We are delighted to welcome back the Ones to Watch awards to the PPMA Show 2015. As a group, we are committed to helping the industry establish solutions to deal with the current manufacturing skills gap and at this year’s show we’ll be focusing on how we can achieve this.

As part of this year’s seminar sessions, we’ll be introducing the PPMA BEST initiative – a new charitable trust aimed at recruiting more young people in the industry – and will welcome apprentices from both PepsiCo and Nestle to share their experiences.”

“The Ones to Watch is just one strand of a much larger programme to recognise young engineers in the industry and to excite and inspire those considering a career in the packaging and processing industries. We look forward to announcing this year’s Ones to Watch winner at the PPMA Show 2015 in September.”

To make a nomination for the 2015 Ones to Watch awards, please email onestowatch@stormcom.co.uk for further information. The winners of this year’s Ones to Watch will be announced at the PPMA show 2015, 29th September – 1st October 2015 at the NEC, Birmingham.

No interference

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Effective screening provides permanently high interference. The new screened versions of the ecolink EVC range are constructed with 360° braiding to shield the connector head, which is no larger than a standard EVC M12 socket. The total concept provides shielding values up to 60 dB. Options for the user include standard lengths of two, For further information, contact Gemma choice of the screen connected to the socket itself, or not Anderson, ifm electronic Ltd., efector connected, allowing the user to select the appropriate screening method.

Road, Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 2HD. All variants feature the successfull secure technologies of Telephone: 020 8213-0000. all of ifm’s ecolink range, i.e. secure connections to M12 Fax: 020 8213-2234. standard (EN61076): Very many applications require E-mail – gemma.anderson@ifm.com. special solutions; connectors are exposed to ever tougher environmental conditions. Only reliable production processes including fault-free plant and machinery guarantee sustainable, economic success. These connectors feature an integrated mechanical end stop made from FKM, for example, to protects against damage from overtightening of the nut. A torque wrench is not necessary. Fitting and removal can be done by hand.

The saw-tooth contoured vibration protection holds the coupling nut tightly in position. In addition to screening, this ensures a low contact resistance between the nut of the connector and the housing of the connected device.

This ensures a permanently high protection against electrical noise. ifm is committed to working closely with its customers to develop products which precisely match their needs, and the company provides expert, readily accessible technical from ifm products.

14 - Automation Update July 2015

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FANUC UNVEILS WORLD’S HIGHEST PAYLOAD COLLABORATIVE ROBOT FANUC Robotics UK has extended the application field for collaborative robots with the launch of a game-changing system that has a higher payload than any other on the market. The humansafe CR-35iA has a 35kg payload, opening up applications that have previously been off limits for both traditional industrial robots and lighter duty collaborative robots.

Over the last couple of years, the first generation of collaborative robots or cobots has been revolutionising the way in which robots and humans work together. In contrast to traditional robots, which cannot operate in an operator-occupied workspace without safety fencing, these cage-free robots can work side by side with humans on shared or separate tasks.

To date, this nascent technology has been concentrated on the 5-15kg light duty universal robot realm. Now FANUC has taken the collaborative approach into the previously unchartered heavy payload territory. The TÜV certified CR-35iA can assist with high payload handling, assembly, component feeding and workpiece loading and unloading tasks that have historically had to be carried out manually.

Key target areas include - but are by no means limited to - automation assembly lines, metalworking and packaging.

The idea is that companies will effectively be able to create partnerships that capitalise on the strengths of robots, which, coincidentally, tend to be the weaknesses of humans, and vice versa. So, for example, the CR-35iA

may assume the heavy aspects of handling, alongside humans carrying out quality checks, adjustments or difficult tasks that require an element of problemsolving and flexibility, explains John Rainer, regional sales manager at FANUC UK. He continues: The development of the CR-35iA has been all about anticipating our customers future production needs. We know, from talking to them, that the next generation of robotic automation needs to lie in smart and safe solutions that promote the interaction of human operators and industrial robots. We are extremely excited about the potential applications that this breakthrough collaborative robot will unlock.

With health and safety regulations stipulating 25kg as the maximum load an operator may handle, there is a real requirement for a robotic solution to handle loads that exceed this limit. The CR-35iA comes into its own here, particularly in difficult-to-access areas where conventional assist machinery cannot fit or where a six-axis robot adds dexterity.

Another unique selling point of the CR-35iA is the way in which it detects human presence. Whilst most other collaborative robots are encased in a sensing cover that stops the robot when a human gets too close, FANUC s collaborative robot ensures safety through the use of intelligent sensors, which automatically stop the robot if it touches a human operator. This means the CR-35iA can go closer to the jig and other peripherals when required.

The CR-35iA is built on the same design principles that have earned FANUC s industrial robots a reputation for 99.99% reliability. The collaborative robot is also based on the same servo drive and control platform and incorporates the same programming and operating interface as the company s conventional robots. This makes for a smooth and easy transition to the CR-35iA for operators of existing FANUC robots.

The first CR-35iA is currently undergoing preproduction tests with one of the world s largest automotive companies. Whilst it is still very early days for collaborative robots, FANUC expects to be building more than 100 units per year in Europe - very soon.

16 - Automation Update July 2015

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Endoline picks up second coveted award for their unrivalled sealing system For the second time in less than 12 months Endoline Machinery’s 744 Fully Automatic Random Case Sealer has scooped a top automation award.

Alan Yates, centre, accepting the Food Processing Robotics & Automation award On Friday Alan Yates, MD of the quality end of line equipment designer and manufacturer picked up the coveted robotics and automation gong - in recognition of the 744 and Endoline’s engineering excellence – at the Food Processing awards.

Endoline originally designed and manufactured the 744 system in 2012 after being approached by a leading global snacks manufacturer who was looking to seal random sized cases of crisps at high speed.

Endoline’s original random case sealer – the 734 – had been successfully boosting manufacturer’s production lines for many years.

However the demand was for a system which could deliver output at rate of almost 50% faster than current random case sealing equipment.

18 - Automation Update July 2015

Endoline’s team of engineers worked with new technology and implemented servo drives to design a bold system overhaul in the 744 Fully Automatic Random Case Sealer which, when tested, met the desired 30 random sized cases per minute.

Since the original build and installation the Endoline 744 has made a huge impact on the market with over 20 installations throughout the globe. Over this period the system has evolved in line with changing needs for more variable size and weight ranges. All of which documents of line packaging machinery – and Endoline’s ability to meet this need.

Alan Yates comments: “We are delighted with this win as it is testament to the quality of our

of our design team and engineers.

We are already expanding our systems as increased speeds and product rates are pushing the need for automisation within manufacturing units globally.”

Helen Bahia, Editor of Food Processing magazine, comments: “Voted for by the readers of Food Processing, the Robotics & Automation Award went to Endoline this year for their 744 Fully Automatic Random Case Sealer. With customers in the food processing industry looking for new solutions to the challenges facing them, Endoline’s technology allows them to pack different case sizes to meet retailer and customer demand.”

champions of profile assemblies fast. versatile. simple.

free samples, design advice & design tools » machine guards » workstations » conveyors » customised enclosures » sports shelters

T: 01256 365 605 E: info@minitec.co.uk

see our solutions at:

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