Robotic Variety Packer

THE INDUSTRY

The customer is a large bottling company that produces, markets, sells, and distributes a diverse portfolio of leading brands and beverages. 

THE CHALLENGE

The customer was in need of a system that would produce 20 variety pack cases, consisting of three flavors of drinks, per minute. 

Some of the main challenges brought by this need were: 

• Designing a cost effective system to produce 20 cases per minute consistently, safely, and efficiently

• Finding a method to introduce all materials (beverage packs and trays) into a system successfully without damaging the final product.

THE SOLUTION

To meet the customer's expectations and needs, Sentry designed a cost effective system utilizing four robotic arms in two distinct cells. 

We custom engineered a conveyor line to transport all materials to a robotic zone and final cases to a pallet building station. A couple of the many custom components included on this system were multiple Glue Breakers and Dynamic Product Chutes. 

We tested multiple batches, types, and sizes of product in house before presenting the final system to the customer. During the testing, we made changes to the system to optimize robotics, conveyor, and changeover times.

THE RESULT

The system that the Sentry team has built produces 20 variety pack cases per minute consistently, safely, and efficiently, for a relatively low cost that exceeded the customer's expectations. With our custom design and engineering, we have produced a system that minimizes down time and maximizes product output for our customer.

Benefits

• Minimizes the need for manual labor by allowing the robots to sort, move, align, rotate, and position materials as needed onto conveyor belts. 

• Cuts down on the risk of operator error and injury while providing undeviating packages. 

• Allows for future expansion of system to automate front end (depalletizing individual cases) and end of line (palletizing completed variety packs)