High Level Bulk Depalletizer

The Sentry Bulk Depalletizer is designed to receive bulk loads of empty glass, PET, or aluminum containers on wooden or plastic pallets, and transfer each layer (one at a time) onto an accumulating take-away conveyor for transportation to the production area.

These machines are available in high and low level models and can be custom built to accommodate the customer's pallet size. Three full pallet infeed staging zones are provided as a standard. Each machine includes automatic pallet stacking and dunnage removal. Optional dunnage sortation is available. 

The speed of the machines will vary depending on the product. However, a single Sentry Bulk Depalletizer will provide a continuous supply of product to PET Bottle Fillers at speeds up to 1000 bottles per minute and Can Fillers up to 1800 cans per minute. 

Low Level Bulk Depalletizer

Nema 12 rated control enclosures house the primary electrical components. The panels contain the main disconnect, all of the Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 40 Series variable frequency drives, and an Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 700S Series variable frequency drive with built-in Drive-Logix processor for controlling the hoist lift.

The climate controlled cabinet also contains an Allen-Bradley CompactLogix I/O rack and all the low voltage hardware. All Sentry Depalletizers are provided pre-wired and include a self-contained controls package with customized operator touchscreen interface. Machines are available in wide way or narrow way leading configurations, and inline or reverse flow models. Operator training is provided during the commissioning phase of the project. Options include operator platform, additional pallet infeed zones, plastic band chipper, and processor upgrading. 

Bulk Palletizer

The Sentry Bulk Palletizer works in many ways like the Bulk Depalletizer and shares a lot of the same features. This machine is engineered and built to group and place layers of empty containers onto a pallet for shipment to the various production facilities.

High and low level models are offered to accommodate our customer's specific preference, floor space, and budget. The Sentry Bulk Palletizer can be built to handle round or non-round containers. Each layer is built with automatic load squaring and dunnage placement. Depending on the layer requirements, wide way and narrow way leading arrangements are available.

As required, product laners and/or row sweepers are included as part of the container delivery system. A quick-change layer sweep rake assembly allows for ease of conversion from product to product during change-over.

Conventional Case Palletizer

The Sentry Case Palletizer is designed to orient, arrange, and place layers of finished goods (trays, shells, packs, or cases) onto a pre-staged pallet for transportation to the end user. A variety of models are available to choose from to accommodate the line speed and layout requirements.

A high-speed case switch assigns the path while pneumatically actuated diverters influence the product to the proper orientation. A staging zone allows the cases to assemble until a full layer is present. The interlocking pattern is then swept forward to the drawplate area and gently lowered to the pallet.

A four-point pneumatic layer squaring system ensures that each layer is perfectly aligned as the heavy duty vector-controlled hoist, lowers the load to the full pallet discharge conveyor. Each machine includes a high capacity pallet magazine with automated dispenser as well as an operator touchscreen interface.

Hybrid Case Palletizer

Hybrid technology is basically a combination of conventional and robotic handling practices. A case routing zone replaces need for a case switch and pneumatic case diverters. A multi-axis SCARA servo positioner (one or two depending on the line speed), automatically tracks, turns, and redirects the product to its intended lane.

Contrary to mainstream robotics, the Sentry Hybrid arms utilize open source Allen Bradley programming. In addition to being very flexible for future product considerations and change-over, the use of the SCARA style positioning provides gentle handling on sensitive packages and extremely accurate placement of the product.

Quick change End-Of-Arm Tooling is custom-made and included for each of the intended package sizes. The case routing zone is equipped with barrier guarding (wire mesh fencing) and interlocks for operator safety. Options include operator platform, additional product tooling, and automatic tier sheet placement.

Lowerator De-Ionized Air Rinser

Sentry Equipment & Erectors, Inc. carries a complete line of side grip style empty container rinsers. The low level "race-track" style rinser is ideal for floor level depalletizer systems due to the fact that it keeps the flow of the product at the same elevation. In contrast, the high level "lowerator" style rinsers work better for the more conventional down-stacker style depalletizers by combining the rinsing process with that of an elevation change to floor level. 

Sentry rinsers can be equipped with either a water rinse manifold, or a choice of multiple de-ionized air rinse options. The more popular Lowerator De-Ionized Air Rinser features a multi-stage air filtration system, low-pressure monitoring sensors, and a vacuum extraction system for debris removal. 

A powered starwheel metering unit and vertically adjustable interface conveyor is included for PET bottle systems that use air conveyor. All Sentry Side Grip Rinsers are standard with stainless steel construction, pre-wire of all electrical devices, vertical manifold adjustment, and operator-friendly lateral adjustment for multiple product sizes.

Elevators and Lowerators

Sentry's Side Grip Elevators and Lowerators maintain continuous flow on the production line by providing vertical transportation for all types of containers. A variety of gripper profiles are available to choose from to guarantee secure but gentle handling of the product. High temperature and/or ozone rated materials can be supplied as required.

Each machine is manufactured using heavy duty 3" square tubing and can be ordered in stainless or painted mild steel construction. A programmable central lubrication system is included to maximize wearstrip and chain life. A repeatable handwheel style adjustment between container diameters minimizes change-over time.

The auto-pneumatic, idle-end, take-up assembly includes a pre-mounted sensor to monitor chain stretch and prevent damage during start-up. Each gripper chain can be individually driven, or mechanically linked and powered by a single drive motor depending on the customer's preference. Higher speed units can be equipped with wheel-assisted curves to reduce the wear on the chain and corner tracks.

Headspace Sterilizer

The Sentry "Headspace" or Cap Sterilizer is designed specifically to serve between the capper and cooler on hot fill lines. Products that need to be filled hot, such as tea, juice, or sports drinks usually have a very limited period of time before they need to reach the cooling tunnel. In transit to the cooler it is necessary to tilt or invert the product for a given period of time to allow the super-heated liquid to envelope the inside of the closure. 

The size of the unit is directly related to the amount of exposure required by the customer's QC specifications. The inversion of the container combined with the extreme temperature of the product sterilizes and seals the "headspace" or cap area of the closure. Also, turning the product to a horizontal profile exposes missing caps and allows the customer's downstream low-fill inspection system to reject the container.

Each machine is equipped with aluminum wheel-assisted curves to minimize the chain pull at higher speeds. Horizontal models for areas with limited overhead space and pressure-free "lay-down" styles for sensitive containers are also available. A dual-drive arrangement allows the option of rotating round containers by running one chain slightly faster than the other.

Shell Denester

The Sentry Automatic Shell Denester is designed to receive and separate columns of stacked plastic returnable soft drink trays onto the shell washer or packer delivery conveyor. Pallet loads of the plastic "shells" are loaded onto the system, which will then automatically sequence onto the pallet lift. The system's operator will remove stacks of shells from the pallet and place them onto the Denester Infeed Conveyor. A static slide plate is provided to aid in this transfer.

As stacks of shells are removed from the pallet, the operator will raise the pallet to a comfortable working height. The Denester Infeed Conveyor advances the stacks of shells and a pneumatically-actuated pusher indexes each column into the metering chute. The Denester metering chute is equipped with a compression stop and electrically-driven belts to separate and feed the shells onto the discharge conveyor.

An Allen-Bradley Panelview Plus 1000 Series Touchscreen is provided along with a pre-wired control panel featuring a CompactLogix Programmable Controller. This system is available with varying degrees of automation depending on the available floor space and budget. 

Basket Erector and Inserter

Sentry-built basket production equipment is designed to offer the brewing industry machinery that delivers both high output and long service life. We offer both basket carrier erectors and carrier inserters for any size production line. The Sentry RCE series of basket erectors are continuous motion designs, and as such are able to run at significantly higher speeds than equipment offered by our competition. 

Speeds of our equipment range from 60-200 baskets per minute. On higher output installations, Sentry RCE basket erectors can be equipped with automatic magazine loading, thereby significantly reducing operator costs from equipment ownership costs. Available options on all machines include quick change between 6-pack and 4-pack baskets. Standard equipment on all Sentry basket equipment includes Allen-Bradley/Rockwell controls platform.

Our machine footprints are flexible and allow for easy integration into any plant layout. Sentry can offer full integration of a system including equipment, conveyors, controls, and project commissioning from start to finish.