MOVING IDEAS Palletising and layer forming Comparing technologies for end of line automation in the packaging industries for all consumer goods sectors Text by Manuel Bolzoni, Gabriele Folli, Vincent Bandini, Glauco Cima, Alessandro Barbacini OCME Competence Library

Machine series OCME designs, manufactures and installs filling, packaging, palletising and handling machines for all the major mass consumer product manufacturing sectors. OCME machines are the result of decades of experience and are designed to become the backbone of our Customers’ production division. High and low level depalletisers DORADO ANTARES Roll-fed labeller Level filler for beverages In-line and rotary volumetric fillers In-line and rotary weight fillers Wraparound packers Combined wraparound and shrink-wrap packers High and low level palletisers with 90° infeed In-line high and low...

Palletising and layer forming Comparing technologies for end of line automation in the packaging industries for all consumer goods sectors Comparing technologies: traditional palletisers Comparing technologies: Robot palletisers Ocme added value: the gripping head Palletising stages Forming the layer with manipulators Compacting, picking and/or depositing the layer Additional operations (pallet infeed, layer-pads, etc.) Infinite configurations – Guide to the configuration of the palletising island Productivity and reduction of production costs Marketing levers Environmental impact OCME Competence...

OCME Palletising and layer forming

In the Olympic Games it is not the most beautiful and the strongest who are crowned but those who compete. Aristotle (from Nihomachean Ethics) alletising consists in placing boxes of products on a support, usually wooden (called, precisely, a pallet) in order to facilitate moving many products simultaneously without subjecting them to undue stress. The birth of palletisers, machines that stack the products on the pallets, dates back to the second World War, when the American army had to move enormous amounts of goods towards Europe; the use of nets was thus replaced by more standardised units,...

OCME Palletising and layer forming Comparing technologies: traditional palletisers erseus: traditional palletisers with high and low level infeed Product infeed is at 90°with respect to the direction of translation of the layer. The Perseus family of palletisers may well be considered the most traditional of all, in that it is based on a commonly used method for layer forming and handling. Perseus palletisers are defined 90° infeed palletisers because the products arrives perpendicularly with respect to the direction of layer translation, that is, with respect to the direction of movement of...

OCME Palletising and layer forming Comparing technologies: robot palletisers egasus: robot palletiser Robot palletisers are machines that derive from the automobile industry and are designed to simulate the human arm for complex and precise handling tasks. While the structure of the robot is a commercial product, the “hand”, or gripping head, is the feature that differentiates the models of the various manufacturers of robot palletisers. OCME holds various patents in this field, especially for the layer gripping head, that is, a powerful automatic hand that can handle an entire layer of products...

OCME Palletising and layer forming Ocme added value: the gripping head CME has a vast line of applications for its robotic gripping heads. Each solution is specifically designed for the most efficient handling of the type of product requested. The facing page illustrates some of the gripping heads manufactured by OCME: 1 Gripping head with 2 suction devices for plastic Pet food bags 2 Row gripping head with split external plate to grip 1 or more cartons based on the pattern 3 Pallet integrity control system (upper and lower axes) 4 Complete layer gripping head for tissue packages 5 - 6 Gripping...

OCME Palletising and layer forming Palletising stages he palletising process includes various stages, each of which is indispensable to obtain a pallet on which the product is positioned according to specific requirements: • Product metering • Product rotation • Layer forming • Compacting • Pick-up and deposit The heart of the metering section consists in a system with two (or three) belt conveyor segments that run at different speeds. There are 3 different package metering systems designed based on the stability of the product being handled. Double metering belt with 1 motor Fixed speed ratio...

Possible infeed configurations The palletising pattern is usually formed in 3 stages, requiring the work of: • the packaging metering (or selection) device • the package rotation (and orientation) device • the layer forming area. The combination of these 3 elements varies based on package characteristics and line speed. Following are some examples of how OCME deals with the problem: Roller infeed Selection Dual conveyor with 1 motor Rotation Acceleration + rubber striker plate With divider Selection Dual conveyor with 2 motors with inverter Package turning Electronic distribution device With...

OCME Palletising and layer forming

Package rotation The package rotation stage turns the products so that they are arranged according to a specific requested configuration. Package rotation is principally required in order to: • optimise stability • optimise the no. of products / layer • optimise package facing (visibility of the product name on the pallet): especially important if the pallet is also the display case for the product (hard discount). The simplest turning system is by means of “collision” with a fixed point of reference. This system is extremely functional at relatively low speeds and with containers that are not...

OCME Palletising and layer forming Layer forming Once the packages or batches are facing in the right direction, based on the requested palletising pattern, they must be arranged and lined up to form the layer. This may be done: • in-line • at 90° with respect to the direction of forward movement of the containers. Due to their technical and construction characteristics, In-line systems are generally preferable for high frequency outputs, while 90° systems are best for medium/low production. During transfer, the layer, which is not sufficiently squared, may fall apart and require external, manual...