Automation in the packaging industry
In times of skilled labour shortages, automation technologies offer companies the opportunity to compensate for bottlenecks in personnel. In particular, physically demanding or highly standardised tasks can be taken over by using machines, robots and intelligent software solutions.
Technical requirements must be observed: With new directives on machine safety and explosion protection, the European Union (EU) has issued important guidelines that are of key importance for numerous industries. Companies must ensure that their machines and systems comply with the new requirements, which often requires investment in new technologies or the retrofitting of existing systems.
Quality requirements for packaged products play an important role in all industries. Packaging and processing machines must be designed, manufactured and handled in such a way that they guarantee the safety and quality of the products they contain.
In addition, government regulations on the traceability of production data play a key role in ensuring quality, safety and transparency in the manufacture of products, particularly in the food and animal feed sectors. These regulations make it possible to trace products in the supply chain and to react quickly and effectively in the event of quality defects or sources of danger.
For over 33 years, SSB Wägetechnik GmbH, of Buchholz, Germany has developed packaging systems, as well as customised solutions in bagging, weighing and control technology. SSB develops and designs filling systems meeting the above criteria, from silo discharge to the finished pallet. The modern bagging systems consist of an overall concept of bagging, bag transport, palletising and final packaging.
Well-known companies in the flour production and animal feed production industries – operating both nationally and internationally, – are among SSB’s long-standing customers.
Different products require different bagging concepts. Flours or powdery products are usually bagged in valve bags using pneumatic packers. Granular products are usually bagged using FFS bagging machines. The bagging logs are recorded electronically and are available in a central database for transfer/quality assurance. Criteria relevant to calibration are of course fulfilled.
The bagging logs are recorded electronically and are available in a central database for transfer/quality assurance. Criteria relevant to calibration are of course fulfilled here.
For palletising the bags, it is necessary to prepare the bags optimally, i.e. to shape the bag in order to achieve a clean and stable palletising result. Furthermore, important quality checks such as bag labelling, foreign objects, metal detection or checkweighers can be integrated into the transport route.
SSB offers a compact robot palletising system for various performance requirements. The filled bag is fed to the robot on a special conveyor belt. The robot palletises the bagged goods reliably and efficiently. Depending on the output, several bagging machines can work with just one robot.
The robot is available in different versions up to a capacity of 1200 bags per hour. For higher bagging capacities, several robots can carry out palletising at the same time. This means that outputs of up to 2,300 bags with 2 robots are realistic.
The 4-axis robot model enables precise and fast operation and can be used in a wide range of applications and therefore for a variety of products. The robot can be programmed using integrated software, making it capable of learning and can be used quickly and flexibly. There is also a large selection of accessories for the bag gripper hand. Pallet modules and soft sheet applicators can be integrated into the hand.
The finished palletised pallet can be transported away automatically via roller conveyors. It is advisable to integrate a corresponding packaging machine into the conveyor line. Stretch wrapping machines or stretch bonnet systems are available. These protect the pallets and at the same time serve as certified load securing. Finally, before the pallet is stored, it is labelled with the current production data. The finished product can then be transported directly to the warehouse.
The focus is on the total integration of all machine components and individual machines in a central control system. This allows processes to be controlled and monitored centrally. Production monitoring, product tracking and data recording are programmed on a customer-specific basis. Remote access is also possible at any time.
