There are numerous elements to contemplate when you’re designing a palletizing cell. Even small choices that you simply make through the design section of deployment can considerably have an effect on the efficiency of the robotic, together with the all-important cycle time.

Palletizing cell format has a really clear influence on cycle time. Putting the elements of your cell in even a barely completely different place can add or subtract seconds off the time to finish one palletizing cycle.

With the proper palletizing cell format, you’ll be able to enhance area utilization in your cell, obtain sooner cycle occasions, and enhance your cell throughput.

Here is how one can optimize your cell format shortly and simply.

How palletizing cell format impacts cycle time

Palletizing cell format is the association of parts inside a robotic palletizing cell. This consists of elements like placement of the robots, conveyor place and orientation, pallet measurement, and numerous different elements.

The format can considerably have an effect on the cycle time and, thus, the efficiency of your complete palletizing course of. For instance, a robotic that’s positioned farther from the conveyor would possibly take 2 seconds longer to choose up a field than one that’s nearer. These 2 wasted seconds shortly add up over the course of a piece shift – for a throughput of 12 pallets per hour, it may quantity to over 2 wasted hours per 24 hours.

When designing your cell, you additionally should make different choices. For instance, do you wish to use centralized or decentralized palletizing? Centralized palletizing entails utilizing a single robotic cell to deal with all of your palletizing duties. Decentralized palletizing entails utilizing a distinct robotic for every manufacturing line. Your selection will even have an effect on cycle occasions.

There are numerous steps to design a robotic cell for palletizing. Optimizing the actions of your collaborative robotic is a strong solution to get outstanding features from seemingly minor modifications.

7 concerns when designing a palletizing cell format

Designing a palletizing cell will be very straightforward, particularly in case you use a instrument like our Palletizing Configurator, which does numerous the onerous give you the results you want.

Listed below are 7 elements that can have an effect on cycle time in your palletizing cell format:

1. Positions of robotic and conveyor

The place of the robotic and conveyors might be crucial consideration in any cell format.

It is best to place the conveyor in order that it might ship the packing containers as near the robotic as potential. Usually, this implies orienting the conveyor so it reaches the pallet end-on and never horizontally.

2. Security gear or fencing

It’s essential separate human employees from palletizing robots, even when utilizing collaborative robots.

Make sure that you allow sufficient area inside your security fencing or sensor zone in order that the whole lot can match, together with leaving area for folks to enter to deal with the pallets.

3. Distances between cell parts

The distances between cell parts have a direct influence on the cycle time. Each pointless millimeter that the robotic strikes will add unproductive time to the duty.

Attempt to scale back distances as a lot as potential. Nevertheless, make certain to depart sufficient free area that you do not enhance the possibility of collisions.

4. Peak of conveyor

The peak of the conveyor, relative to the robotic and pallet, can have an enormous impact on the cycle time.

By inserting the conveyor near the midpoint between the highest and backside of the loaded pallet, you may make the velocity of every field placement extra constant. Containers within the middle of the pallet will likely be positioned sooner and people on the high and backside will likely be barely slower.

5. X-Y distances

In addition to the peak, the horizontal (or X-Y) distances can even add or take away pointless cycle time.

Say that you simply add an additional labeling step to the palletizing activity. It would really feel pure to position the labeling machine additional away from the conveyor to keep away from collisions. Nevertheless, this could add additional time to every field placement. As a substitute, it’s higher to attenuate this distance.

6. Place of interlayer dispenser

In case you are utilizing interlayers between layers in your pallet, it is very important contemplate the position of the interlayer dispenser.

Usually, the most effective place for the dispenser is true behind the decide location on the conveyor.

7. Robotic answer used

Lastly, the particular robotic answer that you simply use will strongly have an effect on the efficiency of the cell.

One issue to contemplate is how straightforward it’s so that you can edit the robotic packages. With an answer just like the Robotiq Palletizing Resolution, you’ll be able to simply tweak this system in case you discover an inefficiency within the cell format. This lets you proceed to enhance this system and cycle time over time.

The important thing to an optimum format: decrease actions

As you’ll be able to see from the listing above, lots of the concerns that have an effect on the cycle time of your palletizing robotic come down to 1 issue: distance.

By lowering the distances between elements in your cell, you scale back pointless actions that the robotic has to take between palletizing steps. It is best to attempt to decrease actions whereas avoiding collisions between the weather of the cell.

The best rule is to have the decide level as shut as potential to the drop level.

By planning forward and utilizing instruments like our Palletizing Configurator, you’ll be able to make sure that the robotic strikes in essentially the most environment friendly manner.

The place to get extra skilled recommendation on establishing your robotic

Do you want extra data on arrange your robotic palletizing system?

You will get numerous detailed recommendation in our free eLearning programs. The course on Lean Robotics for Palletizing is a superb place to start out. In addition to instructing you the fundamentals of robotic palletizing, it introduces you to typical layouts and plenty of helpful recommendations on enhance effectivity in your palletizing course of.

What features of your palletizing cell do you suppose are least environment friendly? Inform us within the feedback under or be part of the dialogue on LinkedIn, Twitter, Fb, or the DoF skilled robotics group.