Compact Palletising Cells To Safegaurd Your Robotics
The process of palletising and the robots associated with the process have never been safer. Palletising equipment has evolved to become almost foolproof and these models rarely fail on the job. However, introducing people to the equation changes matters. People sometimes make mistakes and it’s the responsibility of the business to do what it can to reduce the risk of accidents occurring.
According to research, pallet-related incidents send over 30,000 people to the emergency rooms in a five year period — in the USA alone. Not only does it cause injury and distress, but it also results in lost work hours, reduced productivity and occasionally even fines for your business. To ensure your setup is as safe as possible without sacrificing productivity, you’ll need a compact palletising cell and the right machine guarding.
Why Is Machine Guarding Important?
Machine guards can be installed around your palletising cells to keep unauthorised and unnecessary personnel out. They’re built to protect the machine operator and other staff members from injury and can cover everything from the palletising cell’s point of operation to its point of power transmission — or its moving parts in general.
The right machine guard will keep the machine secure from all angles. It’s exact size and dimensions will depend on how compact your palletising cells are — as well as if you’re using a single or multi-line setup. Warehouse and factory space can be scarce, which is why you’ll need a palletising cell that’s as compact as possible.
Placing your robot palletisers in a single cell can help keep your setup compact. Most small to medium sized plants won’t require a custom multi line palletising cell, so they’ll benefit from an affordable, smaller and more reliable modular single cell that can be delivered quickly. Several cell configurations exist, but as they’re modular they can be moved and reassembled as needed.
Here are four common configurations that range in size from roughly 11 x 17 feet to 15 x 22 feet:
- One line in and one line out
- Two lines in and two lines out
- One line in and one line out with automatic pallet handling
- Two lines in and two lines out with automatic pallet handling
The more compact your palletising cells are, the easier and more efficient it will be to protect. A single palletiser at the end of one production line will make machine guarding more simple and affordable, as it will only need to limit access to a one production area — the end of the packing line where the bagger will be stationed.
When you have several production lines this might become more complex. For example a case diverter might separate products towards two different conveyors. with each going to different palletising robot stations for different package sizes. This system can also be configured to manage slip sheet handling, pallet handling, stretch wrapping or labelling.
Picking An Integrated Solution
The process of selecting the most compact palletising cell for your space and needs — and ensuring it’s properly guarded — can be simplified if you work with a supplier that can design you a system integrating both. Webster Griffin are experts at offering such solutions, and can assist you whether you require a single palletising cell or a multi-line one. Contact our team today for more advice.
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About Robot Palletisers