Salt  -  ffs bagging & palletising system

RockSalt1
Okura
forklift
machine2
PeacockSalt
hand
JimLaird
machine

Client

Peacock Salt is among the UK’s largest suppliers of de-icing salt with supply volume reaching 350,000 tonnes a year. https://www.peacocksalt.com/

Peacock Salt contracted Webster Griffin to supply a comprehensive solution including Form Fill Seal packing, Okura Robot palletising and Big Bag Filling to pack their de-icing salt range into 5 – 25kg bags and Bulk Bags at their state-of-the-art facility in Port Ayr, Scotland.

Challenge

To achieve a high speed packing line and palletising for different grades of corrosive de-icing salt product.

  • Flexibility to pack multiple different bag types and sizes a must
  • Gusseted and non-gusseted bags
  • 5 kg and 10 kg bags with handles
  • 15kg, 20kg, 25kg pillow or gusset bags
  • Single loop big bags
  • System to operate 2 shifts per day throughout winter
  • Minimal operator input, causes of stoppages or alarms easy to identify
  • Corrosion resistant with minimal moving parts. Reduced factory maintenance and cleaning
  • Supply chain reliability with the capacity to pack on demand catering to limited warehouse space
  • Stretch wrap protected pallets to ensure bags arrive clean and dry to customers
  • Minimal downtime between product and bag size changeovers to maximise efficiency

 

Solution

Webster Griffin proposed a versatile, high speed bagging and palletising system including Form Fill Seal and Bulk Bag bagging and robot palletising system. Peacock Salt's turnkey solution was tailored according to their precise requirements.

  • FFS CV2080 vertical FFS bagging machine – continuously operates making and filling bags from a reel of flat printed film which it forms into a tube. The seal at the top of the first bag also forms the bottom of the next bag
  • The flat film roll machine has few moving parts which means minimal exposure to the corrosive effects of salt whilst allowing for enhanced accessibility for maintenance and cleaning
  • Okura A1600 Robot palletiser – equipped with Okura OXPA ‘Easy Teach’ programming for different bag sizes and palletising patterns. The palletiser self-adjusts for different bag sizes and palletising patterns which can be altered at the push of a button
  • Uniwrap 300 AE rotating arm pallet stretch wrapper in which the plastic sheet is automatically cut-to-size and placed on top of the palletised load to ensure complete waterproof protection
  • Single arm single big bag filling machine for simple bulk bag loading
  • Two duplex electronic net weigh scales - alternately weigh and discharge elected volume of salt into bagging machine filling tube
  • Corrosion resistant construction including stainless steel 304 parts. Anti-corrosion epoxy paint finish with brass and aluminium parts, and IP65 splash and dust proof electrics and cabling ensures a robust industrial structure
  • 8m Bag Flattener – electronically adjustable to cater to varying requirements of compression ensuring that excess air is squeezed out of the micro-perforated filled bags
  • Pallet conveyor system complete with pallet magazine with a capacity of up to 15 pallets. The system ensures the changeover period occurs within 5 seconds
  • Individual integrated touch screen PLC control system simplifying varying programme changes through constant communication with the parent controller to ensure total control
  • Guarding system complaint to health and safety requirements

Result

Peacock Salt now packs de-icing salt at a rate of 900 bags per hour. The low maintenance solution reduced labour required from 3 – 4 operators to a single fork lift driver who twice a day loads a 600kg roll of plastic film into the bagging machine and ensures the pallet magazine remains stocked.

  • Peacock Salt now packs multiple grades of salt into 5kg and 10kg bags with handles and 15kg, 20kg and 25kg pillow/gusset bags. The system can also fill bulk bag containers
  • Seamless product switching allows for Peacock Salt to cater more effectively to changes in customer demands
  • High Speed bagging with rates of up to 900 bags per hour each pallet is completed and ready to be dispatched within 2.7 minutes
  • Increased warehouse space – Due to the flexibility of the new line, Peacock Salt can pack on demand, keeping stock levels low and saving warehouse space
  • During wrapping, a plastic sheet is cut to size and placed on top of the stack, ensuring each package is waterproof and arrives to the customer in perfect condition

 

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