Feb 25 2011
Arnott, an internationally known company for production of biscuits, is planning to change to the automatic mode of operation on all its speciality lines. Cermex, a packaging equipment manufacturer, is adapting to the growing retailer demand by integrating robotics in its packaging equipment for delivering multiple pack formats.
The sales promotion manager for Cermex, Jean Marc Passemard was quoted as saying that a new trend has started owing to instability among consumers and the evolving need for a delineated brand image. Biscuit manufacturers require a technology that improves packing speed and equips them to make immediate format changes.
Passemard also stated that Arnott has plans to switch from the manual to automated case packing in its 58 different SKUs in a variety of sizes and format of the cases. In addition, he said that Arnott will alter its secondary packaging, from RSCs to wrap around blanks, in order to achieve a high pack speed of 175 packets per minute.
Passemard added that experts at Cermex introduced robotics into the supplier's WB45 wrap around casing system and also customized gripping tooling to hold 30 to 50 mini suction cups on its head. He also mentioned that the implementation of the robot-driven machinery promises product reliability and linkage while loading the biscuits and removed the need for multi-lane guides on the product in feed and hold the product intact. The maximum changeover time required is about 25 minutes.
Passemard stated that each robot functions at a normal speed in order to prevent product destruction due to frequent acceleration or deceleration. Passemard further added that the Cermex has come up with a small pick and place module for positioning the products at right angles onto a collation table that would invariably prevent the rotation of flow-packed biscuits.
Source: http://www.cermex.eu/