Robots are used increasingly in all industries to place products in containers, transfer those containers between different stations in the packaging lines, and palletize them. Their ability to use a variety of end-of-arm tools (EOAT) and provide the high-speed "pick-and-place" palletizing ability needed to meet ever-increasing demands for flexibility and productivity makes them ideal to replace other slower and potentially error-ridden methods.
According to Salh Khan, president, AIDCO International, manufacturers of consumer products are increasingly making products in every imaginable shape, material, and size -- "the lighter, easier to use, and more visual impact, the better!" AIDCO manufactures conventional palletizing equipment and a KUKA robot system partner integrator designs and makes mechanical and vacuum EOATs to grip and move product packaging of every size and shape for many types of manufacturers.
PIAB's VSG 3010™ vacuum technology has helped AIDCO meet demands for flexibility and productivity. In developing its RoboticStar® bulk container depalletizing and palletizing system, the company's challenge was to produce a system that delivers maximum flexibility within a small footprint. Said Khan, "We had to design an EOAT that can handle many different products, instead of just one size. Most often our customers have as many as 6 different shapes that need to be handled at once, so the design criteria are tough. Soda and wine containers, for example -- just think about all the different sizes, materials, and shapes of bottles and cans the major brands utilize, as compared with the old 12 oz bottle six packs that used to be their only option."
PIAB Teams with AIDCO
AIDCO needed to incorporate a technology solution into its RoboticStar® that could provide flexible positioning and exceptional handling stability. RoboticStar®, a PC- and PLC-driven and programmable robotic system designed to help case pack and palletize plastic and glass bottles, kegs, aluminum cans, and their accompanying corrugated cases, plastic crates, wooden pallets and other containers, was being shown at Pack Expo 2003. Coincidently, PIAB's VGS™ 3010 vacuum gripper was also being showcased, and caught AIDCO's imagination.
The VGS 3010 Gripper, featuring Duraflex™ suction cups and a patented COAX™ ejector technology, was specifically designed to handle a wide range of products, including corrugated boxes and containers, sheet metal, glass, wood, plastic, and a variety of small assembly parts -- the type of versatility that AIDCO was looking for.
"The VGS 3010 Gripper met all of our needs for speed, ease of use, and flexibility," Salh Khan relayed. "Changing conditions and package configurations are no problem with this system, because the position of the gripper can be easily changed. With its modular construction, the VGS 3010 eliminates the need to use multiple EOAT to handle material that changes size or position."
The Duraflex suction cups, 50-60 of which attach to the robot head, adhere to many surfaces and can even grip porous, leaky materials and coarse, uneven, or curved surfaces.
"The Duraflex suction cups are better than other cups," said Khan. "Used in conjunction with the VGS' stabilizer, the cups allow for safe and stable lifting. They are particularly good for handling items such as plastic, glass and aluminum containers, corrugated boxes, boards and sheets."
The system also makes use of PIAB's patented COAX ejector technology, which is based on a multi-stage concept for creating a vacuum with compressed air. COAX integrates the internal components of a multi-stage vacuum pump into a vacuum cartridge. The result is a smaller, more efficient, more reliable, and highly flexible technology that allows users to design a modular system.
"One of the main reasons for using ejectors like the COAX system in the packaging industry is that they are so easy to control," continued Khan. "The pump starts to produce the vacuum flow immediately when the pressure valve is turned on, and the flow stops right at the point that the compressed air is shut off.
"The weight and the small size of PIAB's air-driven pumps is another key benefit -- to both AIDCO and our customers. The system is very easy to install and maintain, with all parts being accessible and interchangeable."
PIAB Comes Through
An AIDCO customer currently using the RoboticStar® and its integrated PIAB Vacuum Gripper System is a well-known producer of paints and coatings. Prior to the robot/vacuum solution, the manufacturer was hand-palletizing cartons after each case was sealed, an arduous and physically demanding task that took place three shifts a day, seven days a week. Today, the company is experiencing fewer operator-related and OSHA issues and higher line throughput at a much lower cost -- and it has the flexibility to better meet the needs of its big-box retailer customers, who often request fast supply order changes from one paint type or color to another.
Whether AIDCO's RoboticStar® is picking up and palletizing paint cans, aerosol products, glass bottles, or even egg cartons, the end result is always a custom-built solution that meets a customer's unique requirements.
"It's quite a challenge coming up with solutions for handling all of these different materials, shapes and sizes," concludes Salh Khan. "Having the flexibility of PIAB's VGS 3010 as part of our offering has made it much easier for us to design and integrate tools for our robots that rise to the challenge and handle the toughest applications."
