Product category:
Robots and positioning systems
News Release from: Gudel UK | Subject: KP Foods
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 22 October 2007
Automatic gantry palletising system for
KP Foods
United Biscuits, a leading European biscuit and snacks manufacturer, chose Gudel UK to provide an automatic gantry palletisation system at its KP Foods factory in Billingham
United Biscuits, a leading European biscuit and snacks manufacturer, chose Gudel UK to provide an automatic gantry palletisation system at its KP Foods factory in Billingham Distribution from the Billingham factory continues 24 hours a day, seven days a week
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 24 Dec 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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Pallets are despatched from the factory both to United Biscuits' Midlands distribution centre and direct to customers.
All palletisation was previously undertaken manually, giving the company considerable challenges in terms of labour costs and space utilisation.
Mike Kirk, KP Foods Engineering Manager, says, "Gudel was chosen to supply the automated solution because it offered an innovative solution, high quality technical proposals and, above all, value for money".
The system comprises four overhead gantry robots, each measuring 15 metres in length and each capable of placing cases onto eight pallets.
The system has been designed to palletise the full product range with production lines working at full capacity.
A conveyor system transports boxes to the palletisation hall where they are sorted to the correct gantry.
The gantry is a standard Gudel FP5 Area type machine.
A specially designed vacuum head allows the system to pick up one, two or three boxes depending on box size and the layer pattern requirements.
The flexible, dual purpose gripper unit is also used to handle empty pallets into the cell.
In this operation, the gantry collects an empty pallet from a stack and transports it to any one of eight palletising positions within the cell.
The SCADA graphical user interface provided with the gantry allows the shift supervisors to continuously monitor the status of the entire system.
Also, the operator-friendly control programme enables layer formation patterns to be easily modified, or new patterns created, by KP personnel.
Mike Vernon, Gudel UK Logistics Division Manager, says of the project, "The use of gantry systems to palletise so many different products was exactly the right decision by United Biscuits.
The high product quality which comes as standard with Gudel equipment has provided a durable and robust automated system that was able to improve the efficiency of the Billingham factory.
The Gudel name is synonymous with innovative materials handling and we pride ourselves on working closely with individual customers to develop specific solutions".
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