Development of Robotic Case Packer: Application of Robotics for End-of-Line Packaging Solutions

Following a series of machinery that enhance secondary packaging automation in the production is the final procedure of case packing, where bunches of products are loaded into a corrugated case for long-distance distribution towards warehouses and retailers in various locations. While technologies have enabled upstream machinery can reach a higher level of efficiency and shorter cycle times, traditional case packers sometimes can not fit into the existing line to keep abreast of the speed and turn out to be a downside of the whole packaging system. Especially when it comes to packaging systems implemented for food manufacturing, a maximum level of agility, precision, and flexibility… are requirements that a traditional case packer cannot meet.

Implementing a case packing system begins with understanding the context:

• How products are grouped together?
• Specific requirements in the way of products being piled?
• How much empty space is to be remained in the case during shipping?

The robotic application has been proven to be the key to achieving complex automation for case packing. Picking and place products into cases using robotics is the solutions to reach the maximum level as possible of flexibility, adaptability and efficiency. The primary edge of robotic case packing over the traditional one is basically:

Reliability: the robotic solution is of non-stop and continuous motion and can place products in a sensitive and accurate manner.

Versatility: rather than a traditional case packer that is specific product-based-designed, a robotic case packer is usually of scalable design and ideal for simultaneous handling of multiple products.

Accurate tracking: robotic case packing allows coming products from upstream to reach randomly on a high-speed infeed conveyor and still be placed in an ordered way, thus achieving a speed a normal case packer cannot parallel.

Developing more Intelligent Case Packing Automation Solutions

Already has its packaging automation solutions covering from cartoning, overwrapping to carton sleeving, ELITER Packaging Machinery is seeking further opportunity to grow further to offer more packaging solutions.

"Leading manufacturers worldwide have already been capable of offering robotic case packing systems, however, what local companies in China offer is still outdated machinery consisting of three sections of case erecting, loading and sealing and can only reach a maximum cycle up to 10 or even slower", commented Zhiwei Bao, general manager of ELITER Packaging Machinery.

ELITER Packaging Machinery has been working with SIEMENS since April in the development of Wrap-Around Sleever, the no-load test of which was launched on May 19th, 2022 already and the two companies expect to officially introduce the machine to the market by the end of the year. Wrap-Around Sleever machinery designed for carton sleeving of products such as ready meals, dairy cups and beverage. Following such packaging procedure is usually a case packing system to load the products in mass in cases for further distribution. ELITER’s further ambition is to develop a horizontal end-load case packer with which the company can offer turnkey end-of-line packaging automation solutions.

"We need a case packer of higher performance so that it can coordinate perfectly with our sleever which is full-servo driven and of fast speed. We have to develop such machinery on our own now that the mediocre case packers offered in the local market cannot match.", said Bao.

About ELITER Packaging Machinery

ELITER Packaging Machinery provides secondary packaging automation solutions from automatic cartoning machines to automatic overwrapping machines and wrap-around sleever. ELITER Packaging Machinery is a family business for three generations in the packaging machinery industry.

About the Author

Zixin Yuan – Digital Marketing Coordinator at ELITER Packaging Machinery

Zixin Yuan - Digital Marketing Coordinator at ÉLITER Packaging Machinery Website: https://www.eliter-packaging.com