Robotic loader gets on the case

Related tags Automation

A new case erecting and robotic loading station at Nairn's Oatcakes in Scotland has automated a labour-intensive job, improved efficiency, and overcome limitations to meet retailer expectations on shelf-ready applications.

Edinburgh-based Nairn's had used ‘tuck in’ bottom cases but new criteria set out by supermarkets and food suppliers for the design and performance of shelf-ready cases demanded more efficient handling and faster brand recognition for easier access to products.

Ian Murray, general manager of Murray Packaging, which commissioned the Nairn's installation, says: “The design of the tuck-in bottomed cases meant there was a lip that the customer had to reach over to lift the carton out. The new case design would simplify this operation and Nairn's recognised the efficiency gains they would make by automating packing process.”

Systems integrator Endoline installed the station to fully automate the packing line. The case erector forms 13 cases a minute with a hot melt glue.

“A hot melt glue application secures the base of the box without producing an overlap, which can often be the case with tape applications,” says Murray.

The case erector is built and programmed into an Endoline conveyor system which feeds formed cases into an robot cell.

Contact: Endoline