7 Palletizing Cell Structure Concerns That Have an effect on Cycle Time

There are lots of components to contemplate if you end up designing a palletizing cell. Even small selections that you simply make in the course of the design section of deployment can considerably have an effect on the efficiency of the robotic, together with the all-important cycle time.

Palletizing cell format has a really clear impression on cycle time. Putting the parts of your cell in even a barely completely different place can add or subtract seconds off the time to finish one palletizing cycle.

With the correct palletizing cell format, you may enhance area utilization in your cell, obtain quicker cycle occasions, and improve your cell throughput.

Here is how one can optimize your cell format rapidly and simply.

How palletizing cell format impacts cycle time

Palletizing cell format is the association of components inside a robotic palletizing cell. This consists of components like placement of the robots, conveyor place and orientation, pallet measurement, and varied different components.

The format can considerably have an effect on the cycle time and, thus, the efficiency of your whole palletizing course of. For instance, a robotic that’s positioned farther from the conveyor would possibly take 2 seconds longer to select up a field than one that’s nearer. These 2 wasted seconds rapidly add up over the course of a piece shift – for a throughput of 12 pallets per hour, it might quantity to over 2 wasted hours per 24 hours.

When designing your cell, you additionally need to make different selections. For instance, do you need to use centralized or decentralized palletizing? Centralized palletizing includes utilizing a single robotic cell to deal with all of your palletizing duties. Decentralized palletizing includes utilizing a special robotic for every manufacturing line. Your alternative will even have an effect on cycle occasions.

There are numerous steps to design a robotic cell for palletizing. Optimizing the actions of your collaborative robotic is a robust technique to get outstanding good points from seemingly minor adjustments.

7 concerns when designing a palletizing cell format

Designing a palletizing cell may be very simple, particularly if you happen to use a software like our Palletizing Configurator, which does lots of the laborious give you the results you want.

Listed here are 7 components that may have an effect on cycle time in your palletizing cell format:

1. Positions of robotic and conveyor

The place of the robotic and conveyors might be an important consideration in any cell format.

It’s best to place the conveyor in order that it may ship the bins as near the robotic as doable. Typically, this implies orienting the conveyor so it reaches the pallet end-on and never horizontally.

2. Security tools or fencing

It’s good to separate human staff from palletizing robots, even when utilizing collaborative robots.

Be certain that you permit sufficient area inside your security fencing or sensor zone in order that every thing can match, together with leaving area for folks to enter to deal with the pallets.

3. Distances between cell components

The distances between cell components have a direct impression on the cycle time. Each pointless millimeter that the robotic strikes will add unproductive time to the duty.

Attempt to cut back distances as a lot as doable. Nevertheless, be certain that to depart sufficient free area that you do not improve the possibility of collisions.

4. Top of conveyor

The peak of the conveyor, relative to the robotic and pallet, can have an enormous impact on the cycle time.

By inserting the conveyor near the midpoint between the highest and backside of the loaded pallet, you can also make the pace of every field placement extra constant. Containers within the heart of the pallet can be positioned quicker and people on the high and backside can be barely slower.

5. X-Y distances

In addition to the peak, the horizontal (or X-Y) distances may also add or take away pointless cycle time.

Say that you simply add an additional labeling step to the palletizing process. It’d really feel pure to put the labeling machine additional away from the conveyor to keep away from collisions. Nevertheless, this might add further time to every field placement. As a substitute, it’s higher to attenuate this distance.

6. Place of interlayer dispenser

In case you are utilizing interlayers between layers in your pallet, you will need to think about the location of the interlayer dispenser.

Typically, one of the best place for the dispenser is true behind the decide location on the conveyor.

7. Robotic resolution used

Lastly, the particular robotic resolution that you simply use will strongly have an effect on the efficiency of the cell.

One issue to contemplate is how simple it’s so that you can edit the robotic packages. With an answer just like the Robotiq Palletizing Answer, you may simply tweak this system if you happen to discover an inefficiency within the cell format. This lets you proceed to enhance this system and cycle time over time.

The important thing to an optimum format: decrease actions

As you may see from the checklist above, lots of the concerns that have an effect on the cycle time of your palletizing robotic come down to 1 issue: distance.

By decreasing the distances between parts in your cell, you cut back pointless actions that the robotic has to take between palletizing steps. It’s best to attempt to decrease actions whereas avoiding collisions between the weather of the cell.

The only rule is to have the decide level as shut as doable to the drop level.

By planning forward and utilizing instruments like our Palletizing Configurator, you may be certain that the robotic strikes in probably the most environment friendly manner.

The place to get extra knowledgeable recommendation on organising your robotic

Do you want extra info on the best way to arrange your robotic palletizing system?

You may get lots of detailed recommendation in our free eLearning programs. The course on Lean Robotics for Palletizing is a good place to start out. In addition to instructing you the fundamentals of robotic palletizing, it introduces you to typical layouts and plenty of helpful tips about the best way to enhance effectivity in your palletizing course of.

What points of your palletizing cell do you assume are least environment friendly? Inform us within the feedback beneath or be a part of the dialogue on LinkedIn, Twitter, Fb, or the DoF skilled robotics group.