7 Palletizing Cell Format Issues That Have an effect on Cycle Time

There are quite a lot of components to contemplate if you find yourself designing a palletizing cell. Even small selections that you simply make through 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 structure has a really clear impression on cycle time. Inserting 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 suitable palletizing cell structure, you possibly can enhance area utilization in your cell, obtain sooner cycle instances, and improve your cell throughput.

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

How palletizing cell structure impacts cycle time

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

The structure can considerably have an effect on the cycle time and, thus, the efficiency of your total palletizing course of. For instance, a robotic that’s positioned farther from the conveyor would possibly take 2 seconds longer to choose 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 may 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 instances.

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

7 concerns when designing a palletizing cell structure

Designing a palletizing cell might be very simple, particularly for those who use a instrument like our Palletizing Configurator, which does quite a lot of the exhausting be just right for you.

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

1. Positions of robotic and conveyor

The place of the robotic and conveyors might be crucial consideration in any cell structure.

You need to place the conveyor in order that it may possibly ship the containers as near the robotic as potential. 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 employees 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 individuals 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 scale back distances as a lot as potential. Nonetheless, be sure that to go away 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 velocity of every field placement extra constant. Containers within the middle of the pallet might be positioned sooner and people on the prime and backside might be barely slower.

5. X-Y distances

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

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

6. Place of interlayer dispenser

If you’re utilizing interlayers between layers in your pallet, you will need to take into account the location of the interlayer dispenser.

Typically, the most effective place for the dispenser is correct behind the choose location on the conveyor.

7. Robotic resolution used

Lastly, the precise 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 Resolution, you possibly can simply tweak this system for those who discover an inefficiency within the cell structure. This lets you proceed to enhance this system and cycle time over time.

The important thing to an optimum structure: decrease actions

As you possibly can see from the listing 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 scale back pointless actions that the robotic has to take between palletizing steps. You need to attempt to decrease actions whereas avoiding collisions between the weather of the cell.

The best rule is to have the choose level as shut as potential to the drop level.

By planning forward and utilizing instruments like our Palletizing Configurator, you possibly can be certain that the robotic strikes in essentially the most environment friendly means.

The place to get extra knowledgeable recommendation on organising your robotic

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

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

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