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

There are plenty of components to think about if you find yourself designing a palletizing cell. Even small choices that you just make throughout 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 influence on cycle time. Inserting the elements of your cell in even a barely totally different place can add or subtract seconds off the time to finish one palletizing cycle.

With the correct palletizing cell structure, you’ll be able to enhance area utilization in your cell, obtain sooner cycle occasions, and enhance your cell throughput.

Here is how one can optimize your cell structure shortly 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 shortly 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 choices. For instance, do you wish to use centralized or decentralized palletizing? Centralized palletizing entails utilizing a single robotic cell to deal with all of your palletizing duties. Decentralized palletizing entails utilizing a special robotic for every manufacturing line. Your alternative may 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 solution to get outstanding positive factors from seemingly minor modifications.

7 issues when designing a palletizing cell structure

Designing a palletizing cell might be very simple, particularly should you use a device like our Palletizing Configurator, which does plenty of the arduous be just right for you.

Listed below are 7 components that can 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.

It is best to place the conveyor in order that it will possibly ship the containers as near the robotic as attainable. Typically, this implies orienting the conveyor so it reaches the pallet end-on and never horizontally.

2. Security gear or fencing

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

Make sure that you permit sufficient area inside your security fencing or sensor zone in order that every part 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 influence 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 attainable. Nevertheless, be sure to go away sufficient free area that you do not enhance the possibility of collisions.

4. Peak of conveyor

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

By putting the conveyor near the midpoint between the highest and backside of the loaded pallet, you may make the velocity of every field placement extra constant. Bins within the heart of the pallet will likely be positioned sooner and people on the high and backside will likely be barely slower.

5. X-Y distances

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

Say that you just 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 could 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, it is very important contemplate the location of the interlayer dispenser.

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

7. Robotic resolution used

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

One issue to think about is how simple it’s so that you can edit the robotic applications. With an answer just like the Robotiq Palletizing Answer, you’ll be able to simply tweak this system should you 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’ll be able to see from the listing above, most of the issues that have an effect on the cycle time of your palletizing robotic come down to at least one issue: distance.

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

The only rule is to have the choose level as shut as attainable to the drop level.

By planning forward and utilizing instruments like our Palletizing Configurator, you’ll be able to be sure that the robotic strikes in essentially the most environment friendly method.

The place to get extra skilled recommendation on establishing your robotic

Do you want extra data on methods to arrange your robotic palletizing system?

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

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