Danone Boksburg sought a solution that would automate its manually operated palletising process. Tectra Automation, a Bosch Rexroth South Africa Group company, was awarded the contract and its turnkey solution has simplified the palletising process, increased reliability, and offers increased pallet consistency across the company’s product range.

The solution, 14 months in the making, includes palletising robots, state-of-the-art shrink-wrapping machines, conveyor systems, light curtains, safety sensors, and scanners. The system also makes use of a Profisafe system over Wi-Fi for the safe control of carts and cells to the required EN safety levels. Tectra Automation’s scope of work was comprehensive, from specifying the project to commissioning the solution. In the design phase, Tectra Automation designed each robotic cell individually to ensure that each met the required performance level and adhered perfectly to its scope of operation.

Tectra Automation partnered with several solutions providers, including Yaskawa South Africa, FuturePackaging, Productive Systems, and SICK Automation.

Three-phase approach

To manage a project of this magnitude, Tectra Automation devised a three-phased approach. The first phase consisted of palletising three cells, including robotic palletising to service four production lines, and manual cell palletising. This phase also included stretch wrapper installation, one de-stacker, and two transfer cart installations, as well as the installation of an integrated warehouse management system (WMS). “This WMS automatically releases its orders from Danone’s ordering system,” comments Jaco de Beer, Mechatronics Engineer, and Engineering Projects Manager, at Tectra Automation. “Information from the ordering system is sent to robot palletising cells and is used to make any required adjustments before actual palletising begins.”

Phase 2 consisted of another two palletising cells for more of the manufacturer’s brands, a de-stacker, and a transfer cart. Phase 3 entailed palletising three cells for different product ranges and the two final transfer carts.

Functionality and safety

To overcome network latency and improve the palletising solution’s functional safety, the Wi-Fi-operated, rail-powered transfer carts are controlled by an onboard PLC and make use of UPS, 5G industrial routers, and ProfiSafe. All carts and cells are controlled by the main Bosch Rexroth PLC – a Bosch Rexroth XM 42 PLC – with each cart performing its own function while interacting with other carts on the same rail. To ensure bystander safety, Tectra Automation contracted SICK Automation for safety scanners specifically designed for use in mobile applications.