Page 27 - Logistics News - July August 2022

PALLE TIS IN G

Automated palletising system

streamlines process

Tectra Automation has successfully designed, supplied, installed and commissioned a turnkey
solution that has simplified the palletising process while increasing reliability for Danone SA.

anone Boksburg sought a solution that would Manager, Tectra Automation. “Information from the
automate its manually operated palletising ordering system is sent to robot palletising cells and is
Dprocess. Tectra Automation, a Bosch Rexroth used to make any required adjustments before actual
South Africa Group company, was awarded the contract palletising begins.”
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 through to commissioning the
solution. In the design phase, Tectra Automation Tectra Automation’s turnkey solution has automated Danone’s
designed each robotic cell individually to ensure that palletising systems for increased reliability.
each met the required performance level and adhered
perfectly to its scope of operation. Phase 2 consisted of another two palletising cells
for more of the manufacturer’s brands, a de-stacker
Tectra Automation partnered with several solutions and a transfer cart. Phase 3 entailed palletising three
providers, including Yaskawa South Africa, Future cells for different product ranges and the two final
Packaging, Productive Systems and SICK Automation. transfer carts.

Three-phase approach Functionality and safety
To manage a project of this magnitude, Tectra To overcome network latency and improve the
Automation devised a three-phased approach. The first palletising solution’s functional safety, the Wi-Fi-
phase consisted of palletising three cells, including the operated, rail-powered transfer carts are controlled by
robotic palletising to service four production lines, an onboard PLC and make use of UPS, 5G industrial
and manual cell palletising. This phase also included routers and ProfiSafe. All carts and cells are controlled
stretch wrapper installation, one de-stacker and two by the main Bosch Rexroth PLC – a Bosch Rexroth XM
transfer cart installations, as well as the installation 42 PLC – with each cart performing its own function
of an integrated warehouse management system while interacting with other carts on the same rail. To L O GI S T I CS NEWS
(WMS). “This WMS automatically realises its orders ensure bystander safety, Tectra Automation contracted
from Danone’s ordering system,” comments Jaco de SICK Automation for safety scanners specifically
Beer, Mechatronics Engineer and Engineering Projects designed for use in mobile applications. •

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