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CASE PACKING

storage and can be mishandled and damaged, so there is more design emphasis toward making it adjustable versus replaceable,” Mr. Lomerson said. “Tooling flexibility is a huge value when the case packing process requires multiple products to be run on the same machine. Designing the collation tooling and the end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) for adjustment versus replacement eliminates the need for tooling storage and, in most cases, reduces the overall changeover time from product to product.” To this end, AMF offers an articulating robot loader that can load bakery baskets, trays, regular- and half-slotted cases (RSC and HSC), including “U” board insertion between product layers in the cases, using a single robot and a single ◀ A 3-axis delta robot with an automaticchangeover end-effector packs 1-oz bags of pretzels.
BLUEPRINT AUTOMATION

Building a Case
Reliability and price are the two major concerns bakeries and snack manufacturers have regarding case handling equipment, according to Ed Collins, president of ELC Packaging Machine Co., Malvern, OH. “We have solved both of those issues with our PLC-controlled model ELC-PK-40 and our higher-speed model ELC-PK-40H18,” he said. The most important advances in case handling equipment relates to PLC controls, high speeds and reliability, he said. The ELC-PK-40 case erector and bottom sealer, available in standard and custom sizes, is an “affordable and reliable solution for virtually any wholesale baking or snack plant,” Mr. Collins added. It is able to handle 12 cartons per minute. The newer ELC-PK-40H18 carton erector and bottom sealer has major performance improvements compared to the ELC-PK-40 and a speed of up to 18 cartons per minute.

EOAT. “The cell can be adjusted to accommodate a wide range of products as well as various pack patterns in any of the cases, bakery baskets and trays,” Mr. Lomerson said. Additionally, the company has a patented design on a highresolution, individually programmable vacuum EOAT that can form to an infinite number of products and patterns on the tooling and place them into cases, baskets or trays without a tooling change. Another key is to minimize the time required between products by automating the position changes needed on guide rails, backstops and more. “It also eliminates the mistakes and misalignments made by the operators, which typically result in damaged and wasted product and slow startups,” Mr. Lomerson added. Bakers and snack manufacturers “want to maximize case packer efficiency after changing over from one product to the next to have instantaneous startups and no ‘tunein’ period,” noted Robbie Quinlin, marketing manager, BluePrint Automation (BPA), Colonial Heights, VA. “Changeover should be tool-less and automatic, without human subjectivity. “Traditionally, changing over a machine for the next product/ recipe code involves changing out belts, end-effectors, cassettes, etc.” he continued. “All of these changes coupled with the fine-tuning process drastically increases the time it takes for the operator to get the machine running back at maximum efficiency. Now, packaging systems with a more automated changeover process are being sought out to eliminate this down time and maximize machine efficiency.” BPA designed a system that requires virtually no manual adjustments when changing products and case sizes. “Simply select your desired product code, and the endeffector and cassette automatically

BAKING & SNACK / May 2011

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Baking&Snack - May 2011

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