APEX Automation and Robotics has installed and commissioned a new automatic depalletiser for plastic bottles of difference shapes.
The automatic depalletiser, said to run at a production rate of up to 8000 bottles per hour, removes the layers of bottles from a pallet and arranges them in a single file to feed the filler. It then automatically stacks the empty pallets and layer pads.
According to APEX Automation and Robotics, the pallet is first loaded onto a powered chain conveyor to move it to the depalletising station where it is lifted up until the top layer is presented to the separation head. Each layer of bottles is swept across by a 2-axis gantry, followed by the use of a vacuum head to remove and stack the layer pads.
The separated layer is dropped to the filler level then transferred to a servo driven conveyor that indexes one row of bottles at a time. Each row is loaded onto the filler conveyor by a 2-axis manipulator. Once the pallet is empty, it is transferred to an automatic pallet stacker.
APEX Automation and Robotics says a set of light curtains with muting sensors at both the pallet loading side and in front of the pallet stacker are used to ensure the system runs uninterrupted.
The company claims the new depalletisers operate at an ergonomic level and can be arranged to suit any factory layout.