Challenge
Leading animal food, treats, and accessories producer Pets Choice approached Sewtec Automation to design, build, and install an end of line packing solution for its pet food products.
The system had to deliver on cost efficiency and increase productivity. The solution had to be integrated into the existing architecture, providing flexibility and connectivity.
The footprint of the machine was crucial to the overall solution and had to be compact enough to work effectively within the factory and allow operators to carry our their work safely.
The new system also had to be scalable. The company required the solution to act as the foundation for future systems and pull all available data to inform production and continually optimise it accordingly.
Invention
Sewtec Automation chose Schneider Electric’s PacDrive 3 & Delta Robots to automatically orientate and pack large volumes of produce into trays.
For our customer, versatility was vital within its robotic line. The company has a wide range of products and needed a solution to match. With its centralised system architecture, PacDrive 3 was the ideal solution for controlling the broad range of packaging.
The solution is also extremely compact, far more so than anything else on the market. The robots themselves have integrated server motors and drives, meaning the panel size could be reduced by roughly 70%.
The system utilises seven robots, connected to a single PacDrive unit that acts as the heart of the machine and controls.
Results
Thanks to the single cable technology, the assembly and wiring time was hugely reduced. This meant the system was up and running in a fraction of the time compared to other projects. It also means that maintenance has been greatly simplified, resulting in a more cost effective solution long term.
The Schneider Electric EcoStruxure architecture was also a significant draw for Sewtec as it acts as a foundation upon which we could add more cloud-based monitoring, condition monitoring and machine analytics, enabling us to improve our offering by better informing design decisions.
“We’re delighted that Sewtec Automation chose Schneider Electric for upgrading its customers’ existing production line and that the delta robots have already positively impacted efficiencies.” said Mark Yeeles, VP Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric.
