To make the entire process of packaging production for containers and buckets as efficient as possible, further automation steps are necessary in addition to the plastic injection molding process and in-mold labeling (IML), especially for the transport and cartoning of the manufactured buckets, cups and other containers. For this reason, Beck Automation offers customer-specific solutions for the further handling of these packages, also known as ‘Down Stream.’

“Basically, for our customers, the automation of further process steps, such as packaging in cardboard boxes, is primarily about increasing cost-effectiveness. Simple, repetitive as well as often physically strenuous and not entirely harmless work can be taken over by robots in the future, massively increasing the efficiency of a plant. Automatic packaging of plastic drinking cups, for example, also has the advantage that the risk of contamination by people is reduced to almost zero,” says Nino Zehnder, chief sales officer of Beck Automation.

“However, this automatic packaging requires that the produced parts undergo a 100% inspection beforehand. Only if it can be ensured that no bad part is packed, Beck Automation can automate the downstream work steps. For this reason, the company has been integrating the IMLWatcher from Intravis in Aachen, Germany, since 2016. Their camera systems are perfectly tailored to the requirements in the IML packaging market and allow them to offer customers a complete package that is perfectly tailored to their needs.”

“For the automatic packaging of containers in cartons, we offer both standardized and customized solutions,” Zehnder continues. The packaging automation is connected directly downstream to the IML system. Buckets, yogurt pots or coffee capsules are stacked automatically and placed in packaging cartons by a robot. In the process, the finished stacks are placed horizontally into the boxes with special grippers. Slight tilting of the boxes ensures that the stacks are placed in a controlled manner. The company from the Zurich area uses 6-axis robots from FANUC for depositing the stacks and integrates them into the control concept. The entire packaging process takes place in a safety cell. “It is important that the systems are developed with sufficient space capacity to provide enough room for both full and empty packaging cartons,” Zehnder emphasizes. Other process steps, such as inserting a plastic or protective bag into the carton packaging, are also taken into account.

The systems can be operated via an intuitive HMI and are characterized by their simplicity in both operation and maintenance. During the development of the equipment, attention is paid to optimal accessibility, which is particularly advantageous for operators when servicing or changing products. During the design phase of a process line, the product dimensions and stack lengths are also defined together with the customer. The arrangement of the stacks in the packaging carton can be freely selected by the customer. Basically, the solutions around packaging automation are adapted to the customer’s needs in such a way that the space conditions on-site as well as the cycle times and packaging types are ideally utilized.

“Basically, we are fully geared to the customer here, regardless of whether this involves 30-liter buckets or coffee capsules. Especially for the latter products, which are often produced in large quantities and fast cycle times, an automatic packaging solution can provide great economic benefit. Our downstream packaging automation should not only complement our IML process, but also provide a long-term, efficient solution for the customer,” says Zehnder.

“For this reason, the engineers at Beck Automation are also looking at future developments. Intelligent, driverless transport systems (AGV) and the integration of further support modules, such as carton erectors, bag insertion machines, carton sealers or palletizing systems, play an important role here. “We have already successfully implemented these downstream developments. For example, in cooperation with partner companies, we implemented a project for a customer in Switzerland in which almost all logistical processes were automated. In addition to developing its own systems, Beck Automation also assumed overall responsibility for a turnkey project,” Zehnder explains.