Automated Picking of a Unique Health Care Product | An MMCI Robotic Palletizer Case Study

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Faced with the challenge of automating the pick-and-placement of a unique product line, one of the country’s leading health care companies turned to MMCI Automation to solve its’ problem.

Their unique products were pressure-activated pouches that exited the machines at 180 degrees Fahrenheit and required sensitive handling to keep them from breaking or activating.

The challenge was to design a system that could safely transfer the pouches from the production machines to baskets, and then palletize those baskets for relocation to another area for secondary packaging.

MMCI was able to engineer a way to replace the manual pick-and-place method for transferring pouches with a completely automated system which utilized custom-made spiral chutes that gently guided the pouches into the baskets.

The spiral chutes were designed and printed using 3D printing technology, which minimized R&D cost and allowed MMCI engineers to perform actual tests using a variety of shapes and materials.

Next, sensors were placed on the incoming conveyors to monitor the number of pouches per basket and adjust the height of the spiral chutes as each basket filled, minimizing the drop-distance.

Controls were then programmed to account for the variety of pouch sizes, with fill rates ranging from 75 to 500 pouches per basket.

Once filled, an automatic ejector system would dispense the baskets forward, preparing them for palletization.

MMCI Engineers specified a Fanuc R-2000iB/100H robot because it possessed the reach, capacity and speed that was required, and could also fit within the limited ceiling height of the working area.

Customized end-of-arm-tooling was then designed to accommodate a variety of different sized baskets used in the facility.

The innovative design features sensors that find the vertical height of the basket, center the robot, and then deploy versatile clips to lift and place the baskets on to the pallet.

To further automate the process, MMCI’s engineers enhanced all of the upstream and downstream elements of the system as well.

Since inbound conveyors would often acquire product residue build-up over time, MMCI engineered custom conveyors that not only fit the tight space but could also be quickly moved to a wash-down area for cleaning.

The design featured stainless steel conveyors with plastic belts outfitted with quick-disconnect electrical connectors, water resistant sensors, and custom-built, stainless steel frames with casters.

To ensure that empty baskets were always available and lined up properly for the robot, MMCI Engineers created a 2-bay basket dispensing system featuring guides that kept the pallets in position and plates that centered the baskets on the pallets.

Once pallets are filled, the system notifies the operator, so the full pallet can be removed from the cell safely and then replaced with an empty pallet.

This challenging project represents yet another example of how MMCI’s expertise in automation, integration and robotics allowed us to develop a solution that most other companies would not even consider.

At MMCI, our people are experts in Material Handling Automation and are passionate about solving problems of all shapes and sizes. We use over 35 years of experience in design, engineering, integration, robotics, controls, and software to deliver automation solutions that improve performance and increase productivity for manufacturers, e-commerce, and distribution companies large and small. We offer solutions in areas like:
-Automation
-Order Fulfillment/Distribution
-Robotics
-Integration
-Warehouse Execution Software (WES)
-Warehouse Management Software (WMS)
-Inventory Management
-Order Management
-Order Picking & Packing
-Conveyor Systems
-And more...

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