YM Packaging has developed an automated packaging and product handling line for a snack manufacturer, designed to handle several SKUs at once and make automatically assorted cases.
The goal: assorted cases with three flavours
The line had to pack several SKUs (different flavours of the same product) and deliver an already mixed flow of pouches to the case packer, so that each case holds an assortment of three flavours.
The solution: three FFS machines and three delta robots
The installation starts with three reel-fed Form-Fill-Seal horizontal packaging machines. Each machine packs a different SKU: a different flavour.
The finished pouches travel on separate conveyors to a cell fitted with three ABB delta robots, which carry out synchronised pick and place operations.
How the automatic SKU mixing works
- Each packaging machine places its pouches on its own outfeed conveyor.
- The three delta robots pick the pouches coming from each packaging line.
- The robots re-order them onto a common belt that feeds the case packer.
- The system is programmed so that every row of product carries one pouch of each flavour.
The result: product reaches the case packer already in order
Thanks to this handling system, the product flow reaches the case packer already ordered and configured, and the cases are filled with an automatic assortment of three different SKUs.
Equipment on the line
- 3 reel-fed Form-Fill-Seal horizontal packaging machines, one per flavour.
- Separate conveyors for each packaging line.
- Cell with 3 ABB delta robots and synchronised pick and place.
- Common belt feeding the case packer.
- Case packing of assorted cases with three SKUs.
Want to automate SKU mixing or the infeed of your case packer? Explore our product handling solutions and nuts and snacks packaging, or tell us about your project.
