Schneider packaging used Rockwell Automation control system solutions to create an compact, end-of line robotic handling system for a premium coffee roaster. The machine cartons, labels, case packs and palletizes 280 individual K-cups of ready-to-brew coffee per minute, all within a mere 300 square feet of floorspace.
Schneider Packaging relied on Allen-Bradley Ultra 3000 servo drives and MPL motors to operate two side-by-side timing screws that count the appropriate numbers of cups for each carton. Another Ultra-3000 drive operates a rotary cartoner, while a series of air cylinders agitate the carton to allow the K-cups to settle properly in the box. The cartons are sealed, dated and arranged for the casing robot, which assembles and presents the cases to a labeler before loading them onto a pallet. The cartoning, labeling, casing and palletizing processes are managed by an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix Programmable Automation Controller (PAC).
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (Milwaukee), is a global provider of industrial automation control and information solutions. The company employs about 19,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.