Case Studies
Equipment Systems Corporation offers comprehensive upfront planning solutions, combined with the self-performing services clients need to obtain their projected goals.
Our team combines academic and operational backgrounds with expertise in design and manufacturing to provide insights for businesses to move forward.
Our customer requested we design and build a palletizing system that could handle sixteen different SKU’s running simultaneously at a production rate of 40 cases per minute.
Labor Reduction
Increase Production Rate
Limited Floor Space
Wide Range of Cases Sizes
ESC's Solution
The automated conventional style palletizing system was developed to automatically palletize a variety of case sizes of food products packed in sealed corrugated cases, plastic totes and open top trays. To accomplish a palletizing system that minimized floor space, we installed a platform and suspended the conveyor overhead to ensure proper clearance below the deck. The system was designed to convey, sort, and accumulate cases/trays into sixteen (16) different accumulation lines. based on the attached bar code. When one lane accumulates enough product to build a complete pallet, the lane is released to an automated conventional palletizer. This cycle repeats itself throughout the production run. Upon the completion of the automated palletizing cycle, the full pallet will be automatically released to a power conveyor where the full pallet will be conveyed into a rotary style stretch wrapper. After the completion of the stretch wrapping cycle, the complete pallet will be discharged and staged for fork lift removal.
Our customer requested a turnkey robotic palletizing system for bundles of food products in a minus 20°F freezer.
Increase Production Line Volume
Upgrade Existing Equipment
-20°F Operating Environment
Variation of Product Types and Sizes
ESC's Solution
We proposed a robotic palletizing system for two lines coming from an adjacent production room. Each product will be conveyed on its own line from the newly supplied bundling machines. The control system provided all necessary PLC, motor starters, emergency stops, conveyor line devices required to operate the system. All existing conveyors and machines utilized their existing controls. After the product is conveyed into the -20°F freezer, rows of product are formed on layer tables prior to the picking operation of the robot. After the palletizing operation is complete, full pallets are conveyed through a turntable stretch wrapper and onto a staging area ready for pick up.
A client came to us with a project where they needed to convey three different SKU's from the production room to a dedicated palletizing area.
Increase Production Volume
Centralize the Palletizing Process
Each Palletizer Must Handle All SKU's
Tight Project Schedule
ESC's Solution
We first completed a preliminary design to assure the most efficient process and accurate cost quotation. After reviewing the objectives and challenges with the client, we completed an analysis of the of the proposed lines to ensure we met all criteria for the project. Our solution begins with an operator placing the sealed cases on the case conveyor. The product is then conveyed up to an elevation that is sufficient for forklift traffic below. After the product reaches proper elevation, it is transported to the dedicated palletizing room where three high level palletizers are ready to accept product. We incorporated an empty pallet conveying system where there is a single pallet dispenser location which feeds all three palletizers. This allowed us to maximize the floor space allotted for the palletizing operation.
A client came to us with a need to case pack cartons of ice cream into shipping cases for two separate packaging lines.
Reduce Labor
Increase Production
Several Different Pack Patterns
Condensed Project Schedule
ESC's Solution
We started by identifying the project constraints and designed a case packing system around them. Two production lines ran simultaneously with different SKU's. Each line produced 250 cartons per minute and needed to be case packed in a variety of configurations. ESC's scope of work started after the product was conveyed out of the packaging machines. From there we aligned the product before entered the case packing operation. Each robot picked layers of products at time, depending on the pack pattern, and then placed them in the shipping case. After the case was packed it ran through a sealer where it was then conveyed up over head to the dedicated palletizing room.
A client came to us requesting a turnkey line upgrade of their existing conveyor system.
Upgrade Existing Equipment
Increase Production
Conveying Product From Ambient Temperature Into Freezer
Tight Budget
ESC's Solution
ESC took the approach to design, integrate and completely install the fully functioning case conveying line that met the end user’s strenuous expectations. The conveying process originates with four points of entry onto the trunk line. Each production line had a different throughput rate and needed to be merged onto a continuous conveying system where it was manually palletized in the freezer. After each case was taped and was ready to enter the trunk line, our control logic with MDR conveyor allowed us to preform the traffic control and merge cases onto the trunk line with no crashes. The cases were then conveyed from ambient air temperature through a wall into a freezer where the cases were manually palletized.
