The recent squeeze on their profit margins through higher input costs and a slow down in demand growth for their products has pushed the food and drink sectors to improve the efficiency of their processing operations. Plants are investing in more automation and IT applications in a bid to have a tighter control of their production processes and to cut down on labour costs.
Motion Controls Robotics' new SUBTA (Stand Up Bottle Take Away) provides labour savings of up to two people per shift, the company claimed.
It also provides increased throughput due to high reliability and uptime and with cycle times faster than most mold machine rates, Motion Controls Robotics stated.
SUBTA is a pre-engineered automation system that can integrate with the major molding machines on the market.
The SUBTA system grabs and sets the bottles on a conveyor standing up, acting as a takeaway unit. It automates the handling, unloading, coating, leak checking, case packing and bulk palletising of PET bottles.
The programmable unit is operated through a joystick and a computerised operator panel for recipe adjustments and error reporting.
The portable system handles single or double row mold configurations. The SUBTA system rolls away from the molding machine to allow for mold changes.
Quick changeovers to different product types can be made using the provided tooling and recipes stored in the computer database, Motion Controls Robotics stated. Beverage makers also have the option to purchase customised tools to handle unique bottle types and sizes.
"Ease of changeover is one of our biggest selling points that we've heard from customers on the SUBTA system," stated Scott Lang, Motion Controls Robotics' president.
It is designed using a rugged welded tubular construction. The SUBTA also eliminates the need for multiple hoses that can develop leaks or become damaged.