New top loading robot helps United Biscuits keep up with demand for UK favourite

Citation

(2007), "New top loading robot helps United Biscuits keep up with demand for UK favourite", Industrial Robot, Vol. 34 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2007.04934caf.003

New top loading robot helps United Biscuits keep up with demand for UK favourite

New top loading robot helps United Biscuits keep up with demand for UK favourite

Sewtec Automation of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, UK, has helped improve the production throughput of one of the nation's favourite snacks, with the installation of a new top loading robot on the McVitie's Mini Jaffa Cakes flow line at United Biscuit's McVitie's factory in Manchester.

United Biscuits (UB), is using the Sewtec robot to load McVitie's Mini Jaffa Cakes “pods” at a rate of six per cycle, into cardboard outer cases. The pods themselves are distinctive six compartment, thermoformed lidded trays, which are folded to give the three- on-three pod configuration (Figure 3).

Figure 3 The new Sewtec robot loading Mini Jaffa Cakes at the UB factory in Manchester

The robot is the final element of an extensive upgrade by UB on the McVitie's Mini Jaffa Cakes line, a large part of which was carried out by Sewtec. This includes two McVitie's Jaffa Cakes pod folding units and a two-to-one converger/ conveyor system. The converger/ conveyor system transfers the pods from the pod folder units, through a pod sleever, and into the case loading robot cell.

Previously, two methods were used for packing the outer cases. Standard cases were packed using a side loading machine, while the smaller “Cash & Carry” cases were hand packed.

UB's project implementation manager at Manchester, Steve Ash, decided to rationalise case packing by making the footprint of all cases identical, while varying the number of layers within the case. Thus, the new Sewtec robot loads the pods into the cases in layers of six to give 12, 18 or 24 pods per case, as required.

The robot is a Sewtec model 100/20 two-axis, servo motion, “pick and place” design, incorporating a bank of six vacuum heads with two cups per head. The system is controlled using an Allen Bradley ControLogix PLC-based system, installed and configured by Sewtec and incorporating an Allen- Bradley HMI. UB expect payback on the cell within 1.2 years.

Pods enter the robot cell on a Sewtec slat band in-feed conveyor, which are then “cross pushed” in pairs onto a collating table to give the final layer collation of six pods after three “cross pushes”. Another Sewtec slat band conveyor queues pre-erected packing cases and “cross pushes” the first in line onto a flighted indexed conveyor. The cases are then indexed into a position within the cell where the collated pod of six is picked and placed into the case. The pick and place cycle time per layer is 4s. Once the cases are filled, they are transferred to independent case taping units and despatched.

According to Steve Ash, the upgraded production line – allied to improvements in the production process – have “raised throughput from 100 to 110 deposits a minute and reduced waste by 20 per cent. There has also been small cost savings due to the rationalisation of case sizes and a significantly larger saving because of the reduction in labour”.