Orlando, Fla. — Proco Machinery Inc., a manufacturer of automation systems for custom bottling and packaging customers, rolled out a new cobot palletizing system and next-generation Robopik takeout system at NPE2024 in Orlando.
The new palletizing system can tier up to 104 inches high, reducing the need for manual labor.
"As far as a robot is concerned, it's doing just the same layer every time, and that makes it a lot easier to changeover for operators to set the system up," President John McCormick said. "Most cobots palletizer that you see, everybody in the market makes one, but they do the pallets up to a certain height."
With this system, users can pack a full pallet without having to go through multiple operations. The machine allows for easy access to store maneuvers and repeat past jobs. The palletizer is also versatile and can pack both bottles and boxes.
"I don't know of any other robot palletizer that can become a box backup by adding a module," McCormick said.
It is also launching its new generation of the Robopik.
Proco of Mississauga, Ontario, has been making and developing Robopiks since 1995 and has shipped more than 500 units.
"With the modern technology, we always want to do something better," McCormick said. "So we developed the next generation. What's unique about this is, other than the robot, there's no moving parts."
The conveyor is typically 11 inches, but Proco has extended it to 17 inches wide. Safety features include collision detection, emergency stop mechanisms and protective barriers.
Robopik can communicate with other machines, sensors and software systems to optimize production workflows, collect real-time data for analysis and enable predictive maintenance.
The new takeout system can handle delicate or irregularly shaped containers.
"It's a very flexible system — very few moving parts, and it gives you the flexibility of left or right configurations," McCormick said.