| Introduction : |
Convenience foods have increased dramatically in popularity during the last few years, as leisure time becomes increasingly precious. The consumer demands an ever greater variety of products but expects the price to reduce. A large U.K. based bakery took the decision to invest money in fast, flexible automatic handling equipment for a production line manufacturing chocolate covered mini rolls. |
| Paddle wheel changes direction of 7 mini rolls per second : |
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| Solution : |
Mini rolls are taken from the wrapping machine at the rate of 7 cakes per second, along a special high grip slat band conveyor. The cakes slide onto a dead plate, and stop against the side guide of the packing conveyor. Each cake is then pushed off the deadplate with an indexing paddle wheel. The wheel is powered by an AC servo-motor which accelerates individual cakes to match the belt speed and decelerates to a stop whilst the next cake slides into position. Cakes travelling along the packaging conveyor are marshalled into groups, ready for transfer into plastic trays. Up to 4 groups of cakes are picked up simultaneously by vacuum, transferred across using a guided Origa rodless cylinder and then placed into the waiting plastic trays. Please note that the photographs included here were taken during the developement trials, and that the system is therefore shown in an incomplete state. |
| Mini rolls picked up with vacuum cups : |
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