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Robotic palletisation of aluminium ingots
Our customer: Saker spol. s.r.o. – o.z. Alusak
Founded in 2006 as a spin-off of the Saker Group, Alusak focuses on the processing of aluminium waste and the production of aluminium alloys. In 2008, the company made a major innovation by replacing crucible furnaces with rotary melting furnace technology, which led to an increase in production capacity and improved alloy quality. The company further developed this technology and invested in modern combustion and filtration systems to ensure an environmentally clean operation.
Palletisation of ingots from aluminium waste
The automated ingot palletisation process is an innovative solution for increasing the efficiency of industrial production. Saker s.r.o., o.z. Alusak, required to implement this modern technology to minimize manual labor, maximize productivity and ensure consistent quality of output products. The project involves a comprehensive system from ingot removal from the casting belt to final packaging.
Project description
The entire workplace, with the KUKA robot, is located at the end of the existing conveyor. Aluminum ingots gradually arrive on a chain conveyor, through the cooling water zone, to the beginning of the robotic line. The individual ingots have a partially variable size and weight during the casting process.
The input conveyor of the entire workplace is equipped with elements that evaluate the size of each ingot in real time. Ingots that do not match the set range are marked as NOK and leave the line via a separate output.Due to the trapezoidal shape of the ingots, every second one (for each stacked layer) is rotated by the robot before its arrival at the collection point so that the five ingots always form a complete surface. The layers of ingots are stacked crosswise on top of each other by the robot for sufficient stability. The number of layers is entered into the robot program in advance by the operator. Each stacked layer is automatically weighed.
In case of a robot malfunction, continued production is ensured without the need to stop the casting belt by adding a tray for manual folding to the end of the conveyor.
The line control system is connected via a communication bus to a higher-level system for efficient production control and real-time monitoring. Automatic storage of line data on the PLC control system side in case of communication failure ensures its safety even in case of non-standard events.The output conveyor has several functions. It is used to take finished ingot layers out of the exit door, as a buffer for finished production and also as a taping point. The entire area of the output conveyor is optimized for its various uses, not only for automatic mode but also for easy and safe operator access.
Our technical solution met the customer's requirements to increase production productivity, eliminate very laborious manual work, minimize losses caused by incorrect handling and ensure consistent quality of the output product.
Our customer says:
» From the very beginning we were pleased with the professional approach of BPR.
And although the solution was not easy (given our production), everything was completed on the first try and on time. «