Project Objectives
The project required a coordinated end-of-line packaging system that could receive ice cream products from the cold-storage discharge, arrange product orientation, load the products into cartons, inspect packed cartons, seal qualified cases, and complete robotic palletizing.
Empty cartons were supplied from a case erector connected to the second floor and transported to the packing section through a separate flexible conveyor. The carton stream had to remain synchronized with the product stream at the three-station case packer.
The specified system scope covered the complete process from cold-storage discharge to palletized output, with a design throughput of 7,680–9,600 products per hour and two planned operators.
- Receive and organize products from the upstream cold-storage discharge.
- Coordinate empty-carton supply with three-station automatic case packing.
- Integrate metal detection, weight inspection, and NG rejection before sealing.
- Transfer qualified cartons through sealing and incline conveying to robotic palletizing.
Our Solution
The line adopts a modular arrangement in which product handling, carton supply, case packing, quality inspection, case sealing, and palletizing are connected by flexible conveyors. The process is organized around two independent material flows before case packing and one unified packed-carton flow afterward.
Process Flow
Ice cream products travel from cold storage through the spider robot and orientation unit to the three-station case packer. Empty cartons arrive from the separate carton-supply route. After packing, the cartons pass through metal detection and checkweighing; NG cartons are rejected, while accepted cartons continue to case sealing, incline conveying, and robotic palletizing.
Key Equipment Solutions
The packaging line combines product handling, conveying, inspection, sealing, and palletizing equipment into one controlled system. The supplied proposal identifies the following principal equipment and functions.
| No. | Equipment Solution | Role in the Line |
| 1 | Spider Robot and Product Handling | Transfers ice cream products from the cold-storage discharge to the orientation and packing section. |
| 2 | Product Orientation Unit | Arranges incoming products and changes their orientation to match the carton-loading requirement. |
| 3 | Three-Station Case Packer | Uses multiple gripping or pick-and-place mechanisms to load products into cartons. Three stations support synchronization with upstream output. |
| 4 | Flexible Conveyor System | Transports empty cartons and packed cases and connects the individual machines into a continuous line. |
| 5 | Metal Detector | Inspects packed cartons for metallic contaminants before sealing. |
| 6 | Checkweigher and NG Reject Unit | Checks carton weight and removes nonconforming cartons before they enter the sealing process. |
| 7 | Automatic Case Sealer | Seals cartons that have passed metal detection and weight inspection. |
| 8 | Incline Conveyor | Transfers sealed cartons from the packaging section to the palletizing area. |
| 9 | Robotic Palletizing Cell | Stacks finished cartons and coordinates pallet infeed and completed-pallet discharge. |
| 10 | PLC, Industrial PC and Vision Control | Coordinates line sequencing, machine control, and vision-related functions specified for the system. |
Specifications
The following parameters are taken directly from the supplied line specification. Final overall dimensions are determined according to the actual factory layout.
| Specification | Value | Notes |
| Overall Line Dimensions | Custom | Determined according to the available factory layout and on-site conditions. |
| Compressed Air Supply | 0.5 MPa | Required for pneumatic equipment and actuators within the packaging line. |
| Power Supply | AC 220V / 380V | Power configuration can be adapted to the electrical requirements of the installation site. |
| Designed Production Capacity | 7,680–9,600 pcs/h | Actual output depends on the product format, carton configuration, and upstream production speed. |
| Control System | PLC + Industrial PC + Vision | Coordinates machine operation, line sequencing, inspection, and vision-related functions. |
| Required Operators | 2 | Operators are mainly responsible for line supervision, replenishment, and routine handling. |
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