Are you considering a cobot palletizer? Consider these 7 things to make sure you choose the right cobot solution to fit your needs:
1. The variety of products that need to be palletised
It is important to have an indication of how many different products and stack patterns you have. This way, we can prepare the right software for you to ensure a smooth installation that takes no more than 1 day.
2. The dimensions of the products
The second step is to determine the dimensions of the selected products. We recommend measuring 3 products of the same type at the same time and taking the average of the 3. We often see that boxes with "same" dimensions have a deviation that can negatively affect the accuracy of stacking. This method will give you the best results.
3. Extra items that need to be palletised
Interlayer sheets are often used when palletising cans or buckets or when the stacking height is high (e.g. >2m) to increase stability. These sheets can also be stacked with the cobot by using an intermediate sheet magazine.
4. Type of products
The vacuum gripper is often used by cobots to palletize closed boxes. But what if you have a (partially) open box or crate? Don't panic, our fork gripper can stack open boxes or crates. The gripper can be thought of as a mini forklift that slides its forks under the boxes and uses vacuum force to keep the box from falling off the gripper.
5. The output of the products p/m
It is important to note that a cobot has a speed limit for safety reasons, so fences are not necessary and workers can work safely around the system. If you need to stack 30 boxes p/m, a cobot will not be the right solution for you. This is because the cobot arm is physically capable of reaching this speed, but without (infrared) fences it would not be safe. However, using fences in combination with a cobot is possible and increases the already high safety conditions.
6. Already experience with cobots?
If you already have some experience with a cobot, remember that the second implementation will be even easier. If you have no experience with a cobot yet, don't worry, a cobot is easy to implement and work with. The vendor should give your employees clear and thorough training so that they know how to work with the cobot and get the best results from it.
7. The support of your employees
This one is by far the most important one to think about, since your employees are the ones who will be working with the cobot. Make sure you have defined a clear goal you want to achieve with the cobot and share it with your employees. Also, make sure that you give your employees enough time to get used to the cobot so that they also see all of its benefits and most importantly use it.
