WALTZING MATILDA GETS A ROUND OF APPLAUSE

To increase the speed and efficiency of a coffee stacking line, one of the largest snack foods manufacturers in the world has chosen a KUKA robotic palletiser, nicknamed Matilda, from Linkx Systems. Key factors that influenced their decision were the machine’s robust yet streamlined design and flexibility in handling two size of pallets. Linkx’s expertise was called upon for the integration of the palletiser robot at a plant where 100 million jars of instant coffee are produced a year. The aim was to improve the automation for stacking boxes of coffee doy packs. The KR120 robot has a maximum reach of 2496 mm and weighs 1049 kg that enables it to effortlessly stack payloads of 120 kg. The Kuka KR120 robot is a robust and reliable piece of equipment, able to deliver repeatability of ±0,06 mm. Floor mountable and benefiting from a vacuum pick up head, the KR120 can stack up to 24 cases per minute. The robot also boasts sizable pallet storage for up to 15 pallets at a time. In addition, this versatile five axes robot is also able to stack different size pellets such as chep and euro, which makes it a great long-term investment. “We were asked to improve their packaging line and we had no hesitation in recommending a robot-based solution. Our KUKA System Partner status gives us access to their specialist application support”, said David Hayward, MD at Linkx. “We are always pleased to offer our input to develop better and more effective systems for our clients that will increase productivity, save them the money and future-proof their packaging lines”, he concluded.