0-Minute Changeovers. No Robotics Required.

This customer was producing variety packs using a combination of a carton-forming machine, conveyor, hoppers and manual labour. Operators manually counted each product and placed it into the carton as it moved through the line.

They needed to automate the singulation, counting, grouping and accurate placement of products into the carton without creating a system that was unnecessarily large or complex for their operation.

CAM developed a fully automatic solution using Singulators and 1LR Switchback conveyors to singulate, count and group products before accurately dropping them into the carton as it passed through the line.

Rather than adding robotics, the CAM solution used purpose-built conveying and counting technology to achieve the required production process with a simpler operating system.

The automated system provided consistent production output with fewer operators, reducing the impact of day-to-day labour availability on production requirements.

Changeovers became significantly simpler: operators can select a new recipe using push-button controls, with a maximum changeover time of approximately 10 minutes. No mechanical changeover parts are required when switching between different products.

The result was a fully automated variety-pack solution that delivered the required throughput while keeping operation, maintenance and changeover straightforward.