Beverage packaging solution from Clevertech depalletizer for glass bottles with inflatables tubes (PT) that allows the picking of glass bottles and drop them on conveyors. (video: Clevertech)

The request of a beverage packaging bottling line for the Mexican market with a complete start- and end-of-line solution had, from a world-leading British beer and alcoholic beverage producer, some technical requests to meet the specific requirements dictated by the line layout, including:

high-level multi-format depalletiser for glass bottles
high-level palletiser able to receive boxes from two production lines
empty-bottle conveyor belts to feed the filler
box and pallet conveyor belts
pallet wrapping and labelling system.

The greatest problem to be solved was the limited space available and the need to develop a solution at height, since the bottling lines to be fed had to be installed three metres higher than the loading and unloading point of the machines.

Products arrive from two different production lines: depalletise empty and palletise full glass bottles

Another unusual aspect in the beverage packaging line was the requirement to simultaneously palletise products arriving from two different production lines. The customer also wished to reuse the pallets on which the empty glass bottles are delivered for the palletisation of the end product.

A special system developed by Clevertech: a technological solution never before seen anywhere, a machine able to depalletise emptyglass bottles and simultaneously palletise full glass bottles arriving independently from two distinct bottling lines.

The proposed system is composed of:

DEPAL AD EC 50 TS 1 Fast Trasfer designed to depalletise nine different bottle formats (ranging from 375 ml to 1,750 ml capacity)
Multibrand Palletiser AC 422 S HSD 1 Multi Automatic Palletising System able to palletise products from two independent filling lines
Two pallet stores for GMA and CHEP formats
System for automatic positioning of slip sheets on the pallets
Model PF30 Wrapping Machine
Model PAS-X 1Side Labeller for finished pallets
Empty glass bottle conveyor belts to supply the filler
Complete box conveyor belt system
Complete pallet transport system

Completed automated solution for beverage packaging proposed to be palletised independently

Clevertech’s proven Multibrand technology allows each SKU to be palletised independently according to the corresponding scheme. The pallets are then sent to a pallet conveyor line and a model PF 30 wrapper, with the possibility to insert vertical corners on the finished pallets, which is shared by the two lines.

Clevertech’s proposed solution is completely automated and does not require operator intervention to change formats, as well as being compact, limiting the area taken up and guaranteeing perfect operator accessibility and ergonomics.

The design was developed using a fully Integrated solution approach, which allows to offer customers a complete interface optimised both from production and logistics standpoints, allowing for more efficient use of space, synchronised management, and reductions in costs and labour for system operation and maintenance.

Fully integrated solution approach for efficient use of space, synchronised management and reduction costs

This integrated approach provides for the following, amongst other things:

Identical operator panels along the line
Mechanical and electrical components common to all machines
Electrical panels with the same architecture and components throughout the line
Common manuals for all machines

The system was supplied with the following technical documentation:

Integrated system for scheduled maintenance of the system
Multimedia documentation for the operator
Multimedia documentation for spare parts management

Performance data:

Depal is able to depalletise nine bottle formats at a maximum rate of 140 bottles/minute for the 1,750 ml format
AC 422 S HSD 1 Multibrand Palletiser able to receive products from two lines covering format 375 ml, 700 ml, 750 ml, 1,000 ml, 1,750 ml with a maximun speed of 33 boxes/minute
Overall system efficiency: 99%