ABB developed and implemented a high-performance assembly system of finished goods on pallets for Unilever in Tula

2019: Implementation of a high-performance assembly system of finished goods on pallets

On August 5, 2019 the company ABB reported that it together with Fruktonad Group LLC integrator developed and implemented a high-performance assembly system of finished goods on pallets for the plant Unilever of century Toole. A system includes 2 big robot- IRB 660 a palletayzer with a loading capacity up to 180 kg and a zone reach to 3 meters, the system security of the next generation SafeMove2, SOFTWARE ABB RobotStudio, the system of pipelines and shop a pallet.

According to the company, the customer – Unilever company – was faced by a task to optimize process of laying of boxes of finished goods on pallets and sendings them on a warehouse. It was necessary to reach in the shortest possible time payback of the robotic solution and to exempt employees of workshop from wearisome work.

Robots of ABB are used at the enterprise to assembly of boxes with finished goods on pallets; they service 6 high-speed packaging lines on production of sauces and mayonnaise. Robot-palletayzer difficult universal capture manipulates pallety, stacks ranks of boxes and sets laying sheets between layers of boxes. After assembly ready a pallet recovers on a storage warehouse.

Work on similar lines – a monotonous and hard work. But thanks to this project, 2 robots successfully cope with process for which it was necessary to use 16 people on 6 lines earlier now. Implementing solutions on robotization allowed us not only to optimize costs for manual work and to receive an economic benefit, but also to reduce risks on ergonomics and security, to optimize intra shop transport logistics and also to transfer the employees occupied earlier on this section to more highly skilled jobs. Mikhail Shevchenko, the senior engineer of Unilever branch in Tula told

The ABB company suggested the partner to develop the solution based on the IRB 660-180/3.15 robot.

The high-speed 4-axial robot a wide range (3.15 m) and with a loading capacity of 180 kg is IRB 660-180/3.15. The impressive range allows the robot to contact to four infeed conveyors, two pallet stacks, one paper stack and four output pallet lines.

Besides, certification on a class of security of IP 67 (necessary for food production) and tough design do possible work of IRB 660 even in the most severe conditions.

We were glad to offer the equipment and the digital systems of ABB developed for the food industry. The options necessary for the modern production focused on technologies of the Industry 4.0 allow the customer to receive our solutions . Alexander Novoselov, the head Robotics of ABB told Russia

Especially for robots of ABB the tool allowing to collect at the same time several boxes of products on the line was developed and installed – it allowed to optimize an assembly time. Precisely to calculate and estimate speed regulation characteristics of the robotic assembly line, specialists of ABB and Fruktonad Group LLC created simulation of process based on software of ABB AbilityTM RobotStudio.

The software of RobotStudio is intended for simulation modeling and offline - programming using the personal computer from office without the need for a stop of the enterprise. Software also allows to prepare programs for the robotic systems for a bigger productivity, risk reduction, quick start and change of technology process in advance. For management of the robotic systems on production RobotStudio uses the solution ABB VirtualController which provides realistic simulation using these programs and files of a configuration identical to that are engaged in robotic complexes on production.

During creation of robotic lines of the Unilever plant for the first time in Russia SafeMove2 system allowing to create the zones of operation of the robot safe for the person was used. Thanks to this solution the production line of the enterprise conforms to the standard of security of SIL 3 (engl. Safety Integrity Level) now. It gives to the customer confidence that regardless of the scenario of interaction of the robot and the person on production, the staff of the enterprise will not be endangered.

Safe Move2 performs monitoring of movements of the robot, tools and also speed of his work, thanks to it robots it is possible to locate at the enterprise the close friend at the friend that provides economy of a valuable production space – so, and means.