Proco Machinery has introduced end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) for collaborative robots that allows blow molders to pack plastic bottles on their sides instead of the normal orientation with the necks either up or down.

Proco’s Lay Flat Tooling maximizes the number of bottles that can fit in a container.

“We have a very niche market, and we work with a lot of companies in the packaging industry that have complex manufacturing requirements,” said Siva Krish, Proco’s VP of sales.

Proco developed two sets of EOAT for different applications. The first type places the bottles in rows in a box with the necks facing each other, and the second staggers the neck position from row to row. The new EOAT could, for example, allow a blow molder to pack 270 bottles in a typical box instead of 250. Increasing the number of bottles in each box can significantly reduce freight costs, Proco said.

Selecting the proper packing pattern to maximize box capacity depends on the design of the bottle. One of the keys is ensuring that there is always some clearance between the box and the bottles so the robotic arm can go in and come out without resistance.

“Every bottle and every pack count, and every production line will be completely different,” Krish said.

The Lay Flat Tooling technology will broaden the designs of bottles that can be packed using a robotic system, according to Proco.

The new Lay Flat Tooling works with the company’s Robo Packer case packer. Proco’s systems incorporate cobots supplied by Universal Robots based in Boston.

Bruce Geiselman, senior staff reporter

[email protected]

Contact:

Proco Machinery Inc.  Mississauga, Ontario, 905-602-6066,

www.procomachinery.com