Equipment

Glass container manufacturer Beatson Clark has invested over £200,000 in a robotic pack palletiser to service the amber glass production lines at its Rotherham plant.

The robot, model number M410iB, was supplied by Japanese company Fanuk and installed in April. After a month of trials, it is now operating full-time and has already increased efficiency.

Beatson Clark runs two amber glass production lines, producing over 80 different products, each with its own unique pack size. “Our previous machine was 25 years old and couldn’t cope with two lines, so the improvements have been dramatic,” said Colin Rimmer, projects manager.

The new system (pictured) can palletise 16 pre-formed, film-wrapped packs/min (from both production lines). Prior to the robot, one production line had to be hand-packed by a team working in five-man shifts. Beatson Clark estimates that, in terms of costs saved by reducing the workforce, the robot will have paid for itself within 15-16 months.

The robot has also improved the quality of the packs. “Basically it does exactly what it is told and delivers 100 per cent repeatability every time. Presentation of the pallets is much improved; they are now so straight,” said Rimmer.

The Fanuk robot is the latest phase in the firm’s ongoing investment programme, with a new packing machine and a bulk palletiser now under consideration.