UK Gov Plant & Machinery Super-deduction Scheme

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Granta

Are you looking to take advantage of the UK Government’s Plant & Machinery Super Deduction Scheme?

In brief the scheme means that:
• For expenditure incurred from 1 April 2021 until the end of March 2023, companies can
claim 130% capital allowances on qualifying plant and machinery investments.
• Under the super-deduction, for every pound a company invests, their taxes are cut by up to 25p.
• This change makes the UK’s capital allowance regime more internationally competitive,
lifting the net present value of our plant and machinery allowances from 30th in the OECD
to 1st.

This government fact sheet will give you more detailed information on the scheme https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/967202/Super_deduction_factsheet.pdf

 

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Palletiser Leasing

Posted on March 19, 2021 by Granta

 

Businesses lease equipment everyday; water dispensers, printers, vehicles. Why not palletisers?

To give you an example; over our last few projects, with a 3 year lease scheme, our customers would make an average production cost saving of £63,063.60 per year after making the lease payments.

These savings do not include the value of any production increase, which with a palletiser is typically at least 15%, and more commonly around 40%.  They also don’t include any of the other benefits such as; reduced H&S claims, reduced HR, and boosted staff morale.

With leasing you start making savings from the day the palletiser is installed. At the end of the lease period we can sell you the palletiser for a small nominal fee (1%), and it will continue to work well for you for many years to come; giving you even greater savings without the lease payments.

Download our automation project payback calculator to calculate what leasing a palletiser is likely to cost you and what savings you could make on your production.

Contact us on 01223 499488 if you would like more information on palletiser leasing…

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Downloadable Palletiser URS Template

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Granta

A User Requirement Specification (URS) document is essential to ensuring that the system you are looking to purchase is going to meet your requirements.  However, when you get into the realms of automation, it can be difficult to know exactly what you need to specify within your document to ensure you get a system that is as adaptive and flexible as you need it to be.

With this in mind, we have created a downloadable palletiser URS template that can be used as a base product from which to create your own unique URS document, that specifically meets your requirements.

Download Palletiser URS Template

Whilst we have created a quick and easy downloadable template for you to use, we have also explained each of the key areas that need to be considered when writing a palletiser URS in more detail below.

  1. Purpose & Scope of Palletiser
    What does the palletiser need to achieve? Typically a palletiser system would take the product from an infeed conveyor and orientate it for palletising. It would then place the product on the pallet in the defined stack pattern until the specified number of layers had been achieved, using slip sheets if required. The finished stacked pallet would then be ready for a forklift to remove from the cell or fed out of the system via a conveyor system.
  2. Project Contact Details
    Ensure all stakeholders are listed here as this will ensure that you cover all of their requirements whilst writing the URS. Also, if there are any questions during the quoting process, the relevant contact can be easily contacted, speeding up the quoting process.
  3. Description of Product and Packaging
    What is the product that needs to be palletised? Standard applications would often be the palletising of bags, boxes, trays, tins, barrels, etc. Within this section of the URS it is important to specify the type of product that needs to be palletised, along with the max/min weights and dimensions. Is the box/bag suitable for vacuum picking or will it need to be gripped from underneath due to lack of strength of the box/bag, or a very porous/uneven top surface? Max and min stack heights, pallet overhang etc. should be specified here.
  4. Process Information
    How will the product arrive at the palletising cell?  Will it arrive in multiples or as single items? It is important to specify here what the maximum deviation will be from the reference line (see template for more detail). If you require the product to be automatically aligned, measured, and tolerance checked then specify so in this section.
  5. Installation Environment
    What hygiene level area will this be installed in? Most production processes are typically a medium hygiene level area. In this section the room conditions should be specified such as temperature and humidity, and any other conditions such as dusty atmosphere should be listed. Available dimension for the palletiser to be installed in should be mentioned and available access to the area should also be specified. It should also be specified here if access is needed to the current machinery. Utilities available should be listed, and for a palletiser install, the standard electricity supply and compressed air requirements are listed on the downloadable template. Floor specification should also be included, mentioning any sloped floors, floor type, and the load capacity of the floor.
  6. Project Specifications
    This section should cover details on how many lines will be coming into the palletising cell, and what downstream equipment there will be. Typically with a palletiser cell the only downstream equipment would be pallet trucks or counterbalanced fork lift trucks. Pallet types being used and slip sheet specification type and dimensions should be specified. The scope of supply should be included here and the following items would normally be included here subject to your requirements; change over time with 1 operator of <5 mins, infeed conveyor/unloading boom, automatic pallet supply, automatic slip sheet distribution, automatic distribution of interlayer, automatic distribution of pallet top cover, outfeed conveyor (with quantity of full pallet wait specified), training program, and any other specific requirements.
  7. Equipment Specifications
    Specifications details for a palletising cell are mainly focussed around the HMI requirements. Typically for a palletiser, you would normally specify that the HMI touch screen interface would provide all necessary information for the operator to operate the machine and deal with minor stoppages without the need for the maintenance team. The HMI should provide palletising visualisation software which is preferable to be in 3D. For flexibility, you will probably want to include here that access to machine parameters (speeds, counters, timers, etc) should be accessible from the HMI and not through PLC programming. Other key things that you will probably want to include here are: alarm identification, re-startup assistance with confirmation of palletiser configuration, pallet pattern adjustment, and new stacking program set up within 10 minutes with no limit on number of set ups that can be saved. Another specification that you would most likely want to include is that the HMI should have an easy and intuitive pattern generation software with drag and drop programming so that the system can be programmed without supplier intervention. It should also be specified that an uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) should be present where deemed necessary for HMI operating system safe shutdown and/or sensitive electrical components that ensure correct machine restart in case of unforeseen lack of power.
  8. Safety, Health and Environment
    The current safety standards for this type of equipment should be stated here, and it should be specified that the machinery should comply with them. The standards that apply for an automated palletising system are detailed on the downloadable template. Some of the more common safety requirements that should be specified in this section include: emergency stop/e-stop functionality, safety devices to ensure that no accidental product falling will hit someone in the safety zone, maximum acceptable noise level, robot safety rated defined working zones, and energy isolation. The system should be marked with the relevant information and a complete list of these requirements is on the downloadable URS document.
  9. General Design Requirements
    Component requirements should be written here, and typically for a palletiser system you would specify items such as conveyor height, infeed product and conveying system, pallet pattern etc.
  10. Quality and Performance
    Specifications for Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) and Site Acceptance Test (SAT) should be listed here. This would typically include details on pallet alignment, slip sheet/interlayer alignment, throughput speed, restart time (in case of a minor stoppage), changeover time, CIL time and frequency, time needed for start-up from no power to stable production. Ideally you would specify that the equipment should be designed for quick change over and <10 minutes set up. Production speeds should be included giving both minimum and ideal speed requirements. Often a palletiser can become a lot cheaper by meeting a slightly lower spec than the contingency maximum. Potentially you could specify in this section that you want the ability to increase the speed in the future if required and this may significantly reduce your short term costs.
  11. Equipment Electrical and Automation Specifications
    Connectivity requirements should be listed here and would include information on whether the system will be linked to the factory network, confirmation that the site has 4G access or the system can be connected to a network. Whether or not the palletiser will need to be networked with other equipment. If the system needs to be networked with other equipment, the inputs/outputs required for this should also be specified here.
  12. Documentation
    All required documentation should be entered here, and for a palletiser URS it would usually include the following: preliminary layout, detailed layout, certificate of conformance, pneumatic drawings, recommended spares list, operating manual, safety instructions, detailed description of the equipment, operating procedure, detailed description of operating screens, troubleshooting list, and online project update reports for project duration. Installation and commissioning requirements should also be included and would typically include details on who will install, commission, and perform FAT and SAT.
  13. Training
    Typically training on the system should be provided by the supplier and for UK installations the trainer should be fluent in English. The training should include at least, but not be limited to all the details required for operating the equipment appropriately, covering at least the following items: safety instructions, detailed description of the equipment, operating procedure, detailed description of the operating screens, predictive and preventative maintenance.
  14. Pallet Specification
    Details on the types of pallets that will be used in the system should be included here. This should include information such as; pallet length, pallet width, pallet height, and empty pallet weight.

Whilst each business application for a palletiser is unique, there are many specific features of a palletiser system that are of benefit to all companies.  This downloadable URS has sought to include all of the most beneficial automation developments that are currently available in the automated palletiser market to ensure you will end up with a final product that is as future proof as possible.

Download Palletiser URS Template

If you would like any further help or information then please do contact us on 01223 499488 and we will be very happy to help.

 

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What Are The Benefits of Automated Palletising?

Posted on January 29, 2021 by Granta

Automated palletising holds many different benefits, some commonly known, and others not so commonly known.  Some of the more important benefits are explained in detail below.

 

Improved Productivity/Cost Savings

This is often one of the most overlooked benefits of automated palletising.

Manual palletising has many drawbacks when it comes to productivity.  There can be many different reasons for this, but the two key reasons are:

  • Staff not able to keep up with palletising when the production process is running at full capacity, and as a result the production process is not run at full capacity.
  • Production stops when staff stop for breaks, forklift movements, to fill our paperwork etc.

Automated palletising systems not only remove these issues and enable your production process to function at full capacity, but also have additional benefits as well. Below are some stats we have received from some of our most recent palletiser installations:

  • Distribution Centre – automated container unloading and box palletising system installed at a leading supermarket brand. This is saving them a minimum of 119 man hours per week.
  • Chemical Factory – 25kg bag palletising system installed which has resulted in improved efficiencies and improved stack quality, resulting in a reduction in the number of pallets required.
  • Food Factory – palletising system for 25Kg sacks installed which has resulted in an increased production throughput of 150%. It has also reduced labour requirements by 1 person.
  • Refractory Specialist – bag palletising system installed which has resulted in operator requirements being reduced from 2 persons to 1 person. Production throughput is up by 45% and all manual handling elements have been removed.

 

Removes Risk of RSI

Manually stacking pallets carries a high risk of RSI occurring, this is due to the high level of repetitive activity that is carried out when stacking a pallet. Download this simple RSI calculator to see what risk your current manual stacking process carries.

Automation of your pallet stacking process completely eliminates the need for any manual input at all, thus removing the risk of RSI. The recent introduction of automated palletising systems that can be quickly and easily re-programmed for different sized items, has also meant that automated palletising can now be used in a far larger variety of situations than it could before.

 

Improved Product Quality

When pallets are manually stacked, this can often result in inconsistent and unstable pallet stacks.  Storing and shipping of unstable pallet stacks can ultimately result in pallets breaking down and causing damage to goods.  This clearly has implications and can result in unhappy customers, returns and refunds and additional admin time having to be spent in resolving these issues.

However, when a pallet is stacked using an automated system, product is consistently placed in the correct place, according to the chosen stack pattern, which results in stable and consistently palletised stacks.  This not only helps prevent damage during storage and transit, but can also help with stock control as you know your pallets will all be consistently stacked with the same quantity of product.

 

Removes Labour Crisis

It is becoming increasingly difficult to source staff that are happy to stack pallets. This is no doubt due to the repetitive and labour intensive nature of the job. Using manual labour to stack pallets also mean that you have to find alternative labour if your staff are off sick or on holiday, which carries with it additional costs.

An automated system will remove this requirement altogether as the system will continue to function through lunches, breaks and holidays!

 

Eliminates Bottlenecks

The palletising part of a production process can sometimes be the bottleneck of your whole production process. If those palletising are not able to palletise at the maximum speed that your production process can run, then you have no option but to run your production process slower than its optimum speed.  This effectively equates to lost production time. If you are unsure where the bottleneck is in your production process, this article should help you in identifying it.

Chosen wisely, an automated palletising system will have the capacity to palletise product coming off your production line, with the line running at maximum capacity.  In some instances, an automated system will in fact be able to palletise off two production lines at the same time, whilst they are both running at maximum capacity.

 

These are just some of the many different benefits that automated palletising can bring. To find out more about palletising for your production process, or to book a free trial, contact us on 01223 499488 and we will be very happy to help.

 

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Automation in Transit Packaging

Posted on December 22, 2020 by Granta

As a business you are no doubt familiar with the issues that arise from goods being damaged in transit; unhappy customers, returns and refunds, admin work in sorting out the issues, etc.  All of these are no doubt areas that you wish to spend less time in!

If you are experiencing these sort of issues, one of the key areas to investigate is your pallet stacking and wrapping process.  If goods are stacked and wrapped securely, it makes for better pallet stability and minimises the risk of transit damage.

In this article we are going to look briefly at the role of automation in transit packaging.

 

Automated Palletising

Manual palletising can often result in inconsistent and unstable pallet stacks, which in turn can lead to goods being damaged in transit. It carries a high risk of repetitive strain injuries occurring, and the subsequent implications of staff having to be off work for long periods of time plus the cost of any resulting claims can quickly add up. Manual palletising can also limit throughput capacity and become a bottleneck in your production process.

Automated palletising results in neater, more consistently stacked pallets, with better pallet stability. This is due to the accuracy of the palletising system in consistently placing product in the right place on the pallet. An automated system will not stop for breaks and therefore increases your throughput, and improves production efficiency, typically increasing throughput to at least 140%.

There are many automated palletising systems available, so it is important to ensure that the system you choose will not only provide the immediate benefit of better pallet stacks, but will also service your future requirements. It is important ensure the system has an integrated stack builder that creates the optimum stack pattern for your product. Choosing a system with easy programming software will also allow you to quickly and easily re-program the system to palletise different box sixes.

 

Automated Pallet Wrapping

Wrapping pallets by hand can result in pallets that are not wrapped tightly or securely enough. This in turn can lead to shift during transit and result in transit damage.

Automating this process ensures pallets are securely and consistently wrapped which reduces the risk of shift during transit and therefore minimises transit damage. It also reduces wastage, resulting in lower costs.  Automated pallet wrapping can either be installed as a standalone cell, or integrated into the palletising process.

There are many automated pallet wrapping solutions available, so it is important to ensure that the solution you choose meets your requirements.  Chosen wisely, you will be able to reduce your pallet wrap costs, reduce downtime due to pallet wrap changes, and reduce waste by using less wrap per pallet.

 

Automation ROI

Payback on installing an automated palletising system can be less than one year. As a rule of thumb, if you have one person at the end of a line palletising product for one shift per day, payback is approximately three years. However, if you are running three shifts, the payback time then becomes less than a year. If you then include the intangible benefits, such as reduced risk of RSI, less transit damage claims, etc. the payback time becomes quicker still. Granta have an automation payback calculator and intangible benefits calculator that you can download to help you accurately forecast the ROI of investing in automation. https://www.granta-automation.co.uk/resources

 

Other Automation

Another example where automation plays a part in reducing transit damage is the automation of container unloading and palletising.  If containers are unloaded and palletised consistently and securely, this results in better pallet stability for storage and onward transport. Not only this, but it also improves efficiency as it reduces manual labour requirements and improves throughput.  Granta have recently installed one of these systems for a leading supermarket brand and as a result they are saving a minimum of 119 man hours per week.

 

Summary

In summary, automation of pallet stacking and wrapping processes play a key part in increasing pallet stability and reducing the risk of transit damage. The payback on installing an automated system is often less than one year.

 

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Automated Container Unloading and Palletising – Watch the Video

Posted on December 18, 2020 by Granta

Have you watched this automated container unloading and palletising video?

 
More information is available here https://www.granta-automation.co.uk/automated-container-unloading-palletiser 

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How To Ensure CapEx Plans Will Yield The Best ROI

Posted on September 28, 2020 by Granta

Ensuring your CapEx plans will yield the best return on investment is key to any successful business.  However, the first step is not necessarily one that would usually spring to mind!

What Are The Core KPIs Of Your Company?
Identifying and subjecting your CapEx decisions to the core KPIs of your company is key to ensuring the best ROI for your capital expenditure. All too often, when evaluating and allocating CapEx budgets it can be easy to lose focus of the core company goals, and become diverted by projects that aren’t necessarily going to bring the best ROI to the company. Having identified the core KPIs of your company, you can then move on to;

What Is The Bottleneck That Is Stopping You From Achieving Those KPIs
Having a clear understanding of what is stopping you from achieving those KPIs is the first step to knowing what area you need to focus on. A bottleneck occurs when part of a process has a lower throughput capacity than the rest of the process. Identifying your main bottleneck can often be a very straightforward process, and may even be something you are already aware of.  However, sometimes it can be a lot harder to identify, and you may need to create a flowchart of the process where you believe the bottleneck may be, and then work through this flowchart until you find the bottleneck.  Bottlenecks can occur due to anything from a lack of capacity to process at the necessary speed, to breakdowns and breaks slowing the process down. Further details on identifying and exploiting bottlenecks are available here. Having identified the bottleneck you can then move on to the next process;

What Needs To Be Done To Exploit The Bottleneck?
Identifying the reason for the bottleneck and finding the best solution to it is often achieved by a team brainstorm session. Involving those that are closely acquainted with the current process is often the best way of clearly establishing what the weaknesses of the current systems are, and what solutions could be used to resolve these issues. With a clear idea of why the bottleneck is occurring, and some suggested solutions, it is then possible to gain an understanding of what needs to be done to exploit the bottleneck. This may be something as simple as streamlining your process, staggering staff breaks, or running a regular maintenance schedule.  However, it may mean that you need to automate part of your process or purchase another machine so that you can produce parts faster.  This then leads on to:

How Do I Calculate The ROI Of My CapEx Investment?
Calculating the ROI of your CapEx Investment to enable you to compare the ROI on different solutions is the next step. Once of the best ways to do this is to use a comprehensive ROI Payback calculator as this will take into consideration many different factors such as; current machine downtime, staff breaks, defect percentages and costs, etc. You will then be able to establish the payback period for each investment. It is also important to investigate the value of intangible benefits for your proposed investments as this will also play a significant part in the overall ROI that you can expect to achieve. Having calculated these figures for the different solution, you then have meaningful data that you can compare to enable you to see which solution is going to provide the best ROI for the company in the long run. Next step:

Find The Next Bottleneck!
Having found a solution to your bottleneck, you can then go through this process again to establish where the next bottleneck is that is stopping you from achieving your company KPIs.

Conclusion
Whilst this process may not be the most commonly used for identifying and allocating capital expenditure, it is one of the best methods of keeping your CapEx focussed on yielding the best the best return on investment for the company. Keeping you CapEx aligned with your company’s core KPIs ensures that you receive a direct return on investment that is in the best interests of the company. Using the same evaluation criteria across the company for your CapEx budget setting procedure will also give you meaningful, comparable data that allows you to quickly see what the best investments are going to be for your company.

More useful resources are available for download in our Robotics & Automation Resources Pack.

If manual palletising is one of your production throughput bottlenecks, you may wish to consider the Granta GA15 robotic palletiser.

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The Hidden Winner of Automation

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Granta

You may have dedicated workers that are stacking pallets at a good speed, but however dedicated they are there is nearly always production time lost on the following:

  • moving pallets out to the storage area
  • wrapping pallets
  • completing paperwork
  • taking breaks for lunch or to visit the bathroom
  • stopping to have the odd quick chat, to the boss on his daily walk round, or to other colleagues
  • operators palletising slower than the production line can actually run working a little bit slower than the production line can actually run at full throttle

This may not sound much time, but when you add it up it is a lot more than most realise.

The hidden winner is this: simply installing a palletiser typically increases production throughput of the whole production line to at least 140%!

An automated palletiser system does not stop and always goes full speed, especially if you have automatic pallet feeding and an output buffer area for finished pallets. Granta have completed many palletiser installs and nearly all of these have improved production throughput by at least this amount, and often significantly more. Every time customers are surprised to find how much difference this hidden winner actually makes!

Many or even most companies justify automated palletisers on labour savings alone, but they are usually surprised by the hidden winner that brings significantly more benefit.

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Automated Palletising Guide for Milling & Grain Industry

Posted on August 20, 2020 by Granta

Many people underestimate the benefits of automated palletising. This article gives you some information on the hidden wins, and what to consider when buying an automated palletising system.

Traditionally palletising of bags and sacks was done by hand. However, this has many drawbacks including production downtime due to staff breaks, and the high risk of repetitive strain injuries occurring. The subsequent implications of staff having to be off work for long periods of time due to repetitive strain injuries and the cost of any resulting claims can quickly add up. Palletising by hand can also limit throughput capacity and become a bottleneck in your production process.

 

The Hidden Winner

Most companies can justify automated palletising on labour savings alone, but they are usually surprised by the hidden winner that brings significantly more benefit.

The hidden winner is this: simply installing a palletiser typically increases production throughput of the whole production line to at least 140%!

You may have dedicated workers that are stacking pallets at a good speed, but however dedicated they are there is nearly always production time lost on the following:

  • moving pallets out to the storage area
  • wrapping pallets
  • completing paperwork
  • taking breaks for lunch or to visit the bathroom
  • stopping to have the odd quick chat
  • operators palletising slower than the production line can actually run

This may not sound much time, but when you add it up it is a lot more than most realise.

 

Where Do I Start?

There are many different automated palletising systems available on the market, so we have put together a few key points that you should consider before investing. This will ensure that when you do make your investment, the solution will be able to meet your current needs as well as being flexible enough to cope with any future changes in your requirements.

 

Futureproof Throughput Capacity

What throughput do you need to achieve currently? What throughput are you looking to achieve in the future? Not only do you need to be sure that the system can meet your current throughput requirements, but it is also important to ensure that it has the necessary capacity to enable you to expand your sales and increase your throughput in the future. The last thing you want is to increase your sales only to find your palletiser has become a bottleneck in your production process! Spend time to think about where your business is heading in the future and ensure you invest in a system that will meet your future demands, or is easily scalable to meet them.

 

Stack Neatness

Neatly stacked pallets are key to your product reaching its final destination in the best condition. They also make for safer storage, and easier container and lorry loading. With several different methods of automated pallet stacking available, it is important that you choose a method that creates the best stack for your product. There are many factors that affect how your bags will stack best such as how full the bag is, what type of product is in the bag, and how free flowing the material is within the bag. Several systems are available for shaping and flattening bags to ensure that they stack in the neatest possible way. Running a trial of your product on a palletising system before you commit to the capital expenditure is a very good way to determine what the best method is for palletising your product neatly.

 

Ease of Use

How easy is the palletising system to use? Can it quickly be reprogrammed to palletise different bag or box sizes? Can your staff reprogram it themselves? With some conventional palletising systems it can be very difficult to change the stacking pattern or bag placing positions without support from a specialist programmer. Therefore it is important to ensure that the system you choose has easy programming software as this will enable your staff to reprogram the palletiser quickly and easily. This saves you the cost of having to call out an expensive robot programmer to reprogram the system when you need to change a stack pattern or bag size. It is also important to choose a system that has automatic stack generation software so that you can simply choose which stacking pattern you wish to use without having to spend time planning. Having a system with easy programming software will also ensure that your palletising system is future proof against any changes of product size or pallet type.

 

Easy To Move/Re-site

Ensure that the system you choose can be easily moved. As your processes evolve over time, the last thing you want is to end up with a palletiser stuck in the wrong corner! There are modular palletising systems available; which means they can be quickly and easily re-situated and reconfigured to a different layout should the need arise. The modularity of these systems also allows you to adapt the palletising process over time by adding further processes at a later date such as pallet shrink wrapping, slip sheet feeding, automated pallet feeding, labelling etc.

 

Try Before You Buy

For your own peace of mind, make sure you have tried your product on a palletiser before you purchase it. Whilst palletising is a straightforward process, there are many factors that affect how neatly your products stack, and a trial is the best way to establish the best method. There are automation companies that will offer a free trial of your product on their palletiser before you purchase.

 

Integration With Existing Production Processes

Buying from a company that has experience in machinery integration is key when purchasing a palletising system. A company with this experience will ensure that your palletising process is linked to your production process in the most efficient and effective manner. A reputable automation company will complete a site visit at the quoting stage and will be able to offer advice, guidance and 3D CAD drawings showing how best to install the system. Depending on your production layout and throughput speeds, it may well be possible to install one robotic palletising system to palletise product off two or more production lines.

 

Calculating ROI on Investment

Typically the payback time for an automated palletising system is very quick as not only do you remove the manual labour element and associated costs, but production can also continue to run throughout break times; thereby enabling you to improve your production speed and throughput capacity. A free robotics and automation resource pack is available for download at www.granta-automation.co.uk/freepack. This pack includes an automation project payback calculator to help you determine your predicted return on investment based on production rates, shift times, HR costs, downtime, etc. Intangible benefits are also something to consider when working out your predicted return on investment as they can have a significant effect on the payback time of your project. An intangible benefits calculator is also included in this pack.

 

In Conclusion

As you can see, when chosen wisely, an automated palletising system will not only provide the immediate benefits of increased reliability and throughput, but will also service your future requirements. With changing market demands and the ever quickening pace of technology, it is important to ensure that the equipment you choose to invest in is flexible and adaptable enough to cope with these changes without the need for further significant investment.

One of the most adaptable and flexible palletising systems on the market is the Granta GA15 palletising system. It is fast and easy to program without the need for specialist programming skills. The easy programming software also includes automatic stack generation for an infinite variety of products, pallets and stack configurations. Having input the bag or box size you are palletising the optimum stack pattern is shown along with a variety of other stack patterns. All you have to do is simply select the stack pattern you require using the touch screen.

As the Granta GA15 palletising system is a modular system, it can also be simply and quickly reconfigured should your production requirements change. The modularity of the system also results in short lead times and a quick install time.

In summary, here is a quick checklist to use before purchasing an automated palletising system:

  • Can the system meet current and future throughput capacity requirements
  • Will the system stack my product neatly
  • Are staff able to program the system for different bag sizes/stack patterns
  • Can the system be moved/re-sited and reconfigured easily
  • Has a trial been run on the system
  • Can the system be effectively integrated with our current production process
  • Has the predicted ROI of the system been calculated including the hidden wins

If you would like to discuss this guide in more detail, or would like further information on the Granta GA15 Palletising system, then please do get in touch on 01223 499488 or helpline@granta-automation.co.uk.

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Robotic Palletising Guide

Posted on August 18, 2020 by Granta

With a lot of the industry moving towards bigger and better kit, have you considered automating your palletising process? Palletisers are now simpler, more flexible and better value than ever before; with some systems such as the Granta GA15 series so easy to program that anyone who can use a computer is able to program it.

There are many different automated palletising options available on the market, so we have put together a few key points that you should consider before investing in an automated palletising solution.

Ease Of Use
How easy is the palletising system to use? Can it quickly be reprogrammed to palletise different bag or box sizes? Can your staff re-program it themselves? Be sure the system has easy programming software as this enables your staff to re-program the palletiser quickly and easily, saving the cost of having to call out an expensive robot programmer to reprogram it for you.

Easy To Move/Re-site
Ensure that the system can be easily moved. As your systems evolve over time, the last thing you want is to end up with a palletiser stuck in the wrong corner! There are palletising systems available that are modular, which can be quickly and easily re-situated should the need arise. The modularity of these systems also allows you to adapt the palletising process to suit your needs over time by adding further processes, such as pallet shrink wrapping, slipsheets, automated pallet feeding etc., at a later date should you require it. 

Try Before You Buy
For your own peace of mind, make sure you have tried your product on a palletiser before you purchase it. Whilst palletising is a straightforward process, there are many factors that affect how neatly your products stack, and a trial is the best way to establish the best method. There are automation companies that will offer a free trial of your product on their palletiser before you purchase.

ROI on Investment
Typically the payback time for an automated palletiser is very quick as not only do you remove the manual labour element, but production can also continue to run throughout break times, thereby enabling you to improve your production speed.

If you would like to discuss this guide in more detail, or would like further information on the Granta GA15 Palletising system, then please do get in touch on 01223 499488 or helpline@granta-automation.co.uk.

Contact us for help with your project

Find out more…

 

Watch videos…

 

Palletiser application examples…


 

Posted in Auto Palletiser, GA15 Palletiser, Palletiser, Palletising, Robotic Palletising | Tagged , | Comments Off on Robotic Palletising Guide