FEATURE MATERIALS HANDLING & CONVEYING
INCREASED OUTPUT SEES Collator System re-ordered
After experiencing a boost to its output of bulk food packing by ten percent, the Co-operative Group (The Co-op) has placed a second order for the new Collator System from Pacepacker Services
T
he first Collator System, which places pre-packed polybags of bulk food
items, such as potatoes, into large outer sacks at a speed of 80 polybags per minute, was integrated into The Co-op’s UK food packing facility just under a year ago. In addition to the ten percent rise in output, the UK’s fifth biggest food retailer also reported an overall improvement in efficiency since the prototype’s installation. Pacepacker’s original Collator System
was designed and built specifically for The Co-op. With over 4,500 stores nationwide, the retailer was seeking a solution to the labour intensive task of packing pre-packed polybags of goods into large outer sacks for ease of delivery. Fraser Tait, operations
manager at the Co-op, commented, “The process of packing pre-packed polybags of products into an outer sack is used as a way to contain and display bulky foods, such as potatoes and other vegetables. However, manually packing these items was both an onerous and cost prohibitive process, and prior to our
discussions with Pacepacker we found existing collator systems on the market were inefficient.”
MANAGING PRODUCT BULK Responding to the retailer’s brief, Pacepacker designed a stand alone
Left: food retailers of all sizes use large sacks as a way to contain and display bulky items
Below: capable of packing up to 80 pre-packed bags per minute, the freestanding Collator machine is designed to overcome previous limitations
system that can be retro-fitted to almost any existing sack placing and sealing equipment. And, as Paul Wilkinson, Pacepacker’s business development manager explained, the Collator specifically addresses drawbacks found in similar systems on the market, “We found that many systems available did not control the fall of the product very well. Due to the weight and density of bulk food items, this often results in pre-packs breaking through the bottom of the outer sack. Our system uses motorised support arms to control the descent of the pre- packed polybags, eliminating damage and waste to both product and pack.” With over a year having passed since introducing the first Collator System onto The Co-op’s food packing facility, Tait concluded, “We are delighted with Pacepacker’s Collator solution. The stand alone, compact build of the system has enabled us to effortlessly integrate it into our existing line and the overall success of the prototype has led us to commission a second system.” While it is a free-standing unit, the Collator System can be combined with Pacepacker’s T Series sack placer and Total Bag Control (TBC) system to provide a turnkey system.
Pacepacker Services
www.pacepacker.com T: 01371 811 544
Enter 202 High speed sorter goes live at global distribution hub B
EUMER Group has installed a dispatch sorter for the global online retailer, ASOS, in their UK-based global distribution hub. The ASOS
hub distributes nearly 50 million garments every year to customers throughout the UK, US, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Australia and over 200 other countries. “'This initial investment in automation ensures that ASOS can improve
the accuracy of the dispatch process and provide significant gains in operational efficiency. It also allows for future capacity expansion in line with our growth expectations,“ explained David Swinbank, senior development manager for ASOS. “The BEUMER Group sorter has enabled us to streamline the sorting process compared to the old operation. The ability to offer a high level of delivery service to our customers is a significant differentiator in the highly competitive online fashion market.” The LS-4000 sorter was designed, manufactured and installed by
BEUMER Group company, Crisplant, and put into operation in October 2013. BEUMER Group’s Brian Jones, UK sales director, explained, “The decision to award this contract to the BEUMER Group and Crisplant was based on the sorter’s ability to offer high levels of flexibility, accuracy and
control combined with a high throughput. Crisplant’s decades of experience in engineering state of the art sorting solutions for warehouses in the international fashion industry was also an important factor.”
BEUMER Group
www.beumergroup.com T: +49 8741 4141 Enter 203
12 MARCH 2014 | AUTOMATION
/AUTOMATION
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72