Robotic Partition Inserter

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Robotic Partition Inserter

Pearson’s Robotic Partition Inserters (RPIs) pick and place chipboard or corrugated partitions into empty or full cases to separate delicate items such as glass or cans at rates up to 55ppm. By utilizing robotics, Pearson’s partition inserters are built for reliability and heavy usage in a small footprint. The robot(s)' articulated motion peels blanks off of the magazine effectively minimizing miss-picks while the angling of the partition during the insertion avoids snagging on cases. Vision and line tracking enable the robot(s) to know exact case locations to place the partitions while the cases continue to move through the system on continuous motion conveyors.

Use Robotic Partition Inserters to Ensure Product Integrity

Compared to traditional mechanical partition inserters, Pearson robotic solutions improve several key areas including reliability and throughput, output quality, maintenance requirements and costs and line flexibility. For many years, conventional gantry-style partition inserters have served as a functional solution, but not without shortcomings. If a gantry-style inserter doesn't align the cases under the insertion area perfectly, it can damage them. The single-axis gantry motion increases the likelihood of jams, strip failure and improperly erected partitions. Further, the abrupt stop/start motion of traditional conveying increases the likelihood of damage to cases and any prepacked products within them. Maintenance requirements are much higher due to the large number of mechanical parts that wear over time and damage products or cases. And lastly, changeovers of a mechanical gantry-style partition inserter are time consuming requiring modifications to the magazine, vacuum cups, indexing mechanism and the ram itself.

A Robotic Partition Inserter from Pearson will dramatically improve your line's efficiency with reliable partition insertions using a six-axis movement instead of linear motions and allowing for continuous case motion.

Pearson Partition Inserter Applications

RPIs from Pearson eliminate the dropping motion involved in gantry-style partition inserters, making them suitable for easily damaged products such as:

  • Glass packaging
  • Upright jars
  • Bottled beverages
  • PET containers
  • Labeled products

The Advantages of RPI Machines From Pearson

The benefits of Pearson RPIs for your application include:

  • Application specific customization: Applications differ from customer to customer. To meet your specific requirements, we can easily customize the end-of-arm tool (EoAT). 
  • Six-axis movement range: RPIs utilize a six-axis movement range to “peel” partitions off the magazine and maneuver it into the case reducing miss-picks, jams and improper partition placement.
  • Flexible function: Due to the inherent flexibility of robotic functions, RPIs can adapt to your manufacturing requirements by accommodating multiple product and partition types and insertion speeds.
  • Fast changeover: The typical changeover on a Pearson RPI takes under 10 minutes from beginning to end. Each system features step-by-step instructions with visual aids and numbered changeover points on the system.
  • Intuitive human-machine interface (HMI): Operators of a Pearson RPI are supported by the industry’s most advanced, user-centric HMI with a 10-inch graphical screen, intuitive navigation, interactive changeover and fault-recovery guides and live sensor maps. 
  • High reliability: Robots, the core of Pearson RPIs have a typical Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) rate of 100,000 hours of ongoing operation. Combined with their fewer mechanical components than gantry-style inserters, robotic partition inserters minimize downtime and maintenance costs.
  • Increased throughput: Robotic partition inserters can be programmed for continuous case motion. By eliminating the need to stop and start the conveyor, the risk of product damage is minimized and throughput is maximized.
  • Improved return on investment: The above features effectively reduce Total Cost of Ownership compared to gantry-style partition inserters. With our robotic solution, expect improved product integrity, lower maintenance expenses and reduced production downtime. Read our RPI case study.

Learn More About Our Robotic Partition Inserters

Leverage three decades of experience with robotic integration in secondary packaging by requesting more information from our technical team. For specifications and pricing, complete a contact form today or get a quote online.

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