Reference project for automation of packaging and logistics for semi-hard cheese production line

Reference project for automation of packaging and logistics for semi-hard cheese production line

July 16, 2018

“Green-Field” project for the production and processing of semi-hard cheeses, where for the needs of automation of packaging and logistic part of production we act as a manufacturer, supplier and integrator of both our own and third-party equipment.

The whole line is divided into individual parts, which include:

  • The return of dirty empty cheese crates.
  • Washer for empty cheese crates and pallets, on which these crates are stacked later.
  • Temporary storage of empty washed cheese crates and empty washed pallets.
  • Stacking of cheese loaves (semi-finished products) into washed crates and crates on to the pallet.
  • Weighing, connecting and marking of loaded pallets before shipment.
  • Picking the cheese loaves from the crates and feeding them into the cheese cutter.
  • Inserting packs of sliced ​​cheese (finished product) into washed crates.
  • Outfeed of pallets with semi-products and finished products, reception of pallets with semi-finished products after maturing.
  • Storage of packing material.
  • Internal cheese maturing depot.
  • Transportation of all types of pallets with AGVs between pallet stations in individual zones.
  • Warehouse and material flow management system in and between individual zones (WMS).
  • The whole plant covered by this project can be roughly divided into three related processes:

Washing of dirty crates begins with the entry of dirty crates from the plant and the return of dirty crates from external distribution centres. Crates and pallets are robotically unloaded on to the conveying lines and individually washed in automated washers for crates and pallets. After washing, the crates and pallets are dried and robotically stacked on to the washed pallets. Depalletising dirty and palletising clean crates is performed by robots, which we integrated into automated robotic cells. The sets of washed crates and pallets are then stored in a temporary automated warehouse where they are waiting for a need in the processing process.

The cheese loaves packaging includes the infeed of empty washed crates from a temporary warehouse, which is carried out by AGVs. Empty crates with a larger robot are first unloaded and brought to the point of packaging, where the smaller robot inserts four cheese loaves into each crate. The container is later labelled with a label and led back to a larger robot that now stacks up the full crates on to the pallet again. As the last, the full pallets are transported with AGVs to the place where they are weighed, banded and marked before shipment to an external warehouse, where the cheese matures according to the recipe.

Packaging of finished products of cut cheese. Mature cheese is returned to the plant on pallets and is transported with AGV until entering the cutters. Here we unload the cheese with robots, which proceeds then in to the cutter. Empty dirty crates are automatically stacked back onto the pallet and returned with AGV to the washer. After cutting and packing the cheese into ready-made products, they are returned on to our conveyor belts and stacked with robots into clean crates, that have been transported from the warehouse. We place the full crates on pallets and transport them again to the place where they are weighed, banded and marked before dispatch to the outer distribution centres.