27 Mar 2014 --- Automating the packing operation of their on-line wine business has enabled one of the UK’s leading supermarket chains to guarantee next day delivery.
The line, installed by end of line automation specialist Endoline Machinery, has been ergonomically designed to meet health and safety standards, assisted the retail giant in meeting their recycling policy while achieving an output of over 16,250 cases per week.
The supermarket chain’s on-line wine business, which services the whole country, is led out of a dedicated warehouse facility. However due to space constraints within this site Endoline designed and built the whole production line on a mezzanine floor.
Endoline installed a single case erector to form the cases – securing the base with a hot melt glue application as the box, when filled, can weigh up to 15kg. From the case erector the formed boxes travel along an elevated conveyor system, fitted to run from the case erector up to, and along the packing operation where 22 manual operators, working on individual packing benches, take down a box and fill it with wine to meet each customer’s specifications. Individual manufacturer’s wine boxes are stored within a cage behind each packing bench. A control system was integrated into the conveyor to accumulate and control the in-feed of the empty boxes to work in tandem with the pace of the manual operators so as each box is removed from the line another is moved along ensuring a constant smooth flow.
A second conveyor system was fitted to run directly below the conveyor feeding the empty boxes to the packers – however this second line was for the filled wine boxes and also the empty manufacturer’s wine boxes. “As the boxes running along the first conveyor were empty and therefore light we built this system on an incline to run at head level for the packers not only meeting the mezzanine’s space constraints but ensuring it was ergonomically friendly to the packers so there was a minimum twist and turn effort. The second conveyor line runs below the first safeguarding the health and safety of the packer as the least amount of lifting is required with the filled, heavier wine boxes.” Explains Endoline’s UK Business Manager, Andrew Yates.
A sensor was integrated on the second conveyor system to identify the filled supermarket’s wine boxes from the empty manufacture’s boxes. “Originally an operator had the repetitive task of manually removing the empty manufacturer’s boxes from the conveyor onto a waiting trailer ready for recycling. To automate this system, thereby redeploying the worker while still meeting the recycling requirement, we worked with Presona UK to install a chute and recycling baler.”
Once the sensor identifies the empty box it is automatically pushed off the conveyor onto a high level spiral conveyor leading to a hole in the wall of the distribution centre which leads to the chute and eventually the baler. Simultaneously the filled wine box continues along the second conveyor to an Endoline case sealer where the formed, filled and sealed boxes are taken to a palletiser ready for distribution.
While the majority of cases running through the production line hold six bottles there is demand for 12 bottle cases – changeover is simple through a HTML pre-programmed interfaces – which requires minimal production downtime.
A representative from the supermarket chain comments: “The installation of Endoline’s equipment has ensured that we can adhere to our next day delivery promise. The system has dramatically improved the overall performance of this operation while increasing our output and removing any unnecessary waste.”
