KUKA Roboter GmbH (Serbia) - Serbian sugar manufacturer Sunoko uses a robotic solution to improve the cycle time and reliability of the packaging and palletizing operations.

A KUKA robot for high payloads reliably handles the palletizing at the Kovačica site at a rate of one hundred 10/1 kg sugar packages per hour.

The KUKA KR QUANTEC PA palletizing robot ensures capacity for continued growth:
Sunoko wanted to significantly speed up the output of sugar packages in order to be able to increase production volumes in the future as well. The packaged units – each consisting of ten 1 kg packs wrapped in thermoplastic shrink film – are delivered on a roller conveyor system, stacked on Euro pallets and then film-wrapped for transport. Two conveyors transport the 10/1 kg packages into the workspace of the KUKA KR QUANTEC palletizing robot. This robot lifts the packages and stacks them reliably on a Euro pallet. The robot applies a protective film between the individual layers to serve as a slipsheet and as protection against moisture. Pneumatic catchers specially developed by the integrator Multi-tec are employed in this process. In total, each pallet is loaded with 100 sugar packages weighing 10 kg each. The work capacity of the palletizing robot is 960 packages per hour. As a result, the KR 120 R3200 PA robot handles nearly 10 tonnes of sugar every hour – an amount that would be impossible using manpower alone. As soon as the pallets are fully loaded, the robot wraps them in protective film, and the pallets are then ready for onward transportation.

The KR QUANTEC PA palletizing professional improves the speed and quality of the packaging:
The KUKA KR 120 R3200 PA is a palletizing robot from the KR QUANTEC series. This special series was developed with a robust yet streamlined design specifically for palletizing. The industrial robot at Sunoko fully meets expectations in every respect. The high physical strain on employees due to constant bending over and carrying heavy loads at alternately high and low temperatures has been significantly reduced. The employees are now responsible for controlling and monitoring the process. Beyond this, the palletizing process has become considerably more efficient since the speed and quality of the packaging have increased tremendously thanks to the automation.