News Release

Automatic palletiser from APEX Automation and Robotics 

APEX Automation and Robotics have just installed and commissioned an Automatic Palletiser for PET bottles that can run at a production rate of more than 5000 bottles/hr.

The Automatic Palletiser included a takeout module that can unload the blow moulding machine and a conveyor for marshalling the bottles before they are collected for palletising. The system can handle different size bottles without the need to adjust the conveyor height.

A pallet lifter raises the pallet to the palletising level and a cardboard layer pad is loaded on the pallet. The bottles are collected one row at a time until a layer is formed then stacked on the top of the layer pad. When a layer is complete, a pallet lifter drops one bottle height for the next sheet to be loaded and then the next layer of bottles is palletised.

This custom-designed pallet lifter drops the finished pallet all the way down to floor level so that it can be handled by a pallet jack without the need of a fork truck in the production area.

The system was controlled by a PLC with a user-friendly HMI (Human Machine Interface) and safeguarding included a set of Cat 4 light curtains for easy access to the pallet for loading and unloading.

Apex Automation and Robotics have developed a wide range of automatic machines to handle various sizes and shapes of plastic bottles, as well as robotic systems for complex packing and palletising configurations.  They are now one of the leading automation suppliers for the plastic industry.