Fully automated line with 17 sub-machines and two transmodul sections

Fully automated line
Approved concept of F44 packaging line
Two integrated Transmodul sections
Assembling of individual parts directly in the clamshell
High-quality ultrasound sealing
Integrated labelling and batch numbering

Requirements

The line assembles individual parts straight into the packaging

Assembled, packed and sealed: up to 540 trolli mini burgers per minute: Up to 540 Trolli Mini Burgers per minute are assembled straight into clamshells on this F44 packaging line. The packs are sealed with high-quality ultrasound technology.

Schubert’s packaging line assembles the Trolli Mini Burgers, made from fruit gum and foam sugar, into clamshells, which are then closed with high-quality ultrasound sealing. Thanks to the ultrasound technology, the packaging remains securely sealed until it is effortlessly opened by the consumer.

Solution

17 sub-machines, 18 F4 robots, 30-metre-long Transmodul section

Assembling 1,620 individual Trolli Mini Burger parts in clamshells to Trolli Mini Burgers and the subsequent sealing is a task that the Schubert line manages every minute with its approved F44 packaging line. The line, designed for the customer Trolli, consists of 17 sub-machines comprising 18 F4 robots. There are two Transmodul sections integrated in the packaging line. The first of these – at 30 metres, the longest section that Schubert has ever built – transports the clamshells towards the picking area and then on for sealing. Subsequently, the second section transports the closed clamshells to the sealing process.

The Schubert line supports our growth and gives us freedom to innovate.

Herbert Mederer

Managing Director of Trolli

Technical Details

Sweet cargo, efficiently transported and packed

The first two sub-machines each include one magazine for clamshells. An F3 robot takes 12 clamshells and passes them to an F2 robot, which places them on the size plate of a Transmodul. Each Transmodul holds two rows of 12 clamshells each. The Transmoduls then move together to the picker stations, where the individual parts of the fruit gum burgers are fed on product conveyors.

Scanners detect the position, the orientation as well as the top or bottom of the fruit gums. F4 robots pick up the fruit gums and place them into the clamshells. If the correct side is facing up, the robot places the product straight into a half of the clamshell. If a piece of burger needs to be turned over, the product is taken to a turning device right next to the product conveyor. The unit folds down and the burger piece can be picked. At the end of the packaging line, the fruit gum burgers are completely and correctly assembled. The Transmodul then moves to the closing station.

Ultrasound technology ensures customer-friendly opening

At the closing station, an F2 robot picks up a row of clamshells and places it on the open sealing table. The unit folds down. Another F2 robot picks up the packs and places them onto the size plate of a Transmodul on the second rail section. The tool keeps the clamshell closed. During further transfer, each individual clamshell receives a label that includes the batch number. A camera system checks the labelling.

For sealing, Trolli uses a modern ultrasound unit. The clamshell needs to be reliably leakproof while also being easy to open. The ultrasound sealing process meets both these requirements. An F2 robot takes the clamshells out of the tool and places them into the sealing unit. After the sealing process, a two-axis robot takes the finished clamshells and places them on the discharge conveyor. The finished products are carried through a check weigher and a metal detector.