The manufacturer had the following requirements for the stocking and packing system:
• High capacity – up to 40 carton boxes per minute
• High accuracy to reduce give-away (stainless steel prices are very high)
• Capable of running screws up to 10mm to 160mm length
• Capable of orienting stainless steel (non magnetic) screws into boxes
• Automatic changeover when change of product and/or carton box size
• Extensive data integration with automatic storage system
Challenge: Orientation of stainless steel fasteners
Normally orientated filling of fasteners is done by using an electromagnetic field. However, stainless steel does not react to electromagnetism. Therefore the orientation process must be mechanical. There are no standard systems on the market for mechanical orientation – therefore BILWINCO has developed a new filling system for this application where orientation of the screws start when they arrive on the multihead weigher and ends when they are placed in the box.
BILWINCO supplied a full packing line including
• Automatic carton erector – hot melt gluing for normal boxes and US boxes
• Infeed system with lift and tip system taking containers directly from customer storage system
• 1 multihead weigher for high accuracy and high capacity for small products (no orientation)
• 1 multihead weigher for high accuracy and oriented filling of long products
• Carton closer hot melt gluing for small boxes.
• Carton closer with tape for US boxes.
• 3 printers and label applicators for 3 different label types – one for each label type. No changeover is needed.
• Automatic palletiser with transfer of full pallets to customer storage system.
• Automated changeover process to reduce stop time for change of product/packaging.
• PC control of line with extensive data integration and transfer with customer ERP system.

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Illustration
1. Infeed lift and tip system and 1000 kg hopper
2. Weigher for small products – High speed double filling station - loose filling
3. Weigher for long products – single filling station – oriented filling (non magnetic)
4. Automatic carton erector – hot melt glue.
5. Product detector – check for correct filling of boxes.
6. Carton closer for small boxes – hot melt glue.
7. Carton closer for US cartons – adhesive tape.
8. Labelling station with 3 printers
9. Palletiser
10. Pc control station with central surveillance of line.
11. Reject position for wrong weights and emptying of system