As we know, Cascades’ factories are found everywhere on the planet and surely one of our companies, known as “fleuron Québécois“. Obviously, their finished products vary from one plant to another but in one of them they manufacture Styrofoam trays that are used, often by giants like McDonald’s and Tim Horton and many others but sold by Cascades.

CHALLENGE:

It is well known that for Cascades, worker safety and working ergonomics are important issues and always taken into consideration. Since Styrofoam products are stackable and bagged in large quantities, workers had to first take possession of these bundles, palletize them and transport them for packaging on a pallet stretch wrapper and then they would be ready to leave for the various means of transport. The heaviness of these bagged bundles obviously entailed an increased risk for workers in this manual manipulation.

So for Solutech, from the space provided, it was a matter of drawing a robotic plan from the bagging line thru the packaging processes. Simple in appearance but not so simple as to the quantity of elements that were necessary to realize this nice project for which the training of workers will begin in a few days. This training will be given at our factory, since at the time of the delivery-installation, a very short period of time will be allowed since the production (despite an additional production to inflate the inventory temporarily) works on 3 shifts and cannot allow down time.

Methodology :

After studying the situation but also issues such as metal detection as we are in the food industry, highly regulated and demanding protection against breakage of equipment that could lead to a loss of metal in the product, we have agreed that the following equipment would be necessary for the total robotization of the operation from the bagging of the products on.

• Multiple conveyors
• Metal detector
• Bundle Label Printers
• Palletising robot with multi-task tool for pallet handling and identification according to different bundle formats
• Several palletizing patterns
• Automatic strechwrapping machine with stabilizer platen
• Pallet label printer

This is a turnkey system that will be fully operational at our factory before shipment to the customer. (Fortunately our new premises with very large surface allow it)

ADVANTAGES :

For the health and safety of the workers this is the pinnacle since the manual palletization of these bundles of styrofoam, from heavy big bags and the reach required were very demanding on the worker’s shoulders. The whole system will therefore be robotized and the workers will become operators.

After the acceptance tests because some speeds are to be respected, the equipment will be functional and let’s just think that the most important season in the Styrofoam products is precisely the one at our doors so the challenge is great but it Is one of the largest project we have done with Cascades since we count them among our customers.

Why Solutech?

We could ask the client, of course, but according to their comments, we are bidding quickly. Our configuration drawings are available in a few days and our service is adapted and custom to their needs. The delivery schedules and the training offered to the operators of our robotic systems are appreciated, in several languages if necessary.

Another beautiful project signed SOLUTECH PACKAGING-

Thank you Cascades