WOLFBERGER Chooses ACMI Technology

29 June 2016 --- In Colmar, at the headquarters of the cooperative Wolfberger, ACMI installed an end of line with a multiliner function which serves two wine and sparkling wine bottling lines of 6,000 and 12,000 bottles per hour. The end of line revolves around the Condor robot and the Twisterbox® layer formation system. In the case of Wolfberger the Twisterbox is equipped with a double infeed and with two grippers.

The main feature of this installation is represented by the capacity of the Twisterbox system to handle simultaneously the layer formation of two different products: at the two infeeds there are two different formats of cartons that the Twisterbox works alternately so as to transfer to the Condor robot one complete and homogeneous layer at a time. The product selection is automatic and depends on the availability of the line: therefore, the multiliner Twisterbox can alternate the layer formation or focus more on one product in the case where the line of the other product, for example, temporarily presents a lower level of productivity.

Grippers

Both Twisterbox grippers can move crosswise and lengthwise as well as of course the vertical movement and the rotational movement of the packs. All movements take place on linear guides and are operated by brushless motors. The high precision and delicacy in handling the product are the two main elements that convinced the famous Alsatian winery to entrust the packaging of its products to the ACMI layer formation system. The Twisterbox, in fact, ensures the integrity of the product without the use of separators inside the cartons. On the Colmar line, the end of line installed by ACMI can handle cartons of six and twelve bottles, also horizontally. The format of the bottles ranges from 0.375 to the 1.5 L. “magnum”.

Condor Robot

The layers of product prepared by the Twisterbox are transferred to the openable platform of the Condor robot. All the movements and passages between one conveyor and the other are “active”, i.e., the product is never pushed by bars or mechanical pushers. This detail was introduced in order to preserve the integrity of sensitive products. The Condor robot forms the pallets according to the type of product that comes from the Twisterbox. In principle, the pallets are worked alternately, but everything depends on the availability of the product on the line and on the number of layers programmed. In fact, the two pallets can also be configured with a different number of layers.