Benefits of gantry robots in Packaging Machinery
Problem
Sometimes, a Delta 3 robot needs to make sense from a cost and efficiency perspective for specific projects. Delta 3 robots certainly have value when collating or loading at high-production speeds. However, a gantry robot is often the better solution for lower-speed applications. Gantry robots can handle heavier payloads and are flexible to manage a wide range of product applications. A gantry robot is also less expensive than Delta 3 robots, which further adds to their justification. Furthermore, they can be utilized for picking and placing and other areas of automation such as case erecting, product collation, and case/carton loading.
Gantry Robot Benefits
Gantry robots integrated into packaging systems, such as cartoners and case packers, offer various benefits. They have great flexibility and are usually manufactured and supported by the packaging machinery OEM. This flexibility eliminates the need to go through a third-party robotics supplier, and end users can go direct to the cartoner and case packer OEM for trouble-shooting and support. Furthermore, the gantry robot operator interface can directly integrate with the OEM machines’ HMI, making troubleshooting and setup much more efficient. Other benefits are below.
- Cost-effective solution for collating stick-packs, bars, and pouches at high speeds
- It can typically accept higher payloads than a Delta 3 robot. This feature is undoubtedly advantageous when end-loading products into cartons or cases
- It can be integrated into various end-of-line packaging solutions such as tray former, case packing, cartoning, and palletizing
- When produced by the OEM, gantry robot technology consolidates service and spare parts from one source
- They are designed for longer strokes than a Delta 3 robot, which is helpful for customized machinery
Cartoner using a gantry robot
Case Packer using a gantry robot
Palletizer using a gantry robot
Gantry Robot Drawbacks
The primary deficiency of a gantry robot is speed and degrees of freedom. A Delta robot is the best approach when you need to reach a cycle speed greater than 25 cycles per minute. A Delta 3 robot can comfortably complete over 25 cycles per minute, making it ideal for high-speed applications. Furthermore, with pick-and-place applications, the product must be controlled via buckets, funnels, or deposit stations when using gantry robots. Delta 3 robots do not have this limitation as they are utilized to pick and place random product from an infeed conveyor. The higher degree of freedom of a Delta 3 robot also allows for more product manipulation when integrating with the end user’s unique packaging lines.
Summary
Gantry and Delta 3 robots have many uses in the end-of-line packaging machinery world. The key is determining when to use them on specific applications. Gantry robots are beneficial when you have control of the product and heavier payloads. Delta 3 robots are useful when product manipulation is required, and the line speed is fast. In any event, it is always ideal that the machinery OEM utilizes its robots in their machinery. Relying on third-party manufacturers opens up more communication lines, a lack of consolidation for service and parts, multiple and different HMIs on the machine, and potential miscommunication of expectations. All the robotics integration and support from one OEM typically ensure a smoother packaging machinery project.
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