ABB FlexPicker and VARO pack more than 350,000 cans of mackerel every day
The stream of canned mackerel seems endless when visiting Sæby Fiskeindustri, located south of Frederikshavn. In the large packaging hall, the cans move rapidly side by side along the conveyor lines until, one by one, they are picked up with a movement so fast that the eye can barely follow it.– opsnappes af en ABB FlexPicker og anbringes i displaykartoner. Pakkeanlægget kører så hurtigt, at de fem Flexpicker robotter i pakkelinjen kan håndtere op til 400 dåser i minuttet – og det samme kan pakkelinjen ved siden af. I løbet af en dag bliver det til et pænt stykke over 350.000 dåser eller i omegnen af 100 millioner om året.
Flexible solution
VARO, based in Hornslet near Aarhus, developed, manufactured, and supplied the two fully automated packaging lines for Sæby Fiskeindustri. The most recent system was commissioned in the spring of 2018.
“Our pick-and-place packaging systems with ABB FlexPicker robots perform complex sorting and packaging tasks. The system can handle rapid changes between packaging formats, packing patterns, and palletizing patterns. It can also work with various types of trays and cartons, including environmentally friendly glue-free and tape-free packaging solutions, which are increasingly requested by supermarket chains,” says Julia Geier Nielsen, Marketing Coordinator at VARO.
Attention to detail
At Sæby Fiskeindustri, the packaging line is equipped with an X-ray inspection unit that detects metal and other foreign objects before the cans proceed to date coding and a vision inspection system. Here, every can is checked for deviations such as artwork and print quality issues before continuing to the packaging unit.
A tray erector continuously supplies cartons to the ABB FlexPicker robots, ensuring uninterrupted operation. The packaging has been optimized for the system and developed in collaboration with the packaging company DS Smith and Sæby Fiskeindustri. It is shelf-ready and retail-ready, minimizing handling throughout the supply chain.
Finally, a glue-free top cover is folded around the completed package, after which a robot places the display carton onto a transport pallet. Once the pallet is full, it is transferred for stretch wrapping and moved to an intermediate storage area.
“The cans are held in an incubation warehouse for seven days to ensure that sterilization has been carried out correctly,” explains Kent Christiansen, Technical Manager at Sæby Fiskeindustri and responsible for the packaging line.
“With packaging robots in our packing department, we have increased efficiency and eliminated repetitive manual tasks that can lead to physical strain. Our employees are very pleased with this, and instead they can focus on other responsibilities, including supporting the robots and replenishing cartons at the packaging stations,” says Kent Christiansen with a smile.
Quick to respond
Speaking of service, Kent Christiansen highlights VARO’s flexibility:
“They respond immediately and are quick to assist whenever technical support is needed or when parameters need fine-tuning or adjustment. They have a strong understanding of and respect for the fact that our production must run smoothly and continuously. As a result, the systems are continuously optimized and almost tuned to perform beyond expectations.
This is also necessary, as we are seeing growing demand for private label products while at the same time needing to be highly adaptable in our production. Quite literally, we must be ready to change quickly – and with the new systems, we are.”