Plant automation is now an established reality. Its implementation leads to real and quantifiable advantages in various sectors, obviously including those of paper, Tissue paper and nonwoven, and this is what we will discover thanks to this series of contents dedicated to the automatic packaging of your reels.
Let's just think of a few decades ago: the storage system of most companies was functional to an analogue working method and, in the warehouse, there was very little besides the shelves full of goods and the forklifts that made their frantic runs. Even the products were often simpler in their construction and were produced in smaller quantities, given that the industry was still far from the technological transformation we are experiencing.
Today, in any sector, there is no company that does not have to integrate warehouse data with an ERP, efficiently organize storage and shipping, manage labeling and the delicate phases of packaging, palletizing and transport, operations which must be performed without damaging the product.
It is precisely in this technological context that automated packaging comes into play: a revolution that concerns the end line of the production and which, think about it, is difficult to postpone. Why create slowdowns, inaccuracies and human mistakes at the very end of a supply chain that is already fully automated? Automated packaging is the completion of a process that has already been running for some time in our production lines and closes the circle as regards the achievement of maximum efficiency.
Those involved in production usually already know that costs of this system are easily amortized in a few years but, if there were still any doubts, we will now understand how automation can simplify and optimize the entire supply chain.
It is now well known in companies: automatic packaging saves time and money. This saving is easily demonstrable and quantifiable if we try to imagine the different phases of the packaging process managed manually by an often considerable number of operators, in case of particular needs of some production lines. We just need to retrace the path of a reel coming off the production line to realize the intrinsic complexity of all the operations and maneuvers necessary to pack and palletize it. So let's analyze the "journey" of a finished product reel.
Once produced, the reels can be shipped immediately or stored. In both cases, it is necessary to proceed with the phases of labeling, stacking, wrapping and, possibly, final protection of the package. At this point, we continue with the movement of the wrapped reel for the necessary palletizing phase, followed by weighing and the application of another label. Subsequently, it is necessary to compile and integrate all the data of the reel and proceed with the shipment or storage.
Anyone familiar with production and company organization realizes how many steps are required which, in total, can require a considerable number of operators. Imagine, therefore, how an automated packaging system can reduce the number of working hours in these operations, significantly reducing the number of operators to the point of almost reducing it to zero.
The staff can therefore be employed in more qualified tasks or to carry out those many fine-tuning activities that are always postponed. Furthermore, thanks to a correct sizing of the packaging system based on the performance and specifications of the upstream production line, we can say goodbye to production bottlenecks. From the production line to the complete reel to be stored or sent to the customer, the whole process will be integrated for the benefit of an enormous amount of time saved, without any more delays nor fruitless accumulations.
In summary, the advantages of an automatic packaging system, in terms of optimization, are:
And these are only the advantages that an automated packaging system brings in terms of time and costs. Let's now look at the advantages regarding product quality.
A finished reel has passed several quality controls and is the result of careful production, refined over years or even decades of experience. The packaging has precisely the purpose of preserving the quality and the integrity of the reels both during fast movements with forklifts - AGV and not - and during long journeys by train or truck. But, in a process that is automated only up to the reel doffing, paradoxically, the packaging remains the only operation that could damage the reel! A contradiction that we find every day even in well-structured realities.
We are sure that the manual organization of packaging has found its balance and noteworthy efficiency in most companies, but the point here is another: we must always aim for maximum process efficiency and the best possible quality of the final product. Automated packaging is the best solution able to ensure that your reel reaches the end customer as it left the production line.
This is because no operator comes into contact with the coils and human mistakes are zeroed. In this way, it is possible to avoid errors that would lead to the reopening of the packages, with the risk of damaging the product, or to a dispute on the entire supply by the customer.
Think also of the reels of sterile products and/or intended for the medical or hygiene industry. In this case the risk of human contamination must not exist: the reel is wrapped, labeled and placed on the pallet without any operator coming into contact with it.
The labeling of a reel is a complex procedure. Each company has its own method but integration with an ERP is essential, as is providing a label control system.
The reasons for adopting data integration are various:
Also in this case, the advantages of an automated packaging system that includes reel labeling appear to be considerable. But let's try to understand how this automated labeling process works.
The packaging system is integrated with the wrapping and cutting machines through various ERPs based on Microsoft SQL or Oracle, within which it will be possible to store production orders and all the details relating to individual reels.
This information will be sent to the printer via Ethernet TCP/IP connection and will be imprinted on the label that will be placed on the core, on the external surface or on the bundle of reels.
There is also a label control system which, thanks to the use of cameras positioned along the packaging line, is able to scan the labels and compare their information with those in the database, checking their coincidence.
It is thanks to actions such as these that the high quality of our products can be certified, with a clear return in terms of brand awareness that will ultimately lead to an increase in the number of customers and turnover.
An automated packaging system must have another, important, feature to be fully competitive: it must be customizable. Only a customized solution based on the specific production line can fully satisfy the customer's needs.
A.Celli, thanks to its R-WAY® Packaging System, wants to offer you just that: a modular and flexible solution for the management of finished product reels that can be adapted to any layout or production line, including small spaces with an irregular layout.
We are able to automate your packaging system by transforming it into an efficient, safe system capable of operating independently, with the sole supervision of an operator. Thanks to a custom-built automatic packaging system, the entire plant will be sized correctly to no longer create production delays: The machinery that produces the reels and the packaging system will be calibrated on the same production volumes, for an optimal result of workload management.
The R-WAY® Packaging System is able to automatically perform all of the following operations (or, depending on the needs, only some of these):
All with the advantages listed above: less use of manpower, no human mistake during operations or risk of contamination, an optimized workflow designed in such a way as to cause minimal or no damage to other equipment, the environment or people in case of failure.
If we think that all this can be easily amortized in a few years, we can realize how automatic packaging is a must have that can bring great innovation to your company.
