Case Combiner – Bundle Rotator

We are all aware of smaller size containers being produced. When that happens, there can be many implications throughout the production line. One such a case came to us from a major cereal producer who had downsized the fill but needed to keep the store facing space. Once the cases were filled with cartons, the footprint to height ratio made the case unstable on its own. With a long distance from the case packer to the palletizer, ups, downs and turns caused the cases to tip over and stop the line.

The solution in the customers mind was to combine multiple cases together creating a bundle that could travel in a stable condition. With pallet patterns being different for different SKU's, they asked about combining cases in groups of 2 or 3 and allow pass-through capability for more stable cases. In testing, they discovered they could glue cases together with an adhesive that would hold the cases through transport, be palletized and stretch wrapped. 24 hours later, the adhesive would dissolve, and all the cases would be singles again, ready for distribution.

The Emerald team brainstormed with the customer to develop a methodology that would outpace the capability of the case packer. Unlike typical adhesive that sets in less than a second, we needed about 2.5 seconds of compression for this formula.

The Combiner accepts up to 16 cases per minute, allowing the first case into the compression, moved out of the way to allow a second case to have adhesive applied and combined with the first with dual servo controlled overhead compression plates. A third case is released, glued and combined with the first two. The bundle is released to a rotator section where the bundle is turned 90? either clockwise or counterclockwise.

To ensure that the cases are combined, the group is passed over a speed-up section to see if they separated. If yes, they are stopped and cross-pushed onto a reject spur for operator rework. If not, on to palletizing.

Case Combiner Features		Case Combiner Construction
Accepts Single Cases up to 16 Cases per Minute Groups of 2 or 3 Glued Cases in Sequence Ability to Turn a Single Case in Sequence Allen Bradley Controls		Heavy-duty frame & manufactured parts Powder coating finish UL508 listed Easy-access Lexan guarding OSHA-approved safety design