Extending quality inspection to the packaging process
Clark Brown, sales director, Engineered Products Division, Valco Melton gives us the lowdown.
If you’re like many food and beverage manufacturers, you’ve already integrated automation into your production line to reduce costs, increase production and improve efficiency. While these technological advances have allowed manufacturers to meet production requirements, they have also posed new challenges, particularly as it relates to ensuring case integrity during the packaging process.
Labor-intensive activities such as palletizing have now been automated through the use of robotics and gripping systems. Since these grippers typically use suction cups to lift the product from the top, if the cases haven’t been properly sealed, there’s a high risk of them collapsing and product falling out.