Cermex and Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin: An exemplary partnership
Partner of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin since 1994, with approximately 20 machines installed, Cermex delivers the solutions that owe as much to its wide experience in the field, with more than 200 references within large champagne houses, as to the pertinence of its research.
Joint desire to excel
Cermex's lead in terms of robotics, command of speed, ergonomics and automation of format changeovers as well as its ability to produce reliable solutions which protect the products and their packaging contributed significantly to the attribution of this new contract. The result is in an installation that is both unusual and innovative in many respects.
Cermex has developed a high-performance, innovative, cutting-edge end of line, optimizing solutions resulting from its main development strategies.
Eight strong ideas for performance
Eight strong ideas contribute in particular to the overall performance of new line 5:
- The automation of adjustments for quick changeover times
- The integration of atypical robots with maximum use of their functionality for automatic tooling changeover
- Reduction in weight of tooling, optimal user-friendliness of the Human Machine Interface and total access to all the machines for operator ergonomics
- Quality controls installed throughout the line to guarantee total product protection
- Optimized layout and management of the integrated equipment
- The development of innovative solutions for orienting products
- Greater assistance in maintenance as well as access to machine data from the VCP network
- A new innovative and patented system for pre-stacking 2 or 3 complete layers to achieve the maximum speed of 8.5 layers/minute on the palletizer, without increasing the footprint.
Innovation 1: robot integration and command of high speeds
The speed of 8 500 bottles/hour is high in view of the product protection requirements. The challenge is met by combining two robotic systems: the AN110 gantry packer and 2 Fanuc M710 50kg robots.
The AN110 gantry packer, designed and manufactured by Cermex, is capable of operating at high speeds with a payload of 250kg (gripping head + products).
The 2 Fanuc M710-50kg robots integrated into the multi-function WB45.80 case packer, are capable of handling 16 formats at up to 25 cases per minute. The synchronization between the 2 robots is remarkable at such speed.
Gripping head changeover is automatic on the robots and on the gantry packer, via the robots themselves. The totally new movement carried out for the WB robot head changeover reduces the machine footprint while scrupulously complying with safety standards.
Innovation 2: ergonomics and format changeovers
All the machines making up the end of line 5 allow maximum access to all the elements, thanks in particular to the cantilever design of the F272.40 tray erector, the WB45.80 wrap around case packer and the AN110 gantry packer.
Format changeovers and adjustments are activated by simply selecting the new format on each HMI. The specification required that tooling be easy to handle by operators, limiting the weight to 5kg. Over 5kg, tooling manipulation is automated.
Adjustments are all servo-driven and automatic, pre-programmed per format, on all the machines. They are also all fitted with new generation setting motors.
Finally, the end of batch (machine run-out) is programmed on the AN gantry packer and the WB wrap around packer.
The machines on the line, the F272.40 tray erector, the AN110 gantry packer, the multi-function WB45.80 wrap around packer and the P4 palletizer, each have specific features which contribute to guaranteeing an average format changeover time of less than 20 minutes.
Innovation 3: packaging quality control and respect of product integrity
The quality of products and packaging at the outfeed is based on two modalities: specific technical solutions which avoid knocking and rubbing as well as quality control elements on the whole line.
- Heightened quality control of formed trays: detection of non-glued trays at the gluing station and expulsion of non-compliant trays
- Detecting device at the outfeed of the tray erector during merging onto one lane to identify trays that are incorrectly glued
- Link between the AN gantry and the WB case packer: transfer of trays or presentation boxes by a step by step bracket conveyor.
- Bottle infeed/transfer based on the principle of never coming into contact with the bottle labels
- Transfer of presentation boxes in a raised position to avoid scuffing the base where the barcode appears
- Vision system at the labeling zone outfeed, checking the presence and position of product labels on filled cases
- Barcode reader, which checks in particular the presence of a barcode label
- Check-weigher and sorter which validates that the case is complete
- Case turning +/-90° and 180° at the P4 palletizer infeed carried out by a high-performance servo-driven system which functions continuously with no jolting.
The maintenance elements and wear parts are easily accessible by the operator. The pages of the Human Machine Interface (HMI) are adapted to assist maintenance. The machine data (inputs/outputs, motor parameters, axis cards, machine faults, production parameters) are accessible on the network. Remote access is possible via VCP's production follow-up system.
Innovation 5: product orientation
The bottle and box turning device is particularly innovative, with guaranteed performance at the maximum speed.
For example, bottles are turned via a specific vision system. The bottles are positioned onto a mobile stand. A camera placed above the bottle reads the position of the label and rotates the stand until the bottle is correctly oriented. This system is capable of reading 70 different label references. The two cameras (one per lane) are each fitted with a mobile support; this system retracts to enable the loading arm to grip the bottle batch.
Carried along by an original and ambitious vision to make headway in end of line automation, the partnership between Cermex and Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin is exemplary in every respect.
Line description
- Tray Forming
- System for merging 2 lanes into 1
- AN110 numerical axis gantry packer
- WB45.80 wrap around case packer
- Labeler and control area
- Spiral elevator
- P432.20 automatic palletizer by transfer of layers