Robotic palletizing
The subject matter of the invention is a palletization device ( 1 ) comprising a freely accessible multiaxial robot ( 3 ) for gripping and moving the products ( 2 ) to be palletized and, at least one station ( 5 ) arranged on the ground, for receiving the pallets ( 4 ) on which the products ( 2 ) are deposited, which device is characterized in that the at least one station ( 5 ) is designed to receive and to position-reference a stack ( 6 ) of pallets ( 4 ) one above the other. A further subject matter of the invention is a corresponding method.
1. A palletization device ( 1 ) comprising:
a multiaxial robot ( 3 ) for gripping and moving the products ( 2 ) to be palletized the robot ( 3 ) being in a freely-accessible work area and,
at least one station ( 5 ) comprising three vertical walls ( 7 ) that form a U-shape and define a reception area arranged on the ground in the work area of the robot ( 3 ), said reception area for receiving the pallets ( 4 ) on which the products ( 2 ) are deposited, the at least one station ( 5 ) comprising a detector ( 8 ) configured to detect the presence of each pallet ( 4 ) in the highest stack ( 6 ) that it may receive,
wherein:
the at least one station ( 5 ) is configured to allow the pallets ( 4 ) to be (i) vertically stacked to a maximum height one above the other beginning at the ground and (ii) position referenced in a horizontal plane for each pallet ( 4 ) in the stack ( 6 ),
the robot being configured to deposit products ( 2 ) on a top pallet ( 4 ) of the vertically stacked pallets, and
the at least one station ( 5 ) further comprises a sensor arrangement to detect the presence of the maximum height of the vertically stacked pallets.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising, beside the at least one station ( 5 ), a zone on the ground that can receive at least one pallet ( 4 ).
3. The device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the at least one station ( 5 ) has vertical walls ( 7 ) for referencing the stack ( 6 ) of pallets ( 4 ) that said station ( 5 ) can receive, extending over a height corresponding to a plurality of pallets ( 4 ).
4. The device as claimed in claim 1 , the device ( 1 ) further comprising two stations one beside the other ( 5 ), the robot ( 3 ) being positioned between them.
5. The device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the at least one station ( 5 ) has vertical walls ( 7 ) for referencing the stack ( 6 ) of pallets ( 4 ) that said station ( 5 ) can receive, extending over a height corresponding to a plurality of pallets ( 4 ).
6. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one station ( 5 ) has vertical walls ( 7 ) for referencing the stack ( 6 ) of pallets ( 4 ) that said station ( 5 ) can receive, extending over a height corresponding to a plurality of pallets ( 4 ).
7. A palletization method using a robot ( 3 ), comprising:
providing an apparatus of claim 1 ,
gripping the products ( 2 ) to be palletized one after the other in a reception zone,
moving the gripped products ( 2 ),
depositing the products ( 2 ) on a top pallet ( 4 ) positioned within a station ( 5 ) arranged on the ground in a freely-accessible work area of the robot ( 3 ), the station ( 5 ) having vertical walls ( 7 ) that define a reception area shaped and sized for a stack ( 6 ) and the vertical walls ( 7 ) are used configured to align the pallets ( 4 ) within the station ( 5 ),
wherein, the top pallet ( 4 ) on which the products ( 2 ) are deposited has at least one other identical pallet ( 4 ) within the station ( 5 ) and
the depositing occurs in a referenced manner in a horizontal plane for each pallet ( 4 ).
8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein depositing in a referenced manner within the station ( 5 ) further comprises a stack ( 6 ) of similar pallets ( 4 ), one above the other, wherein the top pallet is configured to receive the products ( 2 ) deposited by the robot ( 3 ).
9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising removing an upper pallet ( 4 ) from the station ( 5 )-once the upper pallet has received the predefined quantity of products ( 2 ), wherein the upper pallet ( 4 ) is the highest pallet in the stack ( 6 ) or the only pallet in the stack ( 6 ).
10. The method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising removing an upper pallet ( 4 ) from the station ( 5 ) once the upper pallet has received the predefined quantity of products ( 2 ), wherein the upper pallet ( 4 ) is the highest pallet in the stack ( 6 ) or the only pallet in the stack ( 6 ).
11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein during the removal of the full pallet ( 4 ), the robot ( 3 ) deposits the products ( 2 ) on another pallet ( 4 ) within another station ( 5 ).
12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the pallets ( 4 ) in the stack ( 6 ) of one and the same station ( 5 ) are successively filled and then removed, and then, after removal of the last pallet ( 4 ), which is the lowest pallet, the pallets ( 4 ) of the stack ( 6 ) of another station ( 5 ) are successively filled and then removed.
13. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the pallets ( 4 ) in the stack ( 6 ) of one and the same station ( 5 ) are successively filled and then removed, and then, after removal of the last pallet ( 4 ), which is the lowest pallet, the pallets ( 4 ) of the stack ( 6 ) of another station ( 5 ) are successively filled and then removed.
14. The method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising detecting the height of the new pallet ( 4 ) on which the products ( 2 ) are to be deposited.
15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the height of the new pallet ( 4 ) is detected by the appearance of a vertical resistance when a product ( 2 ) is deposited.