Coffee Pouch Packaging Automation with Cobot Palletising
Updated: 4 days ago
The solution also features Fibre King’s exclusive Pallet Pattern Building Software resulting in reduced downtime and servicing costs.
Fibre King developed a compact, turnkey packaging automation system for a manufacturer handling a range of stand-up coffee pouches. The integrated solution combines automated tray and hood case packing, partition insertion, conveying and collaborative robot palletising.
Designed around multiple product formats and case configurations, the system enables efficient changeovers while reducing manual handling at the end of the production line.
The Coffee Packaging Challenge:
The manufacturer required an automated end-of-line system capable of packing stand-up coffee pouches into tray and hood cases before palletising the finished cartons.
Because the facility produced several product varieties, the solution needed to accommodate changing pouch formats, case configurations and pallet patterns. Available floor space was also limited, making a compact and carefully integrated layout essential.
The key project requirements included:
Automated collation and case packing of coffee pouches
Partition insertion between rows of products
Tray and hood case forming, sealing and inversion
Flexible handling of different products and case configurations
Automated palletising within a restricted footprint
Efficient changeovers between production runs
Safe access for operators and pallet movement
Integration of all equipment into one coordinated system
Fibre King’s Integrated End-of-Line Solution:
Fibre King designed and delivered a complete system incorporating:
A customised tray and hood case packer
An automated partition inserter
Infeed, case and pallet conveyors
A FANUC CR-35iA collaborative robot palletiser
Dual pallet stations
Fibre King pallet pattern building software
Safety fencing and light curtains
Project management, installation and line integration
Bringing each process together under one control philosophy created a coordinated packaging line tailored to the manufacturer’s products, workflow and available space.
Automated Tray and Hood Case Packing
At the beginning of the system, coffee pouches are separated using a twin-belt infeed conveyor. The pouches then move into a servo-driven cleated belt, where they are positioned and grouped according to the selected case-packing recipe.
Once the required number of pouches has been collated, a side-push assembly transfers them into the loading area. This process is repeated to create a second row, with a partition placed between the rows when required.
The complete product group and partition are then gripped and transferred into a preformed tray. Automating these movements provides accurate product placement and repeatable pack presentation across each production run.
“The result of this automation process is consistently neat, user-friendly packaging for stockists and consumers”. Says Dale Sinclair, Fibre King’s Project Manager.
Automated Partition Insertion
Partitions are stored in a vertical magazine and indexed to the pick position as required. A vacuum pick assembly removes each partition and places it into a guide slot.
A servo-driven mechanism then positions the partition between the collated rows of coffee pouches before the complete group is loaded into the tray. Integrating this process into the case packer removes a separate manual step and keeps product loading coordinated within the packaging cycle.
Hood Application and Case Inversion
Flat hood blanks are held in a vertical magazine and automatically fed into the system. Hot-melt adhesive is applied before the hood is placed over the filled tray.
The machine folds and seals the hood flaps to complete the case. Once sealed, the finished tray and hood case is discharged onto the outfeed conveyor and rotated 180 degrees so it reaches the palletising area in the correct orientation.
Combining product collation, partition insertion, loading, hood application and case inversion within one system helps minimise equipment transfers and makes efficient use of the available floor space.
Collaborative Robot Palletising
Finished cases travel to the palletising area with their wide face leading. The FANUC CR-35iA cobot uses a vacuum gripper to pick each case and place it according to the selected pallet pattern.
Pallets are positioned at stations on either side of the robot. While the cobot builds a load at one station, an operator can remove a completed pallet and replace it with an empty one at the other. This dual-station arrangement supports efficient pallet changes and helps maintain production flow.
The FANUC CR-35iA was selected for its payload capacity and reach, which made it suitable for the case dimensions, pallet configuration and layout requirements of this application.
Flexible Pallet Pattern Software
Fibre King’s pallet pattern building software allows trained operators to create or modify product specifications and pallet layouts through an intuitive graphical interface.
Using the Allen-Bradley touchscreen, operators can position cases within a pallet pattern and save the configuration as a production recipe. Existing patterns can then be recalled when a product returns to the line.
This functionality gives the manufacturer greater control over routine format changes and reduces the need for external programming support when introducing new product or pallet configurations.
Safety Designed Around the Application
Although the system uses a collaborative robot, the safety design was developed specifically for the operating environment.
The cobot normally operates inside safety fencing at the speed required for production. Light curtains monitor access to the palletising area, while the control system manages the robot’s operating state when an operator enters the designated zone.
This arrangement was selected because the palletising area was close to pedestrian walkways and a forklift access route. It allows operators to exchange pallets at one station while the robot continues working at the second station under the appropriate controlled conditions.
As with any robotic application, the required guarding, sensors and operating modes depend on the completed system design and an application-specific risk assessment.
Project Outcomes
The completed coffee pouch packaging automation system provides the manufacturer with:
Integrated case packing and palletising
Reduced manual handling at the end of the line
Consistent product collation and case presentation
Flexible recipes for multiple product formats
Operator-configurable pallet patterns
Efficient pallet changes through dual pallet stations
A compact layout designed around the available space
One point of responsibility for equipment integration and project delivery
By integrating each stage of the process, Fibre King delivered a practical system that can respond to changing products and production requirements without compromising the facility’s limited footprint.
Planning a Coffee Packaging Automation Project?
Fibre King designs and integrates end-of-line packaging systems for food, beverage and FMCG manufacturers. From case packing and conveying to cobot and robotic palletising, each solution is engineered around the product, required throughput, packaging format and production environment.
Speak with Fibre King’s automation specialists about your products, case configurations, pallet patterns and available floor space.
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