Why Robotic Top Load Cartoners Reign Supreme to Mechanical End Load Counterparts

Most mechanical end load cartoners eat away precious floorspace and are complex to use and maintain due to the number of parts required. As a result, their lifetime cost can be higher. Robotic top load cartoners are a compact solution that can improve OEE and lower total cost of ownership. The right choice depends on your carton style, product handling, rate, changeover and lifecycle costs — but for many top-load applications, the advantages below are decisive.  

Read on to learn the advantages robotic top load cartoners have over their mechanical end load counterparts.  

To load cartons, mechanical end load cartoners place product onto an article bucket and then push them into the small end of a carton. But from bulky mechanical pusher arms and infeed trays to tucker wheels and plows, these systems are complex. And that complexity means more parts, more to maintain. Over time, the cost of maintaining and replacing these parts can add up quickly.

Robotic top load cartoners, on the other hand, utilize delta robots to directly place products into the large top opening of cartons. This reduces potential product damage and eliminates the need for complex mechanical parts. And, in place of article bucket infeed trays, top load systems use a simple pick conveyor, further simplifying the process.  

When it comes to sealing the carton, by replacing cumbersome mechanical parts such as tucker wheels and plows with robotic closing, you further reduce complexity. Rather than undergoing a complicated mechanical process, the robot — using programmed motion and application-matched tooling — grabs the entire carton, folds all the flaps, and places the sealed carton on the discharge conveyor. All in one smooth motion. 

With fewer parts and a more straightforward loading and closing process, there is less to maintain and replace. As a result, robotic top load cartoners can reduce the total cost of ownership while freeing up floorspace.

When you want to switch the carton size on a mechanical end load cartoner, changeover can be time-consuming. You may need to swap out many article bucket infeed trays, carton lugs and pusher arms, adjust the tucker wheels and plows, and so on. This can all eat away at uptime. 

Robotic top load cartoners reduce downtime spent on changeover. With dynamic carton carriers that adjust to the carton size, these efficient systems eliminate the need for complex mechanical carton lugs. And, by eliminating the need for article bucket infeed trays that require replacement for different applications or carton sizes, changeover is simplified — a quick change of end-of-arm tooling and selecting the new recipe on the HMI, with requirements depending on the formats involved. 

Don’t let mechanical end load cartoners eat away at your profits. Contact us and discuss how JLS^® robotic top load cartoners optimize your production.