Loseley first with new Robots

The first two medium speed LJ300M pick & place robot top loaders unveiled at PPMA 2003 will soon be at work in the new Loseley Dairy Ice Cream plant near Cwmbran.

Linked with Bradman Lake’s 2/60 erectors and Compact R closers, they will create two fully automatic, fully integrated cartoning lines in what its owner and MD Tim Wilson calls “Europe’s most efficient ice cream factory.”

Flowrapped products will stream into the two LJ300M systems to be transferred into vertical racetrack conveyors.Erected cartons will be positioned by servo-driven side belts and the Flex-Picker robots will lift 10 Choc Ices and 3 Chocolate or Fruit Maximums at a time and load them at speeds up to 300ppm.Compact R Closers then seal the full cartons.

“Robotic product handling gives fast cycle times and great accuracy with reliability,” says Tim Wilson.“Integrated with carton erection and closing equipment from a single supplier on our doorstep, it offers real benefits.”

With total capacity of 10,000 litres/hr, the 7400m2 Cwmbran plant will produce four times the present output of leading brands, Loseley, Thayers and Yorkshire Dales.