Flexibility through modular design

MiniTec's competence as a solution provider for machines and plants regularly leads to requests for special machines such as a filling plant for liquids. For a customer offering an innovative product with two different liquids in a single, completely newly developed plastic container, a fully automatic filling line was realized. Like all MiniTec solutions, this line is modular in design. This means that individual stations can also be operated separately. The filling line consists of a double belt conveyor with receiving cams for two different container sizes. This conveyor connects the various work stations (seven in total). After manual feeding of the containers, the first liquid is filled at the first filling station. The dosing is time-controlled. A lid is then taken from a belt bunker by means of a pick-and-place unit. A camera system with orientation recognition ensures the correct position of the screw cap.

Fully automatic filling

After the cap has been applied by a rotary module, four containers at a time are taken over by a collaborating robot and brought into position for filling the second liquid. If an obstacle appears, the control system stops the process automatically. The advantage of this is that the system does not require a protective enclosure. The steps are then repeated in the next station. Finally, the finished containers are transferred to a tray.

Simple operation

The entire plant is controlled by a Siemens S7 PLC. All operating functions are visualized on a mobile touch panel. This makes the plant easy and intuitive to operate. 35 containers with two different liquids are processed per minute. "The filling line once again documents our technical expertise when it comes to special requirements," says MiniTec project manager Reiner Krück. "In this way, we support our customers in putting innovative product ideas into practice. In doing so, it is always our aim not only to meet their basic expectations, but also to implement solutions that offer them an optimum in terms of efficiency, flexibility and ease of operation."