Stacking coffee beans at pace
Retrofit for a robotic loading system
Loading coffee sacks is a real challenge: the coffee beans inside shift unpredictably in every direction, and the individual bags follow no fixed order.
And yet, at a renowned coffee processor, a robot has been stacking them with such precision for over 20 years that the filled sacks are placed almost seamlessly into containers for onward transport. A true one-of-a-kind system and ranked among the top ten applications worldwide – as confirmed by the robot manufacturer itself. To ensure long-term functionality and efficiency, it was time to modernise the installation. A job for SCHULZ – after all, both the original concept and its implementation came from us.
As a specialist in green coffee processing (e.g. decaffeination), the company also manages the logistics of these valuable goods for global transport. Production downtime was therefore not an option.
Symbolic image: Coffee sacks in the logistics process – loading is handled by SCHULZ’s modernised robotic system.
“The migration was planned and carried out like open-heart surgery,” reports Norbert Melcher, our Sales Specialist for Industrial Automation. “With meticulous preparation, we prefabricated all components, laid cables and assembled control cabinets in advance so that every second could be used efficiently during the conversion.”
Implementing the upgrade while operations continued required precise execution and excellent teamwork. Our team delivered the complete modernisation – from new robot integration and programming of the control and safety architecture through to control cabinets, cabling and fine-tuning of the motion sequences. Thanks to the close collaboration with the coffee specialists and well-established process workflows, we were able to provide this unique installation with a future-proof upgrade.
With meticulous preparation, we prefabricated all components, laid cables and assembled control cabinets in advance so that every second could be used efficiently during the conversion.
Norbert Melcher, Sales Specialist for Industrial Automation
