Summary
The challenge
Switch cabinet manufacturer ABB Striebel & John GmbH needed an automated system that would enable flexible and efficient packaging of its wide range of products.
The solution
Eight ABB robots used as part of a fully automatic packaging and palletizing system enable fast, accurate and flexible handling of up to 50 different types of cabinets down to batch sizes of one.
The application
Machine-packing and palletizing 50 different types of switch cabinets- without a scratch, with fully automatic product changeover.
ABB robots are at the heart of a new system that is enabling switch cabinet manufacturer ABB Striebel & John to handle and package its wide variety of over 50 models quickly, efficiently and with minimal risk of injury to its workers.
Based in Sasbach, Germany, ABB Striebel & John GmbH manufactures over 70 different types of switch cabinets, ranging in size from 50 x 30 centimeters up to 140 x 130 centimeters. To help prevent damage during transit, each cabinet needs to be packed in protective cardboard boxes before being placed on a pallet. With a cabinet typically weighing up to 80 kilograms, manually handling and packaging them represents a physically demanding task.
In addition to challenges posed by their bulky shape and high variance, the cabinets also have a powder coating that is susceptible to scratches when handling. To make things trickier, the dimensions of the cabinets often deviate from the standard sizes of the cardboard boxes, posing a potential issue for an automated solution which is less forgiving of quality fluctuations in the cardboard packaging than the manual packaging process.
As an added challenge, a fully automatic changeover between the different variants was required, with the whole process needing to take place in a confined area.
Despite all this complexity, ABB Striebel & John embarked on an ambitious undertaking with ABB to automate the packaging, labeling and palletizing of its entire cabinet portfolio.
Tricky automation task requires expert know-how
An initial challenge was finding the right specialist to handle the project. "Many automation specialists don't like to process large parts or deal with such widely varying product sizes," said Markus Weber, Head of Industrial Engineering at ABB Striebel & John GmbH.
Transnova Ruf, an expert in customer-specific packaging and palletizing systems, accepted the challenge. ABB robots form the heart of numerous systems that Transnova Ruf has implemented for several customers. Around 90 percent of Transnova Ruf's business comes from repeat customers, a testament to the engineering skills of the special plant manufacturer.
Depending on the complexity, Transnova Ruf typically puts a customer system through several concept phases, first with 2D sketches, then using a 3D design. By using ABB‘s RobotStudio® offline programming and simulation software, the company can build a working 3D model of a robotic installation that can be shown to customers during the design stage. The model can be used to simulate the operation of the robot and surrounding equipment. With the customer able to test and adjust the layout in a virtual environment, the time, cost and risk of any errors at the commissioning stage is greatly reduced.
"I want to build the system around the robots, not the other way around," said company founder Dr. Klaus-Peter Ruf, explaining the design principle. "This means we have fewer conventional components and the system is highly accessible."
Robots that program themselves
Installed at the start of 2023, six ABB IRB 6700 robots and two IRB 1200 robots now enable smooth, fully automated packaging, palletizing and labelling of ABB Striebel & John’s cabinets.
The highlight of the system is the parameter-based software which quickly calculates the optimum path for each robot without any additional manual effort. When a cabinet model is fed into the system, the overall system control transfers an article number to the ABB robots. The article data it contains provides the robots with all the information they need for parameterization. The system operator only has to enter the length, width and height of the package and the formation structure and the robot calculates the packing scheme independently. This not only saves time and programming effort, but also gives operators a high degree of independence.
Fully automatic from the cardboard box to the pallet
As the system is arranged in two lines, twice the number of cabinets can be packaged in the same time, with the added ability to process two different types of cabinets simultaneously. The pallets with stacks of cardboard boxes are fed in at two locations. One of the two IRB 6700s removes the top cardboard blank and places it in a centering unit. The blank slides onto two stop edges and centers itself purely by gravity, without actuators. The robot picks up the centered blank again and places it in the folding station in the exact position after applying hot glue.
At the same time, the cabinets travel to the pick-up point via a belt conveyor and are centered. The second IRB 6700 picks up the cabinet from the conveyor and places it on the prepared cardboard blank. The cardboard is then folded around the cabinet and pressed to complete the "base" of the packaging. Meanwhile, the first robot picks up a second cardboard blank. This is centered, glued and folded 180 degrees around the cabinet to form the "lid" of the packaging.
The pre-packed switch cabinet is then transported to the strapping machine. A small, agile IRB 1200 applies two labels to each switch cabinet cardboard box at the labeling station, positioning them according to the dimensions of the cabinet. The palletizing robot places the packaged cabinet on the pallet, with different palletizing configurations possible depending on the dimensions, including lengthwise, crosswise, placed opposite each other, with the rear wall facing inwards, rear wall facing outwards, so that they remain stable depending on the center of gravity of the package.
Once loaded, the full pallet is transported towards the exit, where it is then strapped and finally labeled. The distribution trolley then picks up the next load of empty pallets.
Manual operation made automatically safer
A major benefit of the system has been the minimized risk of injury to employees. The system eliminates many ergonomically unfavorable work steps for employees, such as palletizing, securing pallets or placing them on the elevator. The line also converts itself fully automatically. The operator only selects the feed chute manually as this process cannot be automated for safety reasons.
"From assembly onwards, no human employee has to touch the cabinet until it goes into the picking area," said Markus Weber, summarizing the degree of automation of the system.
More flexibility and higher quality thanks to automation
In addition to full automation, the system offers the key advantages of increased flexibility and reduced complexity. Previously, Striebel & John used 53 sizes of cardboard boxes and two different types of polystyrene corners to pack the cabinets. With the automated system, the variety has been reduced to 35 different cardboard box sizes, with no need for the polystyrene elements. This is made possible by the dexterity of the system which allows the same sized lids and bases to be used with the base now simply being folded around the cabinet. Eliminating the polystyrene corners has helped to improve sustainability and solve the problem of the cabinets being damaged during loading due to the cardboard boxes protruding slightly on Europallet type pallets.
"Up to 50 different types of cabinets can be handled fully automatically with the new packaging and palletizing system. It enables us to increase productivity by 25 percent and offers a high degree of flexibility and consistent quality. Automation will certainly continue to play a mayor role in our production in the future,'' concluded Weber.
Greater flexibility with reduced complexity: The automated system has reduced the variety of cardboard sizes for packing the cabinets fom 53 to 35. 
Thanks to the parameter-based Software, the optimum path is calculated for each ABB robot instead of having to program it manually. This saves time and programming effort and gives the operator a high degree of independence. 
The palletizing robot places the packaged cabinet on the pallet. As with switch cabinet Tetris, different combinations are possible here depending on the dimensions, so that they remain stable depending on the center of gravity of the "package". 
Greater flexibility with reduced complexity: The automated system has reduced the variety of cardboard sizes for packing the cabinets fom 53 to 35. 
The pallets with stacks of cardboard boxes are fed in at two stations. An IRB 6700 from ABB sucks in the top cardboard blank and places it in a centering unit. There it centers itself, purely by gravity, without actuators. 
The ABB IRB 1200 robot knows exactly where to place the labels based on the dimensions of the cabinet. 
ABB's RobotStudio® simulation and offline programming Software enables the creation of a digital twin of the robot system. This allows adjustments to be made as early as the planning phase, avoiding the time and cost of physical testing and commissioning.
Transnova-RUF develops, builds and supplies packaging, palletizing and handling systems with around 350 employees. Around 80 systems are supplied to the pharmaceutical, food, personal care and non-food industries every year. The solutions have been robot-based for 30 years and are commissioned by the largest manufacturers of well-known brands worldwide. "We are supplied around the world by these customers," assures the company's founder, Dr. Klaus-Peter Ruf. www.transnova-ruf.de
ABB Robotics & Discrete Automation is a pioneer not only in Robotics and Machine Automation but also in Digital Services, providing innovative solutions for a wide range of industries from automotive to electronics and logistics. As one of the world's leading suppliers of robots and machine automation, we have delivered more than 500,000 robotic solutions. We help our customers of all sizes to increase their productivity and flexibility, simplify processes and improve product quality. Moreover, we support them on their way to the networked and collaborative factory of the future. ABB Robotics & Production Automation employs more than 11,000 people at over 100 locations in more than 53 countries. www.abb.de/robotics
