The task sounds trivial, but the implementation was not: The customer wanted a system that transports small metal parts from a press via a conveyor belt and fills them into transport boxes at the end.

The fact that the whole thing required a bit of brainpower was due to the general conditions. The transport and filling process was to be automated as far as possible. The specifications also stipulated that the entire conveyor system should be mobile. The result, which MiniTec finally presented, caused enthusiasm among the customers and satisfied them completely.

The conveyor belts are designed on rollers and can be moved away accordingly for setup and then moved back to their place of work. At the beginning, a conveyor belt is pushed into the press. When the parts come out of it, they are directly separated into two batches. This separation continues until the end of the transport line, where the parts are then filled into two different boxes.

The reason for this is that if it is discovered that products were faulty, it is not necessary to immediately check or sort out the entire quantity, but only the half to which the faulty part belongs. Since the parts are often slightly oily, an oil collection tray was installed underneath the conveyor.

The boxes at the end of the conveyor are pushed into the system on floor rollers. Up to three boxes can be stacked on top of each other on a transport trolley. After entering the system, the trolleys are automatically raised by a lifting device to the loading level (controlled by light barrier). Guide rails can be used to set whether the trolleys are to be fed into the system lengthwise or crosswise.

The filling of the boxes is also controlled by (frame) light barrier. This is used to count the parts in order to always ensure the exact quantity required. To ensure that filling also takes place evenly and to minimize the formation of a cone, the boxes are automatically and continuously swiveled to the left and right during the filling process. When a box is full, the parts are temporarily stowed until the container change is complete. A sensor ensures that not too many parts are accumulated. If this is the case, the press is stopped automatically.

The system can be controlled via keys and screen from two sides - depending on where the operator is at the time.

MiniTec project manager Peter Müller: "With this system, we are once again demonstrating our philosophy of 'The Art of Simplicity'. Even with complex requirements, MiniTec implements solutions that prove to be simple from our customers' point of view. Because they simply work and correspond exactly to their wishes without them having to worry about too many details."