Somic debuts tray erect/load/lid system

At 450 cpm, the 'race track' collator's motion is barely viewable by the human eye. The fully ELAU-automated system mesmerized visitors, along with the intermeshing of pick-and-place arms, folding and forming heads, transport and gluing systems.

Not a single chain in the system

There is not a single chain in a Somic machine. All the major movements are driven by servos. And with some 20 servos, Somic recognized that their speed objectives could not be achieved by a conventional control system.

Therefore, some 9 years ago, they began working with ELAU, which has the capability, unlike PLC-based systems, to provide the flexibility and capability their customers require.

The system begins with a 60 cpm tray erector, and moves to a 450-cpm collator, this example running aluminum pet food cups. The ELAU system enables these high speeds. And the collator is completely exchangeable, servos included.

Finally, the trays are covered with lids at approximately 40 cpm.

Somic machines are used throughout the snack food, food, beverage, dairy and pet food industries. Their ability to produce a shipper that doubles as a merchandiser is just what CPGs and retailers are looking for in terms of sustainability and marketing. The lidded display trays assure a clean POS display with no manual cutting.