Proco Machinery’s Collaborative Robots Revolutionize Blow Molding Automation

At NPE2018, Proco Machinery Inc., a leader in blow‑molding automation, showcased its cutting‑edge collaborative robot systems that cut automation costs by 50% compared to traditional setups.

Key solutions include the Half‑Cube Palletizer and the Robo Packer Case Packer, both powered by six‑axis Universal Robots cobots. Universal Robots, a trusted name in collaborative robotics, is also exhibiting at the show.

Proco’s continuous bottle packaging lines now employ five UR cobots with dedicated tooling: layer‑pack for wide‑mouth containers and single‑row for 16‑oz PET bottles.

Half‑Cube Palletizer

The palletizer combines a robotic arm, infeed conveyor, pallet‑lift magazine, and slip‑sheet/track pick‑and‑place magazine on a single sub‑frame equipped with leveling pads and casters. Manual intervention is limited to placing trays in the magazine; an audible alarm alerts operators when a pallet is ready, after which a new pallet is inserted.

Robo Packer Case Packer

This system works seamlessly alongside human workers, requiring no special guarding and minimal training for new tasks. It features a cobot arm, infeed conveyor, and box conveyor mounted on a shared sub‑frame with leveling pads and casters.

In a real‑world deployment, the Robo Packer handled wide‑mouth canisters at 30 bottles per minute on two parallel lines. The customer reduced labor from three to one operator per shift per line, achieving a return on investment in roughly 15 months.

Proco’s collaborative robot solutions deliver significant cost savings, enhanced safety, and rapid ROI, making them an attractive choice for manufacturers seeking efficient blow‑molding automation.

Universal Robots