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In the summer edition of Moba News, we took a closer look at Moba's case packer family: the MR10, MR12 and MR30. Now, we will zoom in on one of the "hidden gems" of our case packers: the Flexgripper. This state-of-the-art technology enables the optimal release of packs, increasing efficiency, flexibility and capacity. And what makes the gripper stand out in today's market is that it can handle both trays and consumer packs!
It is all in the gripper
Eggs are fragile, so it is very important to handle them gently during the entire egg grading process — from the moment the eggs arrive on the loader until they leave the packing station. The packing of filled consumer packs and trays into cases or display pallets is considered to be one of the most physically demanding jobs within the packing station. On top of that, it is a monotonous task that, if not done properly, can cause cracks in the eggshells. That is why in 1998, Moba introduced its first Moba case packer family—the CP30, CP10 and finally the CP12—to handle this job for you. Moba kept on developing its case packer family, and this resulted in the introduction of a brand new family called Moba Robotics. The new series handles packs, trays and cases in the most gentle and efficient way possible.
The wide variety of packaging that needs to be handled determines the flexibility of the robot and the required capacity. That is why the gripper is considered to be the key element. Most case packers on the market have grippers that can handle trays or consumer packs, but not both of them. That is why Moba introduced its patented Flexgripper—used in all Moba MR-case packers—to save eggs and make it possible to handle both trays and consumer packs using the same gripper. It is even capable of handling very narrow cases.
How does the Flexgripper achieve such amazing results? Compared to traditional grippers, the Flexgripper has a more compact gripper base. This makes it possible for the gripper blades to reach further under the packs, and create upward pressure on the packs. This has many advantages, especially for the trays, as it stops the trays from drooping down. This unique feature ensures that the eggs don't come into contact with each other during the picking and placing process (see image below).
Another advantage is that with the Flexgripper it is possible for Moba's case packers to efficiently pack very tight cases or crates at the highest capacity. How? A pusher plate in the gripper head holds the packs down until the grippers are stripped off from the packs so that when the gripper head is retracted from the case, the packs remain in the same way as they are placed.
Many customers need to pack a lot of different products every day, so a quick changeover is extremely important. The Flexgripper makes this possible within minutes! The gripper blades can be easily changed, the new product can be selected and case packing of a new product can continue. The robot's HMI will guide the operator through all of these steps. The reach of the gripper head makes it possible for the Flexgripper to pick up almost every egg pack without having to consider its exact dimensions. That is because the actual size of the pattern that needs to be processed is measured in the number of eggs and the way they are arranged, rather than considering the actual pack size in millimeters. This means that it doesn't matter if it has to pick up rows, patterns or split packs. In other words, the Flexgripper can easily be adapted to the largest variety of packs and trays, increasing the efficiency of your daily operation.
With the Flexgripper your operation will benefit from more flexibility, efficiency and capacity. And we can ensure that this method of handling packs does not affect the quality of the eggs, as the gripper handles the trays and consumer packs in the most gentle way possible!