Reducing parcel damage in automated handling systems

Previously, FIMEC released a 3D robotic palletising solution for multiple-size packages – a patented technology that allows for the processing of up to 900 parcels per hour, while improving staff working conditions.

FIMEC’s most recent product, the U-Care Unloader, includes a process for gently tipping pallets, which reduces damage because the parcels are not subjected to any impact during unloading. This system can be used with pallets of all sizes without any additional modification, and can handle up to 120 pallets per hour.

This high processing rate is accompanied by reduced noise levels and the operator can work in safety thanks to the equipment’s well-designed ergonomics. An intuitive interface, which includes a display unit with integrated Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), ensures the solution is easy to use. This equipment can be supplemented with a device known as U-ASSIST, which holds the parcels in place during unwrapping.

The growing e-commerce sector presents a variety of challenges for logistics and parcel-delivery providers, including higher workloads, an increasingly diverse array of containers, and peak-load periods that are often difficult to predict.

FIMEC, a French company that specialises in automated loading/unloading solutions for logistics and express-delivery platforms, is helping companies to meet these challenges through innovations such as FIMEC’s new 3D robot palletising technology, which can be used to process multiple-size packages.

FIMEC Technologies’ system takes 3D measurements of each parcel and identifies its exact position within each container (or on each conveyor belt). A heuristic algorithm then informs a robot which parcel to select, providing all the relevant, precise information about the parcel’s position, as well as the desirable position and orientation of the parcel on the pallet.

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As a result, parcels can be placed and oriented in order to ensure optimal loading density onto transport vehicles. This system also speeds up the loading of the parcels onto the pallets, resulting in up to 900 parcels being processed per hour. Additionally, the use of automation improves the staff’s working conditions.

This innovation is the latest in a series of container-, carton- and pallet-unloading solutions developed over the past decade by FIMEC. With the company’s automatic unloaders, a single operator can handle from 3,000 to 5,000 parcels per hour.

FIMEC designs progressive solutions tailored to each customer. The company’s technical personnel can adapt the palletising equipment to new containers while ensuring safety and maintaining parcel integrity.

The company’s solutions, which put particular emphasis on ergonomics and operator safety, are designed to meet the specific requirements of the logistics and parcel-delivery sectors. FIMEC also pays special attention to energy efficiency and the reduction of equipment noise to below 68 decibels (dB).

The solutions developed by FIMEC offer a way to keep pace with rising productivity needs while providing comfortable working conditions for operators. The company’s ongoing efforts to refine existing procedures and develop exclusive systems are yielding constant improvements in equipment performance and ergonomics.