LIVE POULTRY DOCK ROBOT

The Robot Dock is an automation solution designed to minimize the handling of live poultry crates, from the introduction of stacks of full crates to the removal of cleaned crates after washing. The goal is to reduce repetitive handling and lifting efforts while ensuring a steady supply to the manual hooking stations. The process is built around a multi-joint robot that performs pick-and-place cycles and, depending on the chosen configuration, re-stacks the empty crates after the washer.

Configuration and intégration

The Robot Dock is a fully configurable line: speed, footprint, zone logic, upstream/downstream interfaces, and levels of automation (robot re-stacking / automatic / manual) are all adapted to user constraints (available space, operator access, washer placement, workstation organization).
Conveyors, buffer zones, and robot sequences are sized to ensure smooth operation, with degraded modes (manual/maintenance) available as needed.

Convoyeing and Unstacking of Full Crates

Upstream, the line handles the conveying of stacks of full crates placed on rollers. The stacks are transferred to a robot pick-up zone, sized to ensure secure gripping and cycle repeatability. The robot then un-stacks the crates one by one and places them onto a chain conveyor, which transports the crates to the manual hooking stations.

Empty Crate Handling, Washing, and Re-stacking

After use at the hooking stations, empty crates are automatically sent to a crate washer. Upon exiting the washer, the crates are directed to a re-stacking area. Depending on site constraints and the desired level of automation, re-stacking can be performed by the robot, an automatic stacker, or manually. The line thus ensures the return of clean crates in stacks, ready to be removed or reintroduced according to the site organization.