ISO 9001 made possible with New Tracking SystemEnd user: Sandvik Rock Tools Overview Sandvik Rock Tools services the coal mining and construction industries, through direct sales, agents and distributors. Their Chemical Products Division produces bolt resin capsules, consisting of polymer-based grout that hardens quickly and develops high strength when installed in the roof and wall support systems in underground coal mines. Issues: ISO 9001 Certificate
Solution: Robot Automation To supply, install and service the new system Sandvik employed Alpha Systems. At the heart of the application are SATO CL 408 thermal transfer printers. These produce product ID barcode labels for the mine bolt resin boxes. The end of each mine bolt resin box is labelled by an operator with a 3" x 5" thermal transfer Code 39 barcode label. The label contains a product identification code, lot number, use-by date, a design description and a box contents description. A warning about the handling, storage and use of product is also included. This ISO-9001 data is captured in the event that Sandvik ever needs to trace a shipment. The speed and reliability of the printer are key to the operation. With a RISC processor, easy plug-and-play installation, and a print speed of up to six inches per second, the SATO printer has no trouble keeping up with production load. Its crisp, clear barcodes provide high scanability. And, according to Ken Monyak, the Production Manager, "It has a heavy-duty, industrial design that makes it a dependable workhorse - we need that because we label up to 500,000 products a year."
After labelling, the box moves down the conveyor to a strapping machine that automatically straps them together, then ships them on an overhead conveyor to the finished goods inventory facility. The boxes are handled by the robot palletiser and scanner that reads the barcode label, then sorts, stacks and palletises the cartons for shipping or putaway. The system's control network tells the robot precisely where to place the case in one of six pallet positions. The robot can handle up to 5,000 cases a day, it doesn't sustain injuries and doesn't need a break. Benefits The old system consisted of handwritten product labels that were incomplete and difficult to read. Customers now appreciate the new legible labels containing all the technical data they need. More importantly the key objectives of improved safety and traceability have been met by the new barcode and robot system. Every shipment is now traceable and according to Monyak "the new system helped us increase productivity 30 percent and meet our need to increase worker safety, balance insurance concerns, reduce labour costs (by over $100,000) and increase operational throughput." Sandvik Rock Tools are also now ISO-9001 certified. For more information on our CL Series click here
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Sandvik Rock Tools needed to update and computerise their processes to become IS0-9001 certified. Safety and traceability were paramount to this, thus they were looking for an automated product sort and stack system to be installed in their shipping department.
The manufacturing environment is also dusty because limestone and polyester resin are blended in large mixers. "It's a harsh environment, and even though the SATO printer is in an enclosed case, it still gets caked with dust and grime, but continues to perform under tough conditions," Monyak said. Surprisingly, printheads are replaced every 12-18 months-typical of any industrial application.