Students: Nathan Saeri, Tijmen Feitz, Paula de la Hoz Mendez, Elena Voicila (2024)
Efficiently Packed, Perfectly Delivered: Colruyt Group’s Coffee Packing Robot
Revolutionizing coffee packing for faster, more precise, and reliable results.
Summary
Colruyt Group has introduced a cutting-edge robotic solution to automatically pack coffee bags ranging from 250 grams to 2.5 kilograms. With a remarkable speed of … bags per hour, this innovative robot ensures consistent, efficient, and high-quality packing, benefiting both production teams and coffee lovers worldwide.
Problem
Manual coffee bag packing can be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and prone to inconsistency. With increasing demands for precision and speed, traditional methods struggle to meet the pace without overburdening workers or compromising on quality.
Solution
Colruyt Group’s new robot is a game-changer in coffee production. It automates the packing process with unmatched efficiency, maintaining precise standards for bags of all sizes. This technology reduces manual labor, minimizes errors, and ensures a seamless workflow, enabling businesses to scale operations without added strain.
Quote from us
How to Get Started
Experience the future of coffee packing today. Reach out to Colruyt Group for a demonstration or consultation to see how this innovative solution can transform your production line.
Quote from Client
Colruyt Group’s coffee packing robot is ready to take your production to the next level. Learn more and schedule a consultation by visiting Colruyt Group’s website. Efficiency, precision, and innovation are just a step away.
Our end effector
To improve the robot’s versatility in handling different sizes of coffee bags, a custom-designed, interchangeable end effector was created. This end effector is compatible with both 250g and 2.5kg coffee bags and features a 3D-printed gripper. Festo suction units were incorporated to enable secure gripping and smooth release of the bags. Sandpaper was added to the gripper’s surface to provide additional grip and ensure reliable handling. The end effector can be easily swapped by unscrewing a few screws, allowing for quick transitions between tasks.
Camera vision
Accurate coffee bag detection was achieved using a YOLOv11 NANO model trained specifically for this task. The model was trained with two classes corresponding to the two different coffee bag sizes (250g and 2.5kg). This classification is integral to the program’s logic, ensuring the bags are accurately counted. Once all bags are detected and a box is identified by the sensor, the program initiates, allowing the robot to begin its operation seamlessly. We have specifically chosen a nano model, as the program is running on a UP board and we would like to ensure efficiency while also not overworking the UP board. The camera used was a Razer Kiyo.
UI Interface
The user interface for the system is designed with simplicity and functionality in mind. It features the company logo prominently displayed alongside options for selecting bag sizes. Currently, the 500g and 1kg options are grayed out, as work has not yet been conducted with these bag sizes. Users can select between the available options and click the “Submit” button to confirm their selection. Additional controls include a “Stop” button, which resets the interface to allow reselection, and an “Exit” button to close the program. This intuitive design ensures a smooth and user-friendly experience.
Interchangeable setup
The setup for our system is fully interchangeable, designed for efficiency and adaptability. The central beam on the conveyor belt can be adjusted to accommodate different bag sizes, ensuring that all bags are neatly arranged in a line. Similarly, the box folding mechanism is interchangeable to fit various box sizes. This flexibility allows the Colruyt Group to seamlessly switch between configurations for each bag size. Adjustments are quick and user-friendly, requiring only a partial unscrewing of a few screws, repositioning the components, and tightening them again. This design ensures minimal downtime and maximum convenience.
Box folding mechanism
The box folding mechanism operates efficiently to ensure proper box handling during the packaging process. When a box is full, the conveyor belt activates, moving the box forward. A small flap on the box is pushed down by a strategically placed metal slope as it advances. Initially, a servo motor was intended to close the opposite small flap; however, the servo we used was not strong enough to push the flap fully into place.
To address the larger flaps, the boxes pass through a sloped triangle attached to a beam. This design ensures that the large flaps are pushed down securely and reinforced as the box moves under the beam. This mechanism ensures reliable folding and sealing, even with the limitations of the servo, maintaining smooth operation throughout the process.
To summarise
To summarise, we have developed a comprehensive setup that integrates all parts of the process, from aligning the coffee bags on the conveyor belt to efficiently closing the box. The program is thoughtfully designed to seamlessly incorporate the sensor, which detects the presence of a box and ensures the correct number of bags are in place before initiating the operation. It also includes intuitive controls for starting, stopping, and exiting the program, offering flexibility and ease of use. This well-organized system ensures a streamlined workflow, minimizing errors and maximizing efficiency throughout the entire process.
The current results demonstrate the system’s exceptional reliability and efficiency in meeting production targets. With a consistent processing rate and flawless performance in aligning, detecting, and handling each bag, the system achieves the precision required for a seamless workflow. Its ability to adapt to different bag and box sizes, combined with quick setup changes, ensures uninterrupted operation. Furthermore, the robust design and programming allow the system to maintain high accuracy and efficiency under various conditions, highlighting its versatility and reliability in diverse operating environments.