The automation of the end-of-line phase represents one of the main challenges for companies that process natural stone. It is precisely in this area that MEC has developed an innovative solution for Hallindens Granit, a historic Swedish granite manufacturer, integrating a multi-grip robotic palletizing system within a fully automatic system.
Table of Contents
A palletizing system designed to increase productivity
The main distinguishing element of the plant is the palletizing system developed by MEC.
Unlike traditional solutions, in which the robot picks up and places a single piece at a time, the MEC system is designed to directly handle an entire set of cubes or tiles.
The robot then picks up several elements at the same time and places them on the pallet with a single movement. This configuration reduces the number of cycles required to complete a pallet, speeds up the process, and optimizes the management of the finished product.
The multiple gripper thus becomes a fundamental element of automation: it is not simply a matter of replacing manual handling with a robot, but of rethinking the palletizing process to achieve greater efficiency and production continuity.
The Automated system for Hallindens Granit
MEC, an Italian company specialized in the design and production of machines and systems for the processing of natural stone, has developed the line for Hallindens Granit, a Swedish company founded in 1946 and now active in the extraction and processing of granite through seven owned quarries.
The system integrates the different production phases in a single automated flow, from material management to palletizing of the finished product.
Automatic production of cubes with MEC technology
The line has been designed in particular for the production of cubes, but can also handle curbs, strips, tiles and other natural stone products.
The following MEC technologies have been integrated for the production of the cubes:
- PX, the first phase of the process, for the production of strips starting from the sawn block;
- P4, the second phase, which processes the strips coming from the PX to obtain cubes with two sawn faces;
- HALF, for the production of cubes with a single sawn face, through the horizontal splitting of the cube coming from the P4 machine.
The possibility of combining configurations allows the process to be adapted to different production needs and the characteristics of the required product.
Full automation from processing to palletizing
The integration between processing, handling and palletizing allows for a continuous process, reducing manual interventions and optimizing production times and flows.
The plant control system also allows the different phases to be coordinated and the process monitored, helping to improve efficiency, safety and traceability.
With this project, MEC takes the automation of stone processing to the next level, demonstrating how multi-grip robotic palletizing can become an integral part of the optimization strategy of the entire production process.
