At Metazet, everything revolves around technical innovation. The company develops smart solutions for a variety of processes in the (greenhouse) horticulture and industry, constantly looking for ways to make things smarter, faster, and more efficient.
For the automation of an internal process with a lot of product variation, they engaged us. The result: a series of smart sub-projects that together form one powerful robot line — with a total of four robots, each with its own task.
The final component, fully customized, was successfully designed, built, and integrated within just 14 weeks after the order.
The customer is more than satisfied. Or as Ronald Boeters put it himself:
"You have achieved a fantastic performance in a very short time!! A completely new insertion robot with buffer capacity has been installed. A very pleasant collaboration and great teamwork. On to the next challenge!!" - Ronald Boeters
The challenge: a lot of variety, little standard
The product to be processed within this process varies greatly in size. This calls for flexible automation — no standard solution. Think of:
- varying dimensions in length, width, and height;
- a palletizing pattern that must be automatically generated per product;
- a process that continues to run, even with manual intervention;
- connections between different operating systems.
A beautiful challenge, then — exactly what energizes our team.
Solution in three steps — with four robots in a line
1. Smart palletizing with two robots
We delivered and installed a robotic application with:
- two robots for automatic palletizing from a conveyor belt;
- four palletizing positions;
- a flexible system that automatically calculates the optimal pattern;
- extensive safety shielding;
- a learning function for new product dimensions — scalable and future-proof.
2. Buffing and feathering with one robot
In this section, the focus was on processing and handling products with variable heights:
- use of one robot for handling the plates;
- programs for width adjustment and feathering via the chain conveyor;
- teach function for manual input and control of stack height;
- connection with the PLCs of the other robots for smooth collaboration;
- a customized gripper with height scanner.
3. Customization at the highest level — delivered within 14 weeks
- The third part required real technical finesse. We provided:
- engineering, production, and installation of one additional robot, base, gripper, plate lift, buffers, and fencing;
- a complexly designed gripper and plate lift, tailored for a wide variety of product sizes;
- seamless integration into the existing line.
From initial consultation to operational system: fully delivered within 14 weeks after the order.
Why this project stands out
- Collaboration: short lines of communication, clear discussions, agreements honored.
- Four robots, one line: each with its own task, perfectly coordinated with each other.
- Speed tailored to your needs: in particular, the last part was delivered incredibly quickly and completed in 14 weeks.
- Satisfied customer: everything went smoothly, from the first test to delivery.
- Future-proof: scalable software and smart robot programming.
Automating with results
At De Vreede Techniek, we believe in practical automation that really works. Not for show, but to take work off your hands. And that is exactly what this robot line at Metazet is doing now.
Also looking for a customized solution?
Let us hear from you — we’d love to think along with you.