iC7-Automation drives König’s automatic crate sorter at DGL

When consumers deliver their empties to the return machine, the various crates are stacked unsorted on a pallet. The result is a hodgepodge of different crates and bottles from different manufacturers. Before the empties are returned to the beverage companies, they must be sorted. This intermediate step in the recycling process takes place in DGL's sorting systems for empties.

In Bad Oeynhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia, DGL relies on one of Europe’s most efficient automatic sorting systems for empties crates. It was designed and built by long-time supplier and partner König Maschinenbau GmbH, specialist in beverage conveying systems. Thanks to their long-established cooperation, the project was completed quickly and smoothly and was up and running within a few months. Since then, the system has been running reliably, without failures.

Crate sorting is fully automatic. First, the unsorted pallets run along a roller conveyor for processing. A robot unloads the pallets and places the crates on the infeed. The crates then travel through the system fully automatically. They are separated, then an image processing system scans the crates and recognizes the type and manufacturer. The crates are then moved into the respective buffer lines on the sorting line using hydraulically operated pushers.

The system sorts about 3,600 crates per hour and runs in two-shift operation in the low season. This means that the crate sorter still has sufficient reserve capacity for hot summer months where the volume of empties increases, by operating the system in 4 or 5 shifts.  

The powerful premium drive iC7-Automation is based on a newly developed, modular concept with more customization options than the previous model. With more internal sensors, it offers improved control accuracy, in open- or closed-loop control. iC7-Automation offers variable networking and significantly more intelligence thanks to more powerful processors and more internal memory.

The crypto chip integrated directly into the drive hardware ensures secure communication. This applies both within the system and when accessing the drive itself – including via Internet - with securely encrypted data. The drive also has a larger number of slots for expansion modules, so that it is open for adaptations and new developments now and in the future. Danfoss thus provides a future-proof drive solution that is flexible enough to follow new trends and technologies as they develop.

Thanks to the close cooperation between the three companies, the system was designed, planned and built within four months. König used technical support from Danfoss to smoothly integrate iC7-Automation into the machine and to carry out commissioning and programming quickly and reliably, as usual. The result is one of the most efficient crate sorting systems in Germany, sorting 3,600 crates per hour. This enables DGL to offer its customers and partners a comprehensive range of products and services with individual system solutions. This also includes modern empties management at the highest level, which will continue to increase in efficiency through investments in empties sorting systems, to provide the industry with top-quality empties in the future.