A labeling machine for producing respective multipacks, the multipacks comprising a group of products secured together by a label. The labeling machine includes a conveyor that comprises a conveyor module for forming a group of products from a plurality of individual products and for providing the group of products to a labeling process to produce a multipack of products. The labeling machine includes at least one labeler. The conveyor module comprises at least two conveying units which each conveying unit comprising at least one carrier. The movement of the conveying units may be individually controllable allowing two carriers on different conveying units to cooperate as a fixing unit. A method of producing respective multipacks, which each comprise a group of products, using the labeling machine is also provided.

The innovation disclosed herein is an improved palletiser for loading and packaging unstable articles, such as plastic, glass, steel, aluminium, etc. containers onto a pallet for bulk storage and/or transport. The innovation includes a pallet station having a pallet housing that receives pallets, a layer pad store substantially aligned with the pallet housing, a container lifting sub-assembly that receives a predetermined row of containers, a pusher assembly that urges the predetermined row of containers onto a pallet, and a layer pad transfer assembly.

A stacking apparatus provided with a flexible conveyor plate (20), a clamp mechanism (25) for holding a sheet-shaped member carried on the conveyor plate (20) against the conveyor plate (20), and an adjustment mechanism able to adjust the degree of curvature of the conveyor plate (20). When stacking a new sheet-shaped member (1) carried on the conveyor plate (20) onto already stacked sheet-shaped members (1), the adjustment mechanism makes the conveyor plate (20) deform from a flat state to a curved state to make the new sheet-shaped member (1) carried on the conveyor plate (20) deform from a flat state to a curved state.

The invention relates to a device for the picking and packing of goods from at least one source storage installation on at least one target load carrier according to a packing layout. Further, the invention relates to a method for the picking and packing of goods from at least one source storage installation on at least one target load carrier according to a packing layout. In order to achieve a particularly efficient method, it is provided according to the invention that a partial amount of the goods that are to be positioned on the target load carrier are arranged in a grouping region according to a grouping that corresponds to a part of the packing layout, after which the grouping is moved from the grouping region into a position on the target load carrier that corresponds to the packing layout.

An automated storage and retrieval system includes a storage array of storage locations for case units. An in-out case conveyor is capable of bi-directionally transporting case units to and from the storage array, and an in-out loaded pallet conveyor is capable of bi-directionally transporting loaded pallets towards and away from the storage array. A palletizer-depalletizer cell includes a bi-directional pallet transport system with more than one independently driven pallet transports, each with a different pallet holder independently movable relative to a cell frame. Placement of case units commissioning a pallet layer loading a pallet, and removal of case units decommissioning a pallet layer unloading another pallet are both effected at the common pallet layer interface at a predetermined level of the cell frame. The pallet transports independently index a first and a second of the different pallet holders, each independently holding the pallet loading at the common pallet layer interface.

A palletizing apparatus and a method for stacking packages on a load carrier. The palletizing apparatus has a stacking location for palletizing the packages and at least two supply stations, which are in conveying connection with the stacking location and each have an intermediate carrier formed for receiving the packages. It is possible for the intermediate carriers to be vertically adjusted by a motor at least to some extent independently of one another between a low-level position and a high-level position. In order to make a rapid palletizing cycle possible, provision is made for the intermediate carriers to be horizontally adjustable by a motor-drive independently of one another between a starting position and an end position. The intermediate carriers are arranged at the supply stations for adjustment in a collision-free manner in opposite adjustment directions between a receiving position and a transfer position.

A system is provided comprising a carton conveyor and a bypass carton accumulator adjacent to, and interfaced with, the carton conveyor. The bypass carton accumulator may comprise: a carton pick apparatus comprising a carton pick head; at least one stop device comprising a stopper movable between a first and a second position; and a storage apparatus. When in the first position, the stopper does not interfere with the flow of cartons along the conveyor and when in the second position, the stopper engages with a carton to stop a flow of cartons along the conveyor. The carton pick apparatus may be configured to pick up via the carton pick head a set of cartons from a pick-up zone of the carton conveyor after the stopper has moved to its second position and place the set of cartons in the storage apparatus.

An automated storage and retrieval system includes a storage array of storage locations for case units. An in-out case conveyor is capable of bi-directionally transporting case units to and from the storage array, and an in-out loaded pallet conveyor is capable of bi-directionally transporting loaded pallets towards and away from the storage array. A palletizer-depalletizer cell includes a bi-directional pallet transport system with more than one independently driven pallet transports, each with a different pallet holder independently movable relative to a cell frame. Placement of case units commissioning a pallet layer loading a pallet, and removal of case units decommissioning a pallet layer unloading another pallet are both effected at the common pallet layer interface at a predetermined level of the cell frame. The pallet transports independently index a first and a second of the different pallet holders, each independently holding the pallet loading at the common pallet layer interface.

A product packaging system includes a tipping system that tips a product stack after the product stack is formed. The tipping system may have a turn plate that is selectively pivotable about a horizontal axis to tip a product stack onto a discharge platform located upstream from the product stack.

Some manufacturing processes include forming stacks of manufactured objects for handling and/or processing. While some such manufactured objects are consistent in thickness, other are more irregular. Some manufactured objects are generally flat, but are also generally thicker along one edge. When objects having these characteristics are stacked, the cumulative effect of such inconsistent thickness results in an unbalanced stack. The disclosed apparatus and method utilize a novel rotating stacker that rotates the stack of manufactured objects as each new object is added to the stack, thereby distributing the thickness inconsistency of individual objects throughout the stack, producing a more uniform stack without manual intervention.