If you’re considering the purchase of an Ergosa packer, you’re probably wondering: What benefits can the Ergosa provide to my packing process?
It is Important! Just as important, however, is choosing the right packing mode(s) for your packing process so that you can maximize your folder-gluer’s productivity and achieve top packing speeds.
So, what packing mode(s) is right for your production?
First, you should know that the Ergosa offers 3 main packing modes: The “Horizontal Mode,” the “Pick & Place (or Manual) Mode” and the optional “Vertical Mode.”
Last week — we talked about the Ergosa’s default packing mode, the Horizontal Mode, that is offered by both the Ergosa A and Ergosa C.
This week, we covered another packing mode that is offered as an option exclusively to the Ergosa C: The Vertical Mode.
A third standard packing mode that is included in both Ergosa packers (Ergosa A and Ergosa C) is the Pick & Place Mode.
But what is the Pick & Place Mode?
This article + video covers the Ergosa’s Pick & Place Mode: What it is, how it works, and which production it is best suited for!
Before jumping into the Pick & Place Mode, if you have never read about what the Ergosa packer is, or the benefits it can provide to your packing process, you will find this discussion quite technical. Hence, I’d strongly recommend that you first read “What is an Ergosa Packer & How Can It Improve My Packing Process?”
In addition, if you’re not at all familiar with the Ergosa’s main packing modes, it is important that you check out our article “What are the Ergosa Packer’s 3 Main Packing Modes & What Benefits Do They Offer?” It provides an overview of those 3 packing modes and the differences between them.
Alright. Now that you’re ready, let’s dive right in!
The Ergosa is IMPACK’s semi-automatic folder-gluer packer that optimizes the efficiency, ergonomy, and productivity of your packing process and allows you to push your folder-gluer to its maximum potential.
The Ergosa series includes 2 different versions: The Ergosa A and the Ergosa C.
The Ergosa A is the newer and more economical version of the two Ergosa packers. It is the go-to option for companies with tighter budgets and limited space availability.
The Ergosa C is the more advanced and versatile version of the Ergosa series that offers more configurations and multiple packing modes with several additional features and benefits.
🔍 Related: Ergosa A Vs. Ergosa C: Which Is Better For Your Production?
The Ergosa series offers 3 main packing modes: The “Horizontal Mode,” the “Pick & Place (or Manual) Mode,” and the “Vertical Mode.”
👉 The Ergosa A packer offers 2 of those 3 main packing modes:
👉 The Ergosa C packer offers the same 2 packing modes mentioned above + 1 additional optional packing mode:
🔍 Related: What are the Ergosa Packer’s 3 Main Packing Modes & What Benefits Do They Offer?
The Ergosa’s Pick & Place Mode is a complementary packing mode to the Ergosa’s Horizontal and Vertical Modes. It is also sometimes called the “Manual Mode” and is offered in both versions of the Ergosa series (the Ergosa A and the Ergosa C).
By “complementary,” we mean that the Pick & Place Mode is a backup mode for when the Horizontal and Vertical Modes do not suit a specific box production.
That is to say, in most cases, 80-90% of your production can be processed with the Ergosa’s Horizontal and Vertical Modes. However, we typically see that 10-20% of our clients’ production cannot, or hardly can, be packed using the Horizontal and Vertical Modes.
Why so?
This is because most packaging producers dedicate at least 80% of their production to a specific type of box but there is always a small proportion of boxes produced that are special.
Those “special boxes” are typically boxes with more complex formats such as crash-lock/auto-bottoms or configurations that are more challenging to process like flat packing. This is where the Ergosa’s Pick & Place (or Manual) Mode comes into play as a backup for when certain boxes/configurations fall outside the scope of the Horizontal and Vertical Modes.
The Pick & Place Mode’s biggest selling point is that it gives you the power of flexibility by allowing you to hand-pack those more complex boxes manually.
Thus, you can run absolutely any box you shoot through your folder-gluer without having to remove the Ergosa from your production line and without having to stop your entire production because of a more complex box or configuration.
Whether you’re producing small or large series, a single type of box or a varied production, easy products or more complex products, the Pick & Place Mode can process anything — literally!
More than just a simple conveyor or a box turner, the Ergosa’s Pick & Place Mode is ergonomically designed to help packaging producers boost their productivity without having to purchase a new packer (for more complex boxes) or pause their production.
“But why do I need the Ergosa’s Pick & Place Mode if I already have pick and place stations?!”
Good question! Although most packaging producers have some sort of pick and place station(s), those stations are most often either a simple conveyor that does pick and place, a simple conveyor and a box turner, or the most common manual packing help/aid: A Collecting Table.
And while those traditional pick and place stations, like Collecting Tables, facilitate an easier packing process by presenting the boxes in a better way for the packing person(s) to pack their boxes into the cases, they are not automated and have no automation of any form.
In other words, those traditional pick and place stations involve full manual work and are simply a packing help/aid to the manual packing process.
With those traditional pick and place stations, if you have 2 operators, you need to purchase 2 additional tilting tables, 2 conveyors, and 2 case sealers.
In contrast, with the Ergosa’s Pick & Place Mode, you do not need to purchase additional tilting tables or an additional conveyor after the tilting tables. Everything is already included and integrated as part of the standard Ergosa package.
No additional purchases are needed.
You also do not need to manually seal your cases or do the case flap closing, taping, or ejecting yourself with the Ergosa as those actions are all now fully automated through the Ergosa’s case management system.
That is, the Ergosa’s automated case management system streamlines your case ejection and manages your case handling process fully automatically so that your packing person(s) can focus on the packing and no longer has to perform the lifting, case flap closing, case sealing, ejecting, or packing manually.
So, in the end, the Ergosa’s Pick & Place Mode does so much more than what a traditional pick and place station or a Collecting Table does.
Its original design and packing technology offers several additional features and benefits that result in 10-20% greater productivity gains over traditional pick and place stations.
The Pick & Place Mode works differently based on the type of the Ergosa packer.
With the Ergosa A, the Pick & Place Mode includes 1 manual packing station for 1 packing person and does not integrate any additional modules. Instead, it uses the tilting device integrated into the case rollers as shown in the diagram below.
In contrast, the Pick & Place Mode with the Ergosa C can include 1 or 2 manual packing station(s) for 1 or 2 packing person(s). And those manual packing stations are integrated modules called the MAE modules.
The image below demonstrates the Ergosa’s Pick & Place Mode in action:
Yes, there is a difference between the Ergosa A and Ergosa C’s Pick & Place Modes! As mentioned earlier, the Ergosa A includes only 1 manual packing station for 1 packing person and this manual packing station is a tilting device on the case rollers.
On the other hand, the Ergosa C offers the option of 1 or 2 manual packing station(s) for 1 or 2 packing person(s) and those manual packing stations are integrated modules called the MAE Modules.
Since the packing process under the Pick & Place Mode differs between the Ergosa A and the Ergosa C, I will break down the steps of the packing process based on the type of the Ergosa packer in question.
This will allow you to compare the technical working principles under the Ergosa A vs. the Ergosa C.
👉 Step #1:
On the Ergosa A: Switch your Ergosa A from the Horizontal Mode to the Pick & Place Mode by turning the button on the control panel of the Ergosa A as shown in the diagram below.
.webp?width=524&name=ezgif.com-gif-maker%20(100).webp)
On the Ergosa C:
1. If your Ergosa C is in the Horizontal Mode, switch your Ergosa C from the Horizontal Mode to the Pick & Place Mode by removing the “Service Shelf” and installing the front MAE Module (as the rear MAE module is by default already affixed to the Ergosa C).
The photo below shows the “Service Shelf” being switched for the front MAE Module:
2. If your Ergosa C is in the Vertical Mode, switch your Ergosa C from the Vertical Mode to the Pick & Place Mode by removing the “PerPack Module” and installing the front MAE Module (as the rear MAE module is by default already affixed to the Ergosa C).
The photo below shows the “PerPack Module” being switched for the front MAE Module:
👉 Step #2:
On the Ergosa A: Place the empty case on the tilting device. The lifting conveyor, on which the tilting device is attached, is adjustable in height to provide an ergonomic packing station that accommodates any operator.
On the Ergosa C: Place an empty case on the case holding system of the MAE Module(s). The lifting conveyor, on which each MAE Module is attached, is adjustable in height to provide an ergonomic packing station that accommodates any operator.
👉 Step #3:
On the Ergosa A or Ergosa C: Grab the boxes on the accumulation conveyor and place them into the case (This step applies to both the Ergosa A and the Ergosa C).
👉 Step #4:
On the Ergosa A: Once the case is filled, push the ejection button so that the tilting device goes down and the lifting conveyor will automatically eject the case. After the case has been ejected, the tilting device automatically goes back to its initial position.
Next, the optional lifting conveyor ejects the case from the Ergosa A and the case goes to palletization (just like under the Horizontal and Vertical Modes).
On the Ergosa C: Once the case is filled, push the case on the MAE Module(s) and the lifting conveyor will automatically manage the cases through its automated case management system.
Next, the lifting conveyor ejects the case from the Ergosa C and the case goes to palletization (just like under the Horizontal and Vertical Modes).
The Pick & Place Mode can pack any box you shoot through your folder-gluer. That said, it is primarily intended as a backup mode for more complex boxes that cannot be packed with the Ergosa’s Horizontal or Vertical Modes, such as crash-lock/auto-bottom boxes or tapered boxes.
Just like the Ergosa’s Horizontal Mode, the Pick & Place Mode offers absolute flexibility.
The Pick & Place Mode allows multi-row, multi-layer packing without any limitations/restrictions to the number of rows and layers you’re packing.
So whether your packing configuration is 1 row-1 layer packing, 1 row-2 layers packing, 4 rows-4 layers packing, or even flat packing, the Pick & Place Mode is capable of adapting. The only limitation that exists is that your boxes and cases should meet the specifications defined by the Ergosa packer.
Here is the answer in less than 50 seconds ⏱️:
What is most important for you to know about the Ergosa’s Pick & Place Mode is that it is a backup packing mode for when the Horizontal or Vertical Modes cannot be used.
They cannot be used because the boxes you’re trying to process fall outside the scope/capabilities of the Horizontal and Vertical Modes.
The Pick & Place Mode is not the packing mode you want to use in normal situations as its performance is inferior to the other modes.
However, in rare cases where the Horizontal and Vertical Modes cannot be used, it is the mode you will need. All without having to remove your Ergosa packer from the production line, or pause your entire production.
So, you will need the Ergosa’s Pick & Place Mode unless you are 110% sure (yes, I said 110%) that you will exclusively be producing straight-lines and(or) 4/6 corners without any complex boxes.
Choosing the right packing mode(s) for your production is fundamental to ensuring that you boost your folder-gluer’s productivity and achieve top packing speeds.
We want to help you make the best decision for your company, and we provide all the information we can so that you can make the most educated decision on your new packaging equipment.
The Pick & Place Mode is just one of the Ergosa’s 3 main packing modes. The Ergosa also offers other optional add-on packing modes and several additional modules.
👉 If you’re ready to order can Ergosa packer, 📞 contact an IMPACK Expert!
👉 If you have more questions that you want answers to, we’re happy to help! Get in touch with us today and we’ll show you our Ergosa packer, and its 3 packing modes, in action 😉.
For more in-depth information on each packing mode offered by the Ergosa packer, check out the following links:
What are the Ergosa Packer’s 3 Main Packing Modes? — An Overview.
What is the Ergosa’s Horizontal Mode and What Production is It Best Suited For?
What is the Ergosa C’s optional Vertical Mode and What Production is It Best Suited For?
Maxime Jacques : May 25, 2021
👉 You’re thinking of purchasing an Ergosa packer to maximize your folder-gluer’s productivity, but you want to be 100% certain that you’re making...
![What is the Ergosa C’s Vertical Mode and What Production is it Best Suited For [+ Video]?](https://impack.ca/hubfs/X21-021.png)
Maxime Jacques : May 18, 2021
Are you considering an Ergosa packer but feeling unsure about which packing mode(s) you need?
Maxime Jacques : September 3, 2021
Your new Ergosa packer has been installed and started at your facility.
Maxime Jacques
