FormX™ Plunge Former
display cases & trays
automated blank loading
douglas-designed & built five axis robot
small footprint
Ergonomic Case & Tray Erecting in a Compact Footprint
For Plunge-Formed Club Store Display Cases & Trays
Today’s production environments demand more output with fewer resources. Manufacturers are under increasing pressure to maintain productivity while repetitive manual tasks limit efficiency and create safety concerns.
The FormX robotic plunge former creates display cases, club store trays, and more while reducing demands on both labor and space resources. Using robotic motion and vision technology, FormX automatically loads stacks straight from the pallet. By eliminating the manual loading of large, difficult-to-handle blanks, it frees up labor resources and reduces operator injury risks. Recipe generation and repeatable change parts simplify changeovers, and its compact design saves significant space on the production floor.
Rapid Recipe Generation
Robot motion is optimized and defines glue and air cylinder operation times.
Zoned Safety
Light curtain and laser scanner allow the former function to continue if blank loading perimeter is breached.
Compact Footprint
Pallet floorspace is included in the machine’s footprint, saving you extra space on your floorplan.
Servo & Air Cylinder Monitoring
Prevents unplanned downtime and ensures successful maintenance.
Key Benefits
Automation That Improves Safety While Increasing Productivity
Reduce Injury Risk
Eliminates the need for manual loading of large, difficult-to-handle blanks, reducing risk of costly injuries.
Simplify Changeovers
Rapid recipe generation and automated changeovers with repeatable change parts reduces downtime between runs.
Maximize Floor Space
FormX has the smallest footprint available when including floor space required by the pallet.
Free Operators for Higher-Value Work
Operators can focus on higher-value tasks instead of loading blanks.
Consistent Picking
Smart sensing and adaptive robotic motion adjust for blank variations to maintain reliable throughput.
How it Works
Reduce Labor Demands & Increase Throughput
1
Blank Detection
The operator places a pallet of blanks in the pallet bay, where the vision system then locates the top blank.
2
Midstation Loading
The robot arm transfers stacks of blanks into the midstage.
3
Form & Assemble
A vacuum grabs the top blank and moves it to the plunge station. Glue is applied, panels folded, posts formed, and the blank is plunged and compressed.
4
Discharge & Replenish
The completed case/tray is dropped onto a discharge conveyor. The cycle is repeated until the midstation is low, when the robot pauses case cycling to replenish the midstation.
Specifications
FormX Specifications
Standard Speed1
Single function2: 12CPM
Dual function2: 10 CPM
Oversized Speed1
Single function2: 12CPM
Dual function2: 10CPM
Standard Size Range3
Min: 8″ x 12″ x 2″
Max: 24″ x 24″ x 14″
Oversized Size Range3
Min: 11″ x 12″ x 2″
Max: 24″ x 12″ x 14″
Standard Flat Blank Size
Min: 12″ x 16″
Max: 40″ x 48″
Oversized Flat Blank Size
Min: 15″ x 16″
Max: 48″ x 58″
Standard Footprint4
14′ (167″) x 7.92′ (95″)
Discharge 20″ from floor
Oversized Footprint4
14.75′ (177″) x 7.92′ (95″)
Discharge 20″ from floor at 33″ frame height
Case or Flap Styles
Harness tray, triangulated corner post trays
1 Speeds assume a clean stack on pallet, minimal searching during pick.
2 Single function is similar to a harness-style case. Dual function is a corner post or fold-over front panel.
3 Measurements indicate Direction of Travel x Across Machine x Vertical.
4 Includes 1 or 2 pallets estimate
Buy with Confidence. Experience the Difference.
Douglas stands behind our equipment with a 3-year limited component and limited lifetime frame warranty.
Learn more
Need More Information?
Contact us today to learn more about FormX case and tray plunge formers.
