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CAMA has launched its new ACL (Automatic Carton Loading) system, designed to automate the manual task of loading carton blanks into packaging machine magazines. The ACL integrates a collaborative 3-axis robot, smart vision cameras, and interchangeable product-specific grippers to recognize pallet patterns, orientations, stack layouts, and removable interlayers, automatically feeding blanks into the magazine.
Traditionally, carton blanks arrive from paper mills after long transport and storage periods, often resulting in misaligned stacks, material inconsistencies, and varying moisture content. These factors make manual loading both labor-intensive and unpredictable—conditions poorly suited to conventional automation. The ACL addresses this by replicating key human abilities using advanced robotics and vision systems.
The system can also handle closed cases and offers optional tools for strap removal, lid tear-off, and automatic size changes. If a pallet cannot be processed, it alerts the operator for manual intervention. Designed for full integration with CAMA’s equipment, the ACL fits flexibly within existing plant layouts and communicates with upstream and downstream systems, including AMRs (autonomous mobile robots).
In line with CAMA’s focus on smart factory solutions, the ACL operates safely alongside humans, meets regulatory standards, requires no regular maintenance, and can be remotely monitored. It also supplies operational data for analytics and continuous improvement.
Future developments may include mobile ACL units capable of servicing multiple storage points in production environments with space constraints or distributed depalletizing.
