Fast and efficient transportation, handling, and storage of containers

Our handling systems are capable of operating at very high capacities and contribute to high efficiency on your container processing lines.

Our handling systems can be designed and customised to each individual application as needed, ensuring that your Brüel Systems turnkey solution performs at maximum efficiency and interfaces well with non-Brüel equipment at your facility.

Conveyor solutions

Container transportation customised to your application

• Full range of conveyor solutions for container and pallet processing
• Wide range of dimensions and materials

Brüel Systems supplies complete conveyor solutions for all container and pallet processing applications, including belts, bands, and rollers, drives, pulleys, housings, and controls. We use plastic module, rubber band, and plastic chain conveyors and pallet chain and roller solutions as required for the application.

Our conveyor solutions can be specified in a wide range of lengths and widths, and we carefully match conveyor speeds to facility requirements in the design and commissioning phases. We cover infeed and outfeed applications in horizontal, incline, and decline installations, and we ensure that all control systems are set up correctly for your application.

Collapsable Crate Opener

A high-efficiency solution for distribution centers and fresh product producers

• Eliminate manual crate opening
• Low operating cost

Optimize your crate opening process

The Brüel Systems collapsable crate opener ensures a steady and fast flow of correctly opened and locked crates towards your distribution line. It combines de-stacking, crate opening, and quality control, automatically identifying and removing non-compliant crates from your workflow

How it works

An infeed conveyor keeps the robot unit supplied with stacked, collapsed crates. In the unit, a robot grabs the top crate from the stack and turns it over. All crate sides are locked in open position. After checking that the crate is intact and all sides are locked, the unit places the opened crate on the out- feed conveyor, ready for product filling.

Depalletisers

Fast and efficient crate stack unloading from pallets

• Automated and efficient crate stack handling
• Freedom of choice with robot arm or servo motor solutions

Depalletiser systems from Brüel Systems move stacks of crates from pallets to conveyors for processing. They greatly increase processing speed on the line and save man-hours by quickly, consistently, and efficiently handling crate depalletisation.

Our depalletisers are available in two variants: A space-saving solution that relies on a robot arm to lift stacks of crates from the pallet to the conveyor, and a cost-effective alternative that uses a servo motor to push the pallet stacks from the pallet on to the conveyor.

Destackers

Flexible and highly efficient crate destacking for further processing

• Automated process flow and man-hour savings
• High-capacity solution for foldable, rigid, and bale arm crates
• Defective or non-standard crates can be removed using the optional rejection system
• High uptime with easy access to cleaning and maintenance

Brüel Systems destackers quickly and efficiently split up stacks of crates, placing individual crates on the outfeed conveyor. The fully automated solution saves man-hours and prepares crates for further processing in the plant at higher speeds than a human operator.

Crate stacks are fed onto the top of the destacker tower and gradually lowered towards the outfeed conveyor, splitting them up into individual crates. For rigid and bale arm crates, the solution includes 2 or 3 towers, increasing the capacity of the destacking solution. For foldable crates, the solution includes a single tower that can handle a mixture of half-size and full-size crates.

Both variants are easily accessible for cleaning and maintenance, ensuring high uptime because repairs and cleaning can be completely very quickly. In addition, both variants can be fitted with a crate rejection system that removes defective or non-standard crates from the process flow.

Crate turners

Ensuring correct crate alignment before washing

• Supreme operational reliability through design simplicity
• High-capacity solution for all crate types
• Efficient debris collection from crates

Brüel Systems crate turners ensure that each individual crate faces the right way on the conveyor before washing. Their simple design involves no moving parts, and their performance relies on fundamental physics, ensuring that the crate turners consistently perform as expected and do not slow down processing lines.

Brüel Systems offers three crate turner variants:

The S turner temporarily turns crates upside down to empty them of debris but returns them to the original position afterwards.

The C turner turns crates upside down, emptying them of debris in the process and preparing them for cleaning.

The side turner turns crates upside down like the C turner and also rotates them 90 degrees horizontally so the correct side is facing forward.

Debris from the crates is collected in a container below the crate turner, facilitating debris collection.

Sorting systems

Fast and efficient automated sorting of dirty or clean crates

• Enables processing of several crate types in the same plant
• Works with dirty or clean crates for maximum flexibility
• Efficient crate sorting by type, colour, height, brand or other criteria
• Robust construction provides high throughput and reliability

On processing lines handling several different crate types, Brüel Systems sorting systems ensure that individual crates are sorted correctly into stacks for further processing. By ensuring that crates are processed on lines designed for them, the sorting system prevents processing disruptions and increases throughput and efficiency. Our sorting systems can handle both dirty and clean crates and can therefore be placed before or after the washing process as required.

As the crates approach the sorting system on the infeed conveyor, they are registered individually by a vision system which can be set up to identify crates based on their type, colour, height, brand, or other criteria. After identification, the crates are transported along the sorting system conveyor and pushed off the conveyor onto the stack for their respective crate type. Defective, dirty, or non-compliant crates (including low-runners) can be removed from the flow, and the stacks of sorted crates are transported on outfeed conveyors for destacking and washing, palletising, or direct washing.

Our sorting systems are built for reliability with a robust stainless-steel construction that maximises efficiency and uptime and facilitates service and maintenance.

Bale arm opener

Efficient preparation for empty bale arm crate stacking with optional QC features

• Quick and effective preparation for stacking empty bale arm crates
• Automated processing saving man-hours and increasing efficiency
• Quality control through optional extras
• Robust construction provides high throughput and reliability

The Brüel Systems bale arm opener quickly and efficiently ensures that empty bale arm crates are ready for stacking by opening the bale arms. The bale arm crates are fed into the bale arm opener, the arms are opened using mechanical levers, and the crates are transported towards the stacker on the outfeed conveyor.

The bale arm opener can be fitted with optional QC (quality control) features such as metal detectors, RFID or barcode scanners, or vision control, checking the quality and/or identity of the crates before stacking, drying, palletising, and storage.

Foldable crate closer

Efficient preparation for foldable crate stacking with optional QC features

• Quick and effective preparation for stacking
• Automated processing saving man-hours and increasing efficiency
• Quality control through optional extras
• Robust construction provides high throughput and reliability

The Brüel Systems foldable crate closer quickly and efficiently ensures that foldable crates are ready for stacking by folding down the crate sides. The foldable crates are fed into the closer where mechanical levers fold down the sides, and the collapsed crates are transported towards the stacker on the outfeed conveyor.

The foldable crate closer can be fitted with optional QC (quality control) features such as metal detectors, RFID or barcode scanners, or vision control, checking the quality and/or identity of the crates before stacking, drying, palletising, and storage.

Quick stacker

Highly efficient foldable crate stacking solution

• Very rapid foldable crate stacking: 3,500+ crates/hour
• Automated processing for even the fastest processing lines
• Robust construction provides high throughput and reliability

The Brüel Systems quick stacker is a highly efficient and quick stacking solution for collapsed foldable crates that collects crates in stacks before drying. With a capacity up to more than 3,500 crates per hour, the quick stacker can keep up with even the fastest processing lines without compromising on stacking accuracy.

Each collapsed foldable crate is positioned on top of the quick stacker and then moved downwards as new crates are added on top. The crates quickly form a stack that is transported towards the dryer on the outfeed conveyor.

Bale arm stacker

Flexible and highly efficient bale arm crate stacker

• Very rapid bale arm crate stacking: 3,000+ crates/hour
• Automated processing for fast processing lines
• Handles full-size or half-size bale arm crates

The Brüel Systems bale arm stacker is a highly efficient and quick stacking solution for bale arm crates that collects the crates in stacks before drying. With a capacity up to more than 3,000 crates per hour, the stacker can keep up with fast processing lines without compromising on stacking accuracy.

Each bale arm crate (with the bale arms correctly opened) is fed into the stacker from below and shifted upwards as the next crate is added, quickly forming a stack that is transported towards the dryer on the outfeed conveyor. The solution is capable of handling full-size or half-size bale arm crates.

Stack stackers

Adjusting stack heights to facility or customer requirements

• Easy compliance with customer or facility stack requirements
• Allows combinations of full and partial crate stacks

The Brüel Systems stack stacker combines several full or partial crate stacks to generate stack heights that suit requirements at the facility or customer demands, for example to optimise the use of storage space or create stacks that will fit inside a delivery truck. Stacks can be made up of foldable crates, rigid crates, or bale arm crates.

The stack stacker places stacks on top of one another with great accuracy, doubling their height. With an optional crate dosing system, it is also possible to reduce stack height and combine full stacks with partial stacks. In this way, for example, it is possible to combine several 1,200 mm crate stacks into two-thirds as many 1,800 mm stacks.

Buffer systems

Arranging sorted and unsorted crate stacks for palletisation

• Prevents gaps in the palletisation flow
• Works with all crate types
• Handles unsorted foldable crates

A Brüel Systems buffer arranges crate stacks in lanes, ensuring that they are only moved towards the palletiser on the outfeed conveyor when there are enough stacks to fill a pallet. In this way, the palletisation process is not disrupted or slowed down because a pallet cannot be completed.

For unsorted foldable crates, stacks are distributed into buffer lanes according to their crate size. The system monitors the number of stacks in each lane, releasing the stacks in a lane towards the palletiser when that lane can fill a pallet. For sorted foldable crates or bale arm crates, the system only requires a one or two-lane buffer.

Palletiser

Fast and efficient placement of crate stacks on pallets

• Automated and efficient crate stack handling
• Freedom of choice with robot arm or servo motor solutions

Brüel Systems palletisers move stacks of crates from a conveyor to a pallet after processing, ready for transportation, wrapping/strapping, labelling, and/or storage. By quickly, consistently, and efficiently handling palletisation, they greatly increase processing speed on the line and save man-hours.

Brüel Systems palletisers are available in two variants: A space-saving solution that relies on a robot arm to lift stacks of crates from the conveyor to the pallet, and a cost-effective alternative that uses a servo motor to push the pallet stacks from the conveyor to the pallet.

Brüel Systems can assist in setting up palletiser systems so finished pallets can be collected using automated transportation systems with AGVs (automated guided vehicles; not supplied by Brüel Systems).

Strappers and wrappers

Automated securing of finished crate stacks using wraps or straps

• Quick preparation of crate stacks for transportation and storage
• Consistent application of straps or wrapping
• Greatly reduced risk of stack deformation

Brüel Systems strapping and wrapping systems secure palletised stacks of crates by applying plastic film or straps automatically, consistently, and securely.

The stack of crates is transported to the strapper or wrapper and then secured using straps or wrapping as required. The stack is quickly prepared for transportation and storage, and the process can handle widely different stack heights, saving man-hours and increasing efficiency. Strapped or wrapped stacks are far less prone to deformation or crates coming loose, contributing to safer stack handling.

Label applicators

Automated labelling of finished stacks

• Quick and automated label application
• Facilitates identification of processed crate stacks

A Brüel Systems label applicator quickly and automatically applies a label identifying the finished stack of crates according to facility or customer requirements. Labels can be used for identification, automation, and similar crate management tasks. The applicator automatically and quickly puts the customer-defined label on the stack.

Brüel Systems also offers RFID tags and barcode readers that enable identification and tracking of assets at crate or pallet level. For more information, see Monitoring and QC systems.

Bale arm closer

High-capacity automated solution speeding up crate storage

• Quick and automated label application
• Facilitates identification of processed crate stacks

The Brüel bale arm closer quickly and automatically ensures that the arms on your bale arm crates are securely closed, enabling you to quickly stack bale arm crates with contents. It consumes little air and power but delivers high throughput. It can be operated as a stand-alone solution or integrated in an automated crate processing line, giving you full flexibility to adapt the bale arm closer to your processes and utilise your staff resources optimally.

The bale arm crates are fed into the machine on a conveyor. The overhead closing mechanism automatically adjusts to the crate height and uses pneumatically driven arms to lock the crate arms in the top position. When the arms are securely closed, the crate is transported out of the machine on an outfeed conveyor.

The bale arm closer automatically adjusts to the current crate height, allowing you to process several types of crates on the same line. Despite the high throughput of the bale arm closer, the machine is designed for energy efficiency, consuming only 0.37 kWh of power and 50 NL/h of compressed air.

Collapsible crate opener

Combined robotic destacking, opening, and QC solution for foldable crates

The Brüel Systems collapsible crate opener combines destacking, crate opening, and quality control, ensuring a steady and fast flow of correctly opened and locked crates towards your washing line. It automatically identifies and removes non-compliant crates. The high throughput and consistently high processing quality 24 hours a day make the crate opener an attractive alternative to manual crate processing.

An infeed conveyor keeps each robot unit supplied with stacked, collapsed crates. In each unit, a robot grabs the top crate from the stack and turns it over, emptying out any residual waste. All crate sides are locked in open position. After checking that the crate is intact and all sides are locked, the unit places the opened crate on the outfeed conveyor, ready for washing.

Mechanical levers detect defective crates while the camera system identifies competitor crates. The robot can compensate for crate height when placing the opened crate on the conveyor, allowing you to process crates of different heights on the same line.