Packing station and method for automated loading of piece goods on a load carrier including subsequent foil wrapping

An automated packing station for automated loading of load carriers with piece goods which, in a loaded state of the load carrier, form a stack thereon, and for automated wrapping the stack with a foil, comprising:

• a fixedly arranged packing robot serving a fixedly predefined packing position, which is configured to load the load carrier at the fixedly predefined packing position with the piece goods, and which packing robot has an environment and an action space in which the packing robot acts during the loading, wherein the action space is free from other objects in order not to disrupt automated loading movements of the packing robot;
• and
• a rotational-arm winding device comprising a driven rotational arm, a rotational mast and a winding head and being arranged adjacent to the packing robot and comprising a frame which is adapted to absorb forces which occur during the wrapping of the stack with the foil and to forward the forces to the environment of the packing station and on which frame the driven rotational arm is supported rotatably such that the winding head, which is connected rotatably to the rotational arm and can be adjusted vertically on the rotational mast, rotates on a circular path in a height-adjustable manner around the stack which rests at the fixedly predefined packing position after the loading is completed;
• wherein the rotational-arm winding device is supported movably between a rest position outside of the action space and a winding position within the action space.

A method for automated loading a load carrier with piece goods forming, in a loaded state of the load carrier, a stack (56), and for wrapping the stack with a foil at a packing station which comprises:

• a fixedly arranged packing robot serving a fixedly predefined packing position, which is configured to load the load carrier at the fixedly predefined packing position with the piece goods, and which packing robot has an environment and an action space in which the packing robot acts during the loading, wherein the action space is free from other objects in order not to disrupt automated loading movements of the packing robot;
• and a rotational-arm winding device comprising a driven rotational arm, a rotational mast and a winding head and being arranged adjacent to the packing robot and comprising a frame which is adapted to absorb forces which occur during the wrapping of the stack with the foil and to forward the forces to the environment of the packing station and on which frame the driven rotational arm is supported rotatably such that the winding head, which is connected rotatably to the rotational arm and can be adjusted vertically on the rotational mast, rotates on a circular path in a height-adjustable manner around the stack which rests at the fixedly predefined packing position after the loading is completed;
• wherein the rotational-arm winding device is supported movably between a rest position outside of the action space and a winding position within the action space;
• and wherein the method comprises the following steps:
• feeding the load carrier, which is to be loaded, to the fixedly predefined packing position;
• feeding the piece goods into the action space of the packing robot which receives the fed piece goods, transfers the piece goods and puts the piece goods on the to-be-loaded load carrier in accordance with a predefined packing pattern until all of the required piece goods have been loaded to the load carrier and form the stack;
• pivoting the rotational-arm winding device from the rest position outside the action space of the packing robot to the winding position which is arranged at least partially within the action space of the packing robot so that the stack is wrapable with the foil;
• wrapping the stack with the foil by rotating the winding head, which is mounted to the rotational arm in a height-adjustable manner, around the stack;
• and
• transporting away the load carrier holding the stack which is completely wrapped.