Method for loading containers

A method of loading by the use of a manipulator one or more objects into empty housings of containers located on a packaging machine, the method comprising:

• providing the one or more objects in a work area of the manipulator;
• intermittently shifting the position of the empty housings by use of the packaging machine between rest positions during an advance time, each of the empty housings residing at the rest positions during a rest time, a rest position located in the work area of the manipulator corresponding with a loading position;
• prior to intermittently shifting the empty housings, calculating the positioning times necessary for the manipulator to collect each of the objects from the work area of the manipulator and to deliver each of the objects to each of the loading positions;
• determining a remaining time for the empty housings to start being intermittently shifted between the rest positions;
• upon the remaining time being shorter than all calculated positioning times, comparing the positioning times with the corresponding loading times resulting from the addition of the remaining time and the advance time;
• and
• causing the manipulator to deliver the object to the loading position whose positioning time is equal to the loading time or is otherwise the closest to and longer than the loading time.

A method of loading by the use of a manipulator one or more objects into empty housings of containers located on a packaging machine, the method comprising:

• providing the one or more objects in a work area of the manipulator;
• intermittently shifting the position of the empty housings by use of the packaging machine between rest positions during an advance time, each of the empty housings residing at the rest positions during a rest time, an empty housing located in the work area of the manipulator corresponding with a loading position, being the loading position in a rest position or being moved during the intermittent shifting of the empty housings;
• calculating a positioning time necessary for the manipulator to collect each of the one or more objects from the work area of the manipulator and to deliver each of the objects to each of the loading positions corresponding to the rest positions;
• determining a remaining time for the empty housings to start being intermittently shifted;
• if the remaining time is shorter than all calculated positioning times, calculating new positioning times to deliver each of the objects to the loading positions of the empty housings during the intermittent shifting of the empty housings;
• and
• causing the manipulator to deliver the object to loading position corresponding with the shortest positioning time during the intermittent shifting of the empty housings.