Project Name: Air Knife Implementation & Robotic Commissioning Program

Facility:

• Multiple Amazon Fulfillment and Sortation Centers
• United States and Canada (150+ locations deployed)

Scope:
Control Engineering, Inc. has supported Amazon across North America in two primary capacities:

1. Air Knife Implementation Program
CEI supplied and integrated PLC & HMI control systems for high-speed air knife package removal systems installed on sorting line conveyor bellows.

The system integrates with:

• Cognex Vision Systems (package detection)
• Sonic Air Systems (high-velocity air removal)
• Amazon sorting line infrastructure

Work included:

• Design and fabrication of CEI unit control panels
• Allen-Bradley PLC programming
• HMI development
• Integration with Cognex vision and Sonic Air hardware
• Electrical coordination and field supervision
• Installation support and commissioning
• Multi-site deployment scheduling and coordination

CEI standardized the architecture and replicated the solution across more than 150 facilities in a compressed national rollout schedule.

2. Robotic Pick & Place Commissioning Support
CEI provides on-site controls engineering support for commissioning pick-and-place robotic systems at Amazon facilities in partnership with OEM integrators such as JR Automation.

Work includes:

• Field commissioning of robotic work cells
• PLC validation and troubleshooting
• Conveyor and robot interlock verification
• I/O validation and system bring-up
• Functional testing and production readiness verification
• Tight schedule deployment with limited on-site engineering windows

These projects often require rapid mobilization, adherence to union site constraints, and compressed commissioning timelines, with CEI engineers serving as the primary controls resource on site.

System:
Air Knife systems utilize Cognex vision to detect improperly positioned packages on high-speed sortation lines. When a package is identified, the Allen-Bradley PLC triggers Sonic Air high-velocity air jets to remove the item from the conveyor bellows before downstream disruption occurs

The control platform includes:

• Allen-Bradley PLC
• Allen-Bradley Operator HMI interface
• Integration with existing sortation controls
• Ethernet-based communication
• On-site commissioning and verification

Robotic systems consist of automated pick-and-place cells integrated into conveyor systems with safety interlocks, air supply, electrical distribution, and upstream/downstream controls. CEI engineers validate the control logic, ensure synchronization with sortation systems, and confirm full operational readiness prior to production turnover.

Benefit:
The Air Knife program improved sorting line reliability by automatically removing improperly positioned packages before jams and system downtime occur. Standardization across facilities reduced deployment risk and enabled rapid replication nationwide.

Robotic commissioning support ensures Amazon facilities meet aggressive production startup schedules. CEI provides experienced field engineers capable of troubleshooting controls, validating safety and logic sequences, and bringing automated systems online quickly and reliably.

Through both programs, CEI has demonstrated the ability to scale nationally, mobilize rapidly, and execute complex automation deployments under compressed timelines while maintaining system reliability and operational continuity.