Machinery Update July / August 2020

www.machineryupdate.co.uk JULY/AUGUST 2020 MACHINERY UPDATE 31
Feature: Name here
Featuring compact dimensions, the specially
engineered agility of the MiR250 sees it move
under objects and navigate in narrow spaces
“With this change comes an additional
benefit,” he says. “For an industry
struggling to attract engineering expertise,
automation and robotics, with the
improved productivity they generate, will
create more opportunities for workers to
work on more varied value-add activities.
“Not only this, but the current situation
has given a glimpse of the level of home
and remote working there might be in the
future, with increased automation and
robotics being monitored, maintained
and optimised remotely through
secure connections,” he continues.
However, he believes that for the ‘robotics
and cobotics’ movement to thrive, the
industry must
educate the
workforce on
its benefits and
capabilities.
“With greater
understanding,
will come greater
implementation
and proficiency,”
he says.
“We are set
to see more
manufacturers
recognise the true
benefits of smart
manufacturing,
but in the meantime,
increased data insights
and connectivity will lay
solid foundations for new, and
more effective business models to work
alongside skilled workers,” he concludes.
Multivac UK believes that the
emphasis on automation, with the
back-up of an established company,
will only increase as the availability
of relatively low-cost labour dwindles
in the food industry. For instance,
clever process design has enabled a range
of its customers to increase their market
reach while decreasing their overheads
and consumable costs.
“A retrofit loading system for a
customer in the dairy sector has
allowed them to keep their existing high
production speed while reducing the
robot speed through clever gripper design
and integration with the packaging
machine,” explains James Bedford,
systems application manager at the
company. “This has meant that the
amount of robot movement is reduced,
meaning less wear and tear
on the components.”
Chris Hunt, UK sales manager at
Cobalt Systems believes that with
the introduction of social distancing
measures, end-to-end automation
to facilitate fewer people along the
production line will be the aim for some
manufacturers as the pandemic rumbles
on. “For those companies who have
partially automated the process already,
extending automation beyond production
and into packaging processes will make
a print and apply labelling system an
appealing option,” he says.
“What we’re observing now are
manufacturers taking this as an
opportunity to plug the gaps in their
automation process which previously
might not have been considered a
priority,” he says.
NEW COBOTS AT INTERPACK
Packaging machinery manufacturer
Schubert is taking time this year to
increase the flexibility of its technology
with a new range of cobots. It is currently
developing a comprehensive system for
its new cobot modules that will be seen
for the first time at interpack 2021 in
Düsseldorf next February.
OAL thinks robotics and automation
are vital at a time of labour shortages
and social distancing and says the
company’s APRIL robotics ingredient
handling system improves efficiency
while protecting operator health.
“Combining robotics and advanced
automation, the technology offers
manufacturers a flexible and scalable
solution that delivers an accurate and
cost-effective alternative to operators
on the factory floor,” says Jake Norman,
head of sales & innovation at OAL.
W www.ckf.co.uk
W www.cobaltis.co.uk
W www.multivac.co.uk
W www.oalgroup.com
W www.rarukautomation.com
W www.schneider-electric.co.uk
W www.schubert-uk.co.uk
Multivac says users should ensure that the technology is tried and tested
This OAL robotics food manufacturing system needs only one operator