Taking advantage of developments in robotic pick and place food packaging
The most recent cell has been designed around the Stäubli SCARA TS60 robot. In this case, three robots have been utilised to achieve a pick and pack rate of 120 punnets per minute. The rationale for choosing the TS60 robot is that minimal maintenance is required, and it also delivers excellent strength, speed and superior precision. The task of the Stäubli SCARA robots is to pick the punnets off the conveyor belt and place them at high-speed but without risk of damage in the cardboard crates.
Instrumental to the success of the latest application was how L-A-C engineers were able to develop a novel way of using the robots to slide the punnets under the strengthening web of the cardboard trays. This sliding technique and sequencing of the robotic pick and place operation allow the production line to run at optimal speeds.
By investing in a new high-speed robotic pick and place cell, the client is now enjoying a 25% increase in productivity, coupled with a reduction in line staffing requirements which are down by a quarter. These twin benefits are delivering a rapid return on investment, whilst addressing recruitment and health and safety issues including a significant reduction in repetitive manual handling tasks.
