FOCUS FOOD & BEVERAGE INDUSTRY
ROBOT BOOSTS THROUGHPUT along with product quality
A personalised confectionary manufacturer has increased product quality and throughput since installing a six-axis robot from ABB to handle a sticky problem with marshmallow
A
n ABB robot has been installed by system integrator Newtech at a
company specialising in the production of personalised confectionery. Boomf enables its customers to print their choice of photos, graphics and messages on to marshmallows which they can then have sent to a chosen recipient as a quirky alternative to flowers, chocolates or greeting cards. The idea proved so popular that within a year the company’s manual production line began to struggle to keep up with orders. Much of the delay was happening at the cutting stage. The expectation of high quality meant that each product needed to be carefully cut, causing a bottleneck in the production flow. Difficulties in achieving a consistent high
quality cut meant that a lot of product was being wasted. With the company specialising in such a niche product it was feared that solving this problem with automation would require custom-built equipment and machinery.
ONLINE SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION “There was no marshmallow printing shop around the corner,” says co-founder James Middleton. Researching solutions online, he viewed a video of a robot cutting application on You Tube which used an ABB six-axis robot and an ultrasonic blade to cut cakes. The automated system was integrated
by an ABB Robotics UK Authorised Value Provider. Specialising in food industry automation Newtech was the first company to create a commercial robotic cutting solution combining a robot arm with an ultrasonic blade. “As soon as I saw the video I thought
that’s what we need,” explains Middleton. “We contacted Newtech and then went up to trial solutions.” Because the original machines were set up to cut cakes or cheese they weren’t suitable for marshmallow which is inherently sticky. Through applying a mechanically PTFE-coated blade to the ABB IRB 1200 Newtech came up with a solution. The blade passes through an oil reservoir before the cut is made in order to ensure a suitable surface for cutting. Once the marshmallow is portioned the blade passes through a cleaning tank before
10 SPRING 2017 | IRISH MANUFACTURING
“We develop a partnership with our customers and look at where we can add value across the whole of their production line,” says Gill. “In Boomf’s case we can cut the product perfectly but they still have a challenge in manually putting the product into boxes.”
repeating the process. A clean-cut design is of the utmost importance to Boomf. “We make sure we have a precise square and have very sharp angles and edges so that we have a good printing substrate,” continues Middleton. When the process was performed
manually Boomf employed 10 people to cut the trays of marshmallow into 40mm by 40mm squares. After every five or six cuts the blade would need to be cleaned and this took five minutes. Due to miscuts there was a lot of waste. Now that the process has been automated the procedure takes 17 seconds. Newtech integrated intelligent vision software into the robot cell to ensure that Boomf would get the perfect cut each time with no wastage - a real benefit to the figures.
VISION TECHNOLOGY FOR ACCURACY “The vision technology scans images and then uses 2D vision from the top of the cell to recognise the product,” says Jaz Gill, sales manager at Newtech. “The data is then sent into the robot to follow it; be it a tart, cheesecake or sandwich, the camera ignores any other elements to achieve a perfect and accurate cut.” In addition to improved product quality
the robot solution has raised productivity levels significantly. Now Boomf has the flexibility to respond to changes in demand such as a large increase in orders during periods such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Improving the process has enabled Boomf to focus on other areas of the business such as expanding delivery to more countries and looking at how other processes could be automated.
In addition to improved product quality the robotic solution has significantly raised productivity levels
IMPROVED HEALTH AND SAFETY Using an IRB 1200 within a machine cell allowed Boomf to improve the health and safety at the site. James Middleton was a victim of the manual process before the automated system was installed, severing a nerve in the end of his finger while cutting a batch with a knife. Removing human interaction from the cutting process removes the risk of such accidents and employees can apply their skills to other areas of the business such as operating the robot. Overall, Newtech’s automated solution has been a real success for the company. Ease of use is ensured through the use of a HMI which enables staff to operate the cell following simple training; they do not need an engineer on site. Through investing in a robot the
company has already experienced the benefits and in their second year of business has grown at a rate of 600%.
ROBOTICS A CULTURE CHANGE Jaz Gill firmly believes that robotics and automation in general is completely underutilised within food and beverage: “It’s a whole culture change that we need to bring to our customers and their partners, for people to understand that the use of robotics and automation, the intelligence, is not only far more economic than it’ ever been and yields a faster payback, it’s incredibly easy to use.” UK manufacturers who are thinking of
investing in robotic automation should go for it, concludes Middleton: “The success that we’ve had with our
robot speaks for itself. Any investment in robotics is a great decision for any company that wants to insure their future in an increasingly digital market.”
ABB T: 01908 350300 E:
robotics@gb.abb.com www.abb.com
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