FOOD & BEVERAGE INDUSTRY FOCUS THE COBOTS ARE COMING... OR ARE THEY?
Paul Wilkinson, Commercial & Information Systems Manager at Pacepacker Services, explains why cobots aren’t yet always the answer for every application...
A
dvancements in collaborative robots, or cobots, are creating a bit of a buzz
in manufacturing, with the focus on the way humans and robots interact safely alongside each other. Yet, food processing, packaging and palletising lines remain largely cobot-free zones. Several respected market commentators have speculated that the cobot sector will grow by 50% year-on-year, reaching $1bn in 2020. Most of this growth will be driven by uptake in automotive assembly, electronic parts assembly and medical device manufacturing applications. Thanks to safety and sensing technologies, these cage-free cobots can work side by side with humans on shared or separate tasks. However, the opportunities in food
processing or packing lines may be limited by speed, while payload could prove a challenge for cobots in palletising tasks. Paul Wilkinson, said: “Right now industrial cobots are, by their very nature, small and agile. Although beneficial in a number of manufacturing settings, this can limit their usefulness in food factories. “To minimise the risk of injury to
humans, cobots generally work at much slower speeds than conventional robots. This means a cobot may not achieve comparable product handling pick and place speeds. Meanwhile, in palletising tasks, the weight that can be lifted may prove challenging for all but the strongest cobots. But we must remember that it’s early days for cobots. What’s more, a human/robot collaborative operation can
still be accomplished even with the most conventional industrial robots.” Each year around over 5000 injuries in
food and drink manufacturing industries are reported to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), representing about a quarter of all manufacturing injuries. Food production is especially fast paced.
Workplace safety is evolving and for repetitive and strenuous tasks like manual product handling and packing, robots can address some of the key causes of human injuries. “When it comes to safety, you are ultimately reliant on people understanding and following the rules. Equally, safety risks will vary depending on your chosen robot and application,” said Wilkinson. Robotic work cells and plant layouts
evolve quickly. This means that the risks can change rapidly too, so it’s advisable to regularly schedule a review of your safety policies. Contrary to popular belief, installing a cobot doesn’t eliminate workplace risk assessments. In fact, the ISO/TS 15066 safety standard introduced for cobots in March 2016 means that a risk
Software creates a virtual fence around the work area of a cobot
Food processing, packaging and palletising lines are largely a cobot- free zone
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https://ifr.org/ifr- press-releases/news/ world-robotics-report- 2016
PREPARED FOOD MANUFACTURER ENHANCES WASTEWATER PROCESS
Roberts of Port Dinorwic, a family-owned food manufacturer, has introduced a new Landia aeration system to enhance its wastewater process. Based at a ten-acre site on the banks of the Menai Strait in North Wales, the food production facility has a screen that captures around 95% of its wastewater’s solids, but needed a tough, non-blocking aerator that would further reduce particle sizes and keep solids in suspension by effective, efficient and economical mixing. Chief Engineer, Dylan Roberts, said: “Landia came highly recommended. In fact, more than half of the
tank manufacturers we consulted said that if we wanted the most reliable and long-lasting aerator, it should be Landia. “The Landia AirJet runs for 6-7 hours per day and we’ve had no
problems whatsoever,” he added. “We sometimes have high levels of fat as part of close to a tonne of solids per week, but it’s no problem for the aerator. Landia have also done much more than just supply their equipment. They’ve worked very closely with us and the tank manufacturer to ensure that everything is right.” Roberts purchased a 146m3
tank which now uses the externally-
mounted 7.5kW Landia AirJet aerator. Effluent temperatures are up to 45˚C, with dissolved solids of around 3%. In addition to the AirJet, wastewater is also processed by a DAF plant and treated with polymer. The AirJet itself comprises one of Landia’s chopper pumps. Landia
www.landia.co.uk / PROCESS&CONTROL
assessment is still required for both the robot and peripheral equipment. “It must be noted that there are different degrees of collaboration and there are safe ways of introducing robot-human collaboration,” said Wilkinson. “A fully- caged, perimeter guarded robot at the end of the line isn’t always necessary, although may be warranted for heavy duty palletising operations.” Adding virtual fencing software is one way to bring physical safety guards down and protect your workforce from automation hazards. Providing safety zones are not breached, the robot operates at a normal speed. With this sensing software, the robot can be programmed with different ‘reactions’ for different zones and scenarios. For example, it can be programmed to perform an emergency stop when necessary or to alter its speed according to operator proximity. Fenceless robot cells also facilitate quicker access for performing maintenance and part changeover tasks. Wilkinson said: “In contrast, shutting down a fully guarded system could result in considerable production downtime, more product waste and requires skilled engineering operatives, which may not be available in-house.” The number of industrial robots
deployed worldwide is expected to increase to around 2.6 million units by 2019 according to the 2016 World Robotics Report published by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR)*. If the commentators are correct, cobots could account for a large chunk of these sales. Yet deployment of cobots within the food sector may be slower than in other manufacturing industries. “Collaboration between humans and machines will be a key driver for future technological trends,” added Wilkinson. “In time, cobots may very well become the mainstay in food production too.”
Pacepacker Services
www.pacepacker.com
PROCESS & CONTROL | JULY/AUGUST 2017 39
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