ROBOTICS
ROBOTS No task is too
Suzanne Callander explores the benefits of a range of different types of robots which can offer efficiency and time savings in confectionery manufacturing applications.
C
ollaborative robots (cobots) are the new kids on the block when it comes to robot developments. They were first developed for use in relatively simple and low payload automation
applications and they have three key attributes – most importantly they. This can be achieved as long as there is compliance with the requirements for collaborative operation defined in ISO 10218-1: 2011 clause 5.10.5 (power and force limiting). Secondly, they are small and lightweight enough to be easily redeployed to different locations around a factory. This helps if the hours of just one task are insufficient to justify rapid return-on-investment (ROI) times – utilising the cobot to undertake a variety of different tasks as and when
needed in different locations round the factory will speed up payback times. Finally, they have intuitive programming software, using simple drag and teach technology to build applications. Since the initial introduction of cobots
– which had a typical payload capacity of 5kg and reach of about 800mm, similar to that of a human arm – cobots with higher payloads and reach have come to market, which has widened the possibilities of their application.
“The introduction of cobots has given
confidence in automation for companies who have previously not been able to justify it or have feared investment,” says George Thompson, Chairman of the British Automaton and Robotics Association (BARA). “It can also be an enabler for more traditional automation by allowing
The introduction of cobots has given confidence in automation for companies who have previously not been able to
justify it or have feared investment” 24 Kennedy’s Confection February 2024
KennedysConfection.com
big or small for
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