ROBOTICS FOR HANDLING DELICATE PRODUCTS ROBOTICS
EVOLVE TO HANDLE WITH CARE
Sensor-led automation is ushering in a new era where robots work safely, smartly, and sensitively alongside humans—even in the most delicate of manufacturing tasks. Kiran Grewal reports.
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obotics are being designed and deployed for applications that demand not only speed and precision but also delicacy and adaptability.
Nowhere is this shift more apparent than in the confectionery sector, where fragile, sticky, and irregularly shaped products challenge traditional automation methods. According to a 2025 report by Research and Markets, the global food robotics market is projected to reach $5.6 billion by 2028, with particular growth in collaborative and hygienic robotics for high-sensitivity applications. As consumer demand for artisanal-quality goods scales up, manufacturers are turning to intelligent, sensor-driven systems that can replicate the nuanced handling typically reserved for human hands—without sacrificing throughput or hygiene standards. This transformation is powered by
advances in both robotic hardware and sensing technologies. From end-of-arm tools with built-in safety fields to AI-enhanced vision systems capable of recognising subtle variations in product shape or texture, automation is quickly expanding
22 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • JULY 2025
working safely alongside human operators. SICK is one of the world’s leading industrial
solution providers for sensor-based applications. Founded in 1946 by Dr. Erwin Sick and based in Waldkirch-im-Breisgau near Freiburg, the company is a technology and market leader present around the globe – with more than 50 subsidiaries and affiliates, as well as numerous agencies. SICK has brought a new safety solution to the market with its End of Arm Safeguard (EOAS) for collaborative robots (cobots). The first of its kind, the EOAS enables closer collaboration between robots and humans. SICK has partnered with the world’s
into areas once thought too delicate for robotic intervention. In doing so, it is helping food manufacturers solve long-standing challenges: meeting hygiene regulations, compensating for labour shortages, and achieving consistent quality at scale—all while
largest vendor of cobots, Universal Robots, combining SICK’s decades of experience in sensor technology with Universal Robots’ innovative robotics technology for collision-free, reliable and safe human- robot collaboration. Mounted directly onto its arm, the EOAS moves with the cobot for seamless teamwork.
The world’s first solution for safe,
contactless robot collaboration Breaking down siloes between robots and
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