PWR to present new pick and place robotic systems
Robotics specialist PWR Pack International is to present new pick and place robotic systems for packaging food products at Interpack in May.
The Dutch company develops tailored concepts that use modular technology solutions to offer flexibility and efficiency in the automatic packaging of a range of products.
It will present a complete line with a high performance four robot cell for packaging food products, including confectionery, baked goods and snacks. The picker cells four mechanical-pneumatic grippers gently pick up the products and set them down in the right place. The grippers are made either by 3D printing or entirely from stainless steel and feature a hygienic design, which makes them easy to clean and ensures food safety.
With the help of the PWR Pack distribution software working in conjunction with its specially designed 2D and 3D vision systems, the speed of all modules is coordinated and the full monitoring of all production steps is ensured.
This, it says, allows the exact alignment of the products in the perfect position and the reliable elimination of defective goods. PWR Pack will provide a live demonstration of four different applications: Gently picking up and placing biscuits or confectionery products, as well as filled bags, carefully lifting delicate products that are placed into preformed trays from the top and cutting bread using an ultrasonic knife on the end of the robot.
The company will also showcase a five-axis robot made from carbon fibre reinforced polymer. With a lightweight design, the swivelling motion of the gripper is performed with maximum precision and at a higher speed. The solution is said to offer fast and accurate tilting of the products, reduced complexity of the gripper, fewer moving parts in the gripper, higher accuracy in picking and placing and less maintenance. PWR Pack will demonstrate the performance of the five-axis robot using highly sensitive baked goods with distinctive contours as an example.
