As ISM in Cologne begins a new chapter next January with its sister ProSweets becoming ISM Manufacturing, Gerhard Schubert will be showcasing its advanced cobot capabilities, writes Neill Barston.

The German-headquartered business has been a mainstay of the event, and has confirmed its appearance as an exhibitor between 31-Jan-3 February, with a strong emphasis on advancements in flexible automated product handling among its core displays.

With the business enjoying a strong appearance at this year’s interpack event in Düsseldorf, Schubert is keenly anticipating on building upon successful momentum gained during the major global showcase.

For its appearance in Cologne, the company is set to demonstrate its three main lines, the TLM, Lightline, and Tog. A highlight will be two TOG cobots in live operation. Information on the company’s service offerings will round off the display in a new setting for the event in hall 4.1, stand C-040-D-049.

pic: Schubert

As the business noted,  for manufacturers of confectionery and snacks, the event remains a key destination when it comes to production and packaging technologies. Schubert will be using the revamped trade fair to showcase its current portfolio in a practice-oriented setting. The stand layout guides visitors through the three product lines – TLM, LIGHTLINE and TOG – which cover a range of automation tasks, from individual packaging functions to complex, fully integrated lines.

The TOG cobot: Taming the chaos
Two TOG cobots will demonstrate how much flexibility can be packed into a compact production cell through an application involving apple crisp pouches. The first of the two AI-supported pick & place robots picks up the supplied pouches and places them either into boxes or directly onto a conveyor belt. Its counterpart then retrieves them from the boxes or the belt and places them back into plastic crates. This enables visitors to observe first-hand how the robots master changing pick-up and placement scenarios.

The unique capability of these dynamic robots lies in their ‘vision’: using AI-supported image processing from Crailsheim, the TOG cobot recognises products lying in a disordered state and picks them up with precision. Even previously unknown items can be handled without the need for additional programming.

“Thanks to what is known as ‘bin picking’ – the handling of unsorted batches of products – we can automate manual feeding processes without first having to go to the effort of separating and aligning the products,” explains Hannes Häusler, Head of the Cobot Division at Schubert. To this end, the robotics and vision system are coordinated within a single integrated solution.

No rigid order is required on the packaging side either. The boxes need not be guided along a conveyor chain nor aligned uniformly. They can, for example, arrive on the conveyor at an angle or lengthways and still be loaded with precision. The TOG cobot can handle products such as pouches in different ways and, thanks to its versatile tool, position them in various orientations, from upright to horizontal.

The TOG cobot combines performance with a small footprint, achieving up to 90 picks per minute within a compact area of two by two metres. Whether operating as a stand-alone unit or integrated into existing lines, it can perform specific handling tasks with targeted precision.

Furthermore, information and videos on TLM and LIGHTLINE will offer further insight into the extensive Schubert portfolio. The modular, robot-based TLM modules can be individually combined to form integrated packaging solutions and are suitable for challenging tasks involving a wide variety of products and formats.