Robot baker could help address labour shortages
FANUC has joined forces with baking oven manufacturer WIESHEU and retail specialist Wanzl to develop the automatic Bakisto system.
Comprising three interconnected systems – a FANUC cobot; Wanzl’s smart baked goods presenter ‘BakeOff i’ featuring artificial intelligence and a network-enabled baking oven; and the WIESHEU TrayMotion automatic loading and unloading system – Bakisto automates important tasks for retail bakeries, such as loading baking trays, inserting and removing trays from the oven, and restocking displays.
Based on historical data and current stock levels, the AI-powered BakeOff i estimates daily baked goods demand and predicts when peak baking should take place. The FANUC cobot then carries the baking trays loaded with frozen baked goods from the refrigeration unit and pushes them into the transport trolley, which runs on rails in front of the preheated oven.
The TrayMotion loading system pulls in the loaded trays, enabling the baking process to begin. After baking, the system pushes the baking trays back into the transport trolley, which moves to the side, allowing the baked goods to cool down while also making space for subsequent production. The FANUC cobot then fills the predefined compartments of the BakeOff i with the finished and cooled baked goods. Feeding new data into the AI system ensures the process is continuously being optimised.
FANUC believes that Bakisto is ripe for addressing labour shortages in the food industry by relieving retail workers from repetitive tasks and unsociable working hours, as well as increasing product consistency and reducing food waste.
Visit the FANUC website for more information
