A three-way alliance between automation specialists Pacepacker Services, FANUC UK and Festo has scooped the coveted Robotics and Automation accolade at the 2014 Food Processing Magazine Awards. Pictured from left to right: Pacepacker’s Ian Merchant, Chris Francis and Andreas Fantousi collect the award from Paul Wilson, managing director of Scorpion Vision, Colin Harris from Festo […]
Expanding its range of cost-effective modular robolink systems, Igus introduces the robolink D direct drive articulated arm – a tougher, more durable solution compared with remote drive versions – supporting lean automation. Typical robotic applications are repetitive tasks, such as on assembly lines and pick-and-place equipment. To support this, the new robolink D system is […]
To demonstrate the benefits of robotics within the food industry, FANUC has developed a food grade robot picker cell, combining both an articulated arm food grade robot and a delta style food grade robot. The IP67 certified food picker cell (measuring 4×2.2m and 2.35m tall) is designed to orientate and pack a wide variety of unpackaged […]
A robotic mannequin has been recently developed by a British engineering company, i-bodi Technology, a subsidiary of Crawley Creatures, to help the Ministry of Defence test chemical and biological (CB) protective suits and equipment for its Armed Forces. The ‘Porton Man’ uses state-of-the-art technology to simulate the full leg, arm and head movements of a […]
An articulated robot installation is playing its part in making Stretchline Holdings a world leader in the development and manufacture of textile elastics. The innovative use and application of silicone material, for compression or grip, to textiles for fashion, medical, sports wear and every day garments has been made cost-effective by the flexibility and control […]
Scorpion Vision has extended its 3D vision camera range with the compact Stinger 3D vision camera that combines a 30mm baseline with a random pattern projection (RPP) laser, generating images in real-time. Easy to mount, the compact size and smaller baseline make the new 3D vision camera an ideal replacement for 2D cameras in assembly […]
A new design of robot gripper was one of the highlights of the Festo stand at this year’s PPMA show. The MultiChoiceGripper is a flexible gripping concept that offers variable gripping based on the human hand. Pictured: Festo’s MultiChoiceGripper robot gripper picks up a ball using the centric grip. The form-fitting Fin Ray fingers on […]
Robot gripper systems come in many forms, but Empire Robotics has a whole new take on it with its Versaball. This agile robot gripper can hold a wide range of different object shapes, providing different grip dynamics and grip strengths. The operating principle of the Versaball robot gripper is to leverage the phase transition of […]
In an examination of the future challenges in robotics for the automotive industry, Dr Stefan Markus Baginski of BMW sees still a wide range of opportunities for using even more robots in automotive manufacturing. Breathtaking advancements and innovative technological developments in industrial manufacturing have caused a substantial increase in the number of robot installations during […]
What role does AI play in art?
The River of Light festival in Liverpool showcased ‘Face Value’, a captivating installation co-created by PhD student Emma Brass from the University of Liverpool and Venya Krutikov, co-founder of The Kazimier and Invisible Wind Factory. Blending artificial intelligence, robotics, and visual art, Face Value invites visitors to confront how technology perceives and redefines reality. The […]
Application phase for 10th vector award is now open
The application phase of the igus vector award 2026 has begun. Now in its tenth year, a joint initiative is honouring designers worldwide who use high-performance plastic energy chains to create cable guides that set new technological standards, with winners to receive up to 5,000 euros in prize money. The vector award has gained international […]
ChocoMatic comes to life with igus 7th axis
When customers tap a screen to choose their favourite chocolates, Roose Automation’s ‘ChocoMatic’ robot arm travels along a linear track, selects each chocolate, and delivers them without human intervention. Behind this playful, hygienic automation lies a clever piece of engineering: the 7th axis from igus. Roose Automation wanted to give its robot arm the freedom […]
What role does AI play in art?
The River of Light festival in Liverpool showcased ‘Face Value’, a captivating installation co-created by PhD student Emma Brass from the University of Liverpool and Venya Krutikov, co-founder of The Kazimier and Invisible Wind Factory. Blending artificial intelligence, robotics, and visual art, Face Value invites visitors to confront how technology perceives and redefines reality. The […]
High-payload collaborative robots from OMRON
OMRON Robotics and Safety Technologies has expanded its TM S Series collaborative robot portfolio with three new models and a major software update, supporting manufacturers facing labour shortages and increasing requirements for flexible, high-mix production. The TM30S, TM20S and TM6S extend the series’ payload and reach capabilities for applications such as palletising, machine tending and […]
RARUK Automation demos cobot palletising solution
On 11-12 February 2026, Packaging Innovations and EMPACK will be returning to the NEC in Birmingham. RARUK Automation will be showcasing the PE10 Robotiq Palletising Solution designed specifically for Universal Robots collaborative robots (cobots). Palletising is a repetitive and strenuous task that poses risk of injury to workers. For manufacturers looking to increase efficiency, palletising […]
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Automation and robotics in food manufacturing
At Food Manufacturing Live, Jake Norman, managing director at OAL, discusses applications for robotics in food factories to automate the likes of pick and place operations, palletising, case packing and other areas. He highlights the picking of fresh fruit, with a particular demonstration on the stand showing a robot picking up oranges. “We work with […]
Bridging the gap in food and beverage plants
Food and beverage plants increasingly operate with a blend of equipment generations: legacy machinery that has served reliably for years, and newer automation technologies designed to enhance efficiency, traceability and sustainability. This hybrid setup gives manufacturers flexibility to modernise gradually, but it also presents a growing challenge: how to maintain ageing assets while integrating more […]
FANUC robot pairs hygiene with high performance
To meet the growing demand for food and cleanroom applications, FANUC has unveiled the latest model in its LR Mate industrial robot range. The compact and powerful LR Mate 10-11A Food/Clean has a 10kg payload and is compliant with ISO 4 Class cleanrooms. This makes it ideal for use in highly controlled environments across sectors […]
Food industry robot uptake is accelerating
Although way behind the rest of the EU and US markets in terms of sales, the UK food industry has taken a sudden interest in food industry robot technology over the last 12 months, writes John Rainer, regional sales manager for Fanuc UK (pictured left). We predict that food industry robot sales to this sector […]