Food & Drink

Cartesian systems provide low cost entry into robotics

Cartesian systems provide low cost entry into robotics

Because they are constructed from standard off-the-shelf products, such as belt-drive/ball screw axes, servo-motors, drives and standard grippers, Pacepacker Services says the cost of Cartesian robot solutions can be much lower than traditional five and six axis robots. Since June 2013, Pacepacker Services has been working closely as a technology partner with Festo on twin-axis […]

By July 30, 2014 Read More →
FANUC food packing and palletising robots at PPMA

FANUC food packing and palletising robots at PPMA

If you want to see the latest in robotics technology for food packing and palletising applications at this year’s PPMA show, then visit the FANUC stand (C50) in Hall 5. Showcasing five different food handling robots, FANUC will present its biggest selection ever at a PPMA show this year. IP67 and IP69K certified robots will […]

By July 15, 2014 Read More →
Festo highlights flexible, adaptive gripping concept

Festo highlights flexible, adaptive gripping concept

The natural world often shows how maximum performance can be achieved with minimum energy consumption in a wide variety of ways. By transferring these principles to the development of new technological methods and innovative processes, engineers can better understand how automation systems can be more efficient. Festo says its advanced handling and kinematic robot systems […]

By July 8, 2014 Read More →
Driving down costs in the food manufacturing sector

Driving down costs in the food manufacturing sector

With efficiency high on every food manufacturer’s agenda, automation integrator Pacepacker Services hosted an educational workshop to highlight solutions for driving down manufacturing costs. The workshop showed visitors how automation can improve energy efficiency, including novel options for food manufacturers with tighter budgets. Leading food manufacturers and retailers, including Frederick Hiam, Huntapac Produce, Bakkavor and […]

By July 3, 2014 Read More →
Pick and place robots for dairy production

Pick and place robots for dairy production

Due to the recent rise of smaller dairy snack foods and a larger number of pack variants (such as different flavoured yogurts in a shelf ready multi-pack), FANUC reports that it is experiencing an increase in enquiries from the dairy industry for pick and place robot handling systems. “Until recently there has been an overriding […]

By June 16, 2014 Read More →
Technology transfer potential from cake icing robot

Technology transfer potential from cake icing robot

Combining 3D vision technology with the latest in SCARA robots has solved a tricky cake decorating problem. But it also opens up the potential to bring a new level of automation across a huge spread of industries outside of food and beverage. Quasar Automation wanted to create a system that can neatly apply icing or […]

By March 13, 2014 Read More →
Accelerated deployment of robots in UK food industry

Accelerated deployment of robots in UK food industry

Chris Sumner, Managing Director of FANUC UK and Vice President of FEC reckons the UK food industry is warming to robotics. And he is not alone in this view, which is backed up the latest figure from the British Automation and Robotics Association (BARA) and the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). The adoption of robotics […]

By March 3, 2014 Read More →
UK Robot adoption pushed on through 2013

UK Robot adoption pushed on through 2013

2012 was a record year for Robot sales with 2,476 industrial robots being sold from the major suppliers, but 2013 has almost matched this figure at 95% of last year’s sales with 2,305 units being sold, reports the British Automation and Robot Association (BARA). Once again the automotive and automotive components sectors have been the […]

By February 14, 2014 Read More →
Vision technology expands food industry applications

Vision technology expands food industry applications

Adding ‘sight’ to a robot can expand its potential in food industry applications. FANUC can offer the perfect solution, iRVision, an integrated vision solution option for its robots – featuring both software and hardware components. Coming as an optional software module of the R-30iB controller, iRVision is perfect for use in food and packaging applications. […]

By December 9, 2013 Read More →
Growth in robot sales predicted to continue

Growth in robot sales predicted to continue

After strong recent growth in the number of UK robot installations, one company is predicting that the boom will continue for the rest of the year and beyond. Barry Weller, a robot and automation specialist with Mitsubishi Electric, says: “Mitsubishi sales are twice what they were this time last year and our forward orders are […]

By November 26, 2013 Read More →