CKF has designed, manufactured and installed a cutting-edge egg packing and palletising systems for one of the country’s largest egg suppliers at two of their sites. The systems have proved themselves already by running smoothly and dramatically improving their customer’s operations. The customer is a long-standing and major supplier of eggs to many of the […]
CKF Systems was recently commissioned to automate a process within the Rick Bestwick Chesterfield facility to reduce the manual handling requirements of their blast freezing process, increasing safety and also streamlining their processes. Rick Bestwick, a leader in the temperature-controlled storage industry, receives palletised cases from customers in a chilled condition which require blast freezing for […]
Automation just got easier for food and beverage and other “clean” applications such as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals that need to handle items from eggs to fruit, to bottles or irregular-shaped containers. The flexible OnRobot Soft Gripper uses three interchangeable silicon-molded cups in star and four-finger configurations to pick up almost any small object under 2.2 […]
CKF has been commissioned to install a robotic picking system featuring ABB’s IRB360 FlexPicker robots and PickMaster vision software into one of the UK’s largest food manufacturers in 2019 helping them to perfectly pick a consumable product at one of their major factories. The system is helping them to produce, pack and distribute a steady […]
Munch’s most famous work, The Scream has four versions in three different mediums. Each variant is unique yet unmistakably recognizable. Historically, brewing has been a mix of art and science, but with beer in high demand, optimizing the brewing process for a consistent product is key to meeting customer requirements. Here, Tatjana Milenovic, Group Vice […]
Canned drinks are big business worldwide and the numbers involved are staggering. For example, just one of the better-known soft drink brands claims to sell 1.9 billion cans every day across the globe, and around 2.5 billion are produced annually in the UK alone. In the manufacturing and supply chain, getting the cans to the […]
Fanuc robots have been integrated into a ‘breakthrough’ selective automated broccoli harvesting system, which has the potential to revolutionise the UK vegetable industry in the face of spiralling production costs. Over 75,000 tonnes of broccoli are grown and harvested across the UK each year. Commercial growers typically rely on a team of seven people to […]
Time and again we are reminded that we are in the age of automation. Annual statistics prepared by the International Federation of Robotics paints a positive picture for 2017, with a 31% increase in annual global shipments. However, the UK doesn’t make the top ten countries for investment. And despite an annual 19% increase, food […]
As a business model, convenience shopping is rapidly overtaking large format stores, with nine out of ten consumers claiming to have a visited a convenience store in the last month . Yet, the rise in popularity is placing food manufacturers and packers under greater pressure to supply retailers of all sizes with a good selection […]
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 […]
Cost-effective robotic automation products
Mouser Electronics announces a distribution agreement with igus, a global leader in industrial and automation products. With over 60 years of design experience and a strong reputation for quality, igus offers a range of technically advanced “motion plastics” designed for Industry 4.0 and 5.0. The igus product portfolio includes flexible cables, robotic components, motor control […]
igus makes predictive maintenance simple
Now more than ever, downtime is costly. To combat this, igus developed i.Cee, a smart plastics system that turns passive components into intelligent assets. By analysing data from sensors embedded in energy chains, bearings, and cables, i.Cee enables dynamic service life prediction, real-time alerts, and automated maintenance scheduling. Whether you are running high-speed packaging lines […]
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 […]
Cost-effective robotic automation products
Mouser Electronics announces a distribution agreement with igus, a global leader in industrial and automation products. With over 60 years of design experience and a strong reputation for quality, igus offers a range of technically advanced “motion plastics” designed for Industry 4.0 and 5.0. The igus product portfolio includes flexible cables, robotic components, motor control […]
See automation in action at MachineBuilding.Live
As a result of their popularity at the 2024 event, the number of Action Areas at MachineBuilding.Live 2025 has been increased. On these special stands, leading experts from across the machine building and factory automation spectrum will be providing live demonstrations of their latest technologies and innovations. Many of them will be making their UK […]
Customised robotics and automation systems: Astech Projects is an award-winning provider of advanced automated solutions. We work with clients worldwide to design and build robotics and automation systems that meet
... Read 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 […]
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 […]
OMRON robots automate poultry packing line
CP Foods UK is a major poultry producer supplying leading retailers, manufacturers and foodservice operators across the UK. With operations rooted in food safety, quality, and adaptability, the company constantly seeks ways to respond to shifting retailer and consumer demands. In its UK facilities, CP Foods UK prepares and packages chicken products for a dynamic […]
Food firms must seize the Brexit opportunity
While the use of robotics and automation in the UK food and drink industry has been steadily growing over the past decade, Britain is still lagging behind many of its international counterparts. As the lowest G7 nation, UK sits 22nd in the world robot league table with just 71 robots per 10,000 workers, behind nations […]