Automated robotics in the supply chain are on the increase as business owners look to improve operational efficiencies. One such area that has witnessed significant increases in the adoption of automated processes, is packaging and palletising, or handling.
Robotic handling cells are able to maintain a consistency of productivity and accuracy that business owners require in order to remain competitive and achieve a level of product throughput necessary to meet with consumer demand.
Consider automated solutions that are able to move multiple units from A to B in one movement, three boxes as opposed to one and you can understand how robotics are able to compliment an operation reliant on speed and efficiency; FMCG or food and beverage production environments, as examples.
Now we’re not discrediting the need for manual handling within a supply chain. Human intervention is, and will remain necessary to the success of any operation. Consider where, and why, business owners are implementing automated processes.
Lifting, bending, stacking, wrapping are all repetitive, tedious tasks, that humans can undertake, but doing so again and again, we tire and we become less productive. Also consider RSI, which costs employers almost £300million per year in lost working time. Implementing automated systems to address the manual processes that can be derogatory to the wellbeing of an employee, has to be considered a positive step.
Recent technological developments at KUKA have paved the way for industrial robots to work in close proximity with humans; unfenced automated cells. Historically industrial robots have always been fenced, allowing a business owners to take advantage of automated processes but also protect the manual element of their operation; humans.
Consider a palletising cell that can operate, unfenced, safely within a majority human driven operation; a downstream solution that addresses a manual process that is both time consuming and expensive. Removing the unusual strain that manual handling can have on workers.
Benefits include; minimised space requirements and low operating costs. How does it work?
A simple alert mechanism supported by detect sensors allowing the robot to be aware of its immediate environment. If a worker encroaches that environment, the robot cycle time is reduced, even halted, until such a time the risk is removed.
Automated palletising solutions, such as this developed at KUKA, allow the cell to be positioned within an existing application; roller bed to pallet, pallet to pallet, pallet to roller bed.
A marriage between logistics and robotics, whilst in some circumstances is still in its honeymoon period, is set to evolve drastically. The logistics of the future is in no doubt, automated, advancements in robotics dictate so.
Come along to stand G10 at the PPMA show, being held this September 25th – 27th and see how KUKA and system partner SCM Handling are providing innovative and industry leading automated solutions to manufacturing industries, such as the food and beverage industry, incorporating packing and palletising, pallet conveyors and collaborative robotics.
www.kuka.com
T: 0121 505 9970
E: sales@kuka-robotics.co.uk
www.scmhandling.com
T: 01823 431838
