Automated solutions in the production processes increasingly complement human labor in the workplace. In addition to contributing to economic growth via contributions to productivity, it can also help shift good labor resources to more important tasks.
However, automated packaging is a difficult and challenging task to be achieved with precision. The packages can vary hugely in size and shape, depending on the food, which makes some products difficult to handle with a robot. Now, Midwest Engineered Systems (MWES) has devised one such a solution, the robotic food product case packer machine, that is able to pack much faster than humans with no drops.
The MWES case packer machine uses the machine vision system, which locates the product as entered in the machine and transfers the positional information to the robotic picking arms. The vision system also provides the orientation of product on the belt that allows for far more precise placement into secondary packaging with tighter pack patterns.
The machine comprised of two Kawasaki RS07NFF60 6-axis robots, each having a 7kg payload and a reach of 730mm. These robots use a proprietary vacuum end of arm tooling designed specifically for picking and placing bagged products. This tooling can be adjusted to handle more fragile materials and is also excellent at addressing the varying topology of the bags themselves.
MWES case packing robot is able to pack up to 80 bags per minute with no drops. You can order the machine with three integrated robots for a packing speed of up to 120 bags per minute.
The grippers guarantee a near-zero drop rate, even while running at the high pick place speeds. Besides, its compact size reduces the pain of integrating it into a production area and could also be installed in some cold room environments.
