Tag: Robot

Robots and Automation

Written on by Rich Frain

It seems like I can’t turn around these days without seeing another article about robots. Especially about how robots will be taking over all jobs in a few years. But it also seems like robots and automation are getting confused in the public eye. There’s a lot more to automation than robots.

At Frain we know robots. We work with them every day. With more than 8,000 automated machines in stock, we also know about automation.

Robots are great for a lot of things. They are particularly useful when flexibility is required. Since they are standardized, they can be built in quantity, making them less and less expensive.  There are a lot of packaging applications for robots.

There are also some downsides. Speed is one. Try to find a robot that can cap bottles at 400ppm. Complexity is another. They need programming which is something of a specialized skill. Some companies and some geographic locations do not have access to these skills. A robot intended for general use may never be as good as a machine purpose-built for a specific use.

Robots can take up considerable space. The robot itself may be compact and may actually only work in a limited area. Moving cartons from the line to a case, for example. Guarding must be provided for all possible areas where the robot could reach.

Note the amount of unused area relative to the working area in the picture below. A dedicated automatic machine with the same function might occupy 20-30% of that space.

Image 1

Dedicated automatic machinery my not be as versatile as a robot but it will probably be better at what it does. It will certainly, in many instances, be faster. Lines running 1200 bottles a minute are no problem for standard fillers, cappers, labelers etc. but no robot could ever keep up.

I’ve been hearing how automation was going to take all jobs since I was a kid. I’ve been hearing how robots were going to take all jobs since the 70’s. What we are hearing today is nothing new and nothing bad.

Automation, whether by purpose designed machines or flexible robots means more efficiency and that’s good for everyone.

Intelligent Automation

Written on by frain-sales

A highly-fantasized process, automation can be as simple as auto-updating computer programs or as complicated as a packaging system of automatic equipment. Though automation has highly reduced time and labor when properly implemented, intelligent automation will help adapt to new technologies and innovations.

In effect, the goal of a smart and automatic packaging line is to optimize the production using multiple variables including computer vision, robots, or other artificial intelligence/technology, thus intelligent automation.

Take for example, a manufacturing robot can be programmed to efficiently perform unique tasks in different industries and in one or more patterns. In the confection industry, a pick and place robot may be used to package chocolates in a container while the same pick and place robot may be used to handle/sort parts in the automotive industry.

Compiling and analyzing information is another equally important part of intelligent automation. Smart automation systems, for instance, collect data and use it to learn, adapt, and increase the efficiency of a process. Companies, such as Audi and Volvo, for instance, are using big data, including map grids, to introduce self-driven vehicles in the future.

Some individuals maintain that there is data that implies that consumers want less variation and more consistency when it comes to certain products. In fact, I recently read a consumer complaint on twitter that highlighted a discrepancy on the amount of frosting on a Pop Tart: “I’VE NEVER IN MY LIFE BEEN SO DISRESPECTED. @PopTarts411”. Another consumer described faulty brushes: “So I got new @kyliecosmetics lip glosses…. SO disappointed in this product. That wand is unacceptable”.

Both consumers brought up two great concerns: Why are the same items different from one another? What happened to quality control?

Solution to those questions can be provided with the use of intelligent automation of packaging and processing equipment. At Frain, we can help you automate intelligently – and quickly – by enhancing your production/packaging performance and efficiency while at the same time ensuring product quality.

Our trusted integration service, automation machinery, and project delivery speed sets our customers apart from their competitors.