When robotics began, they were discrete pieces added into the packaging process. That introductory phase is over. ABB Robotics has transitioned into solutions that are complete systems.
Now, the company's industrial robots are even more flexible, standardised solutions reduce complexity, and new tools make it easier than ever to implement robotic systems.
At interpack 2014, ABB Robotics will show the advanced integrated technologies that it has developed with its partners.
Some of the highlights are:
1. ABB's IRB 360 FlexPicker has been the leader in state-of-the-art high speed robotic picking and packing technology for 15 years. Now, the FlexPicker family includes variants with payloads of 1-8 kg and reaches of 800-1600 mm - meaning there is an IRB 360 for almost every need. All FlexPickers also benefit from a re-engineered tool flange, which can accommodate larger grippers now. This enables efficient handling of flow wrapped products at high speeds from an indexing belt.
2. ABB Robotics' standardised packaging cell is designed to box individually-packaged products at very high speeds and is capable of synchronising the conveyer with the robot to achieve superior conveyor tracking performance. This allows customers to optimise the balance of motion between the conveyer and the robot to process up to 450 items per minute depending on the combination of conveyer performance and chosen grippers. Lead time for installation of the packaging cell has been significantly reduced as a result of standardisation, with significant cost savings.
3. The new Picking PowerPac can save weeks, even months, of valuable validation and commissioning time while minimising onsite risk and improving line efficiency. ABB's advanced application has been condensed into a comprehensive and truly easy-to-use complement to ABB's PickMaster 3 and RobotStudio software. The performance of picking lines can now be improved by optimisation in the virtual world before lines are built in the real world. This reduces a significant barrier to implementing robots and solves the problem of finding trained and experienced robot programmers by addressing the growing need for a simple programming method for complicated picking systems.
4. An interactive Remote Service demonstration will feature new technology for immediate troubleshooting, automated backups, and life cycle support. This new technology is at the heart of ABB Robotics Customer Service's shift from preventive to predictive maintenance. It can identify issues before they become serious problems. If a problem does occur, an alarm is sent to ABB's Service team and the customer operator, who can choose to fix it over the phone or to have an ABB service technician come to their site.
