Page 45 - Food & Drink Magazine April 2020

OnRobot grips take hold
The latest OnRobot 3FG15 gripper.
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
DANISH robot equipment producer OnRobot has added two new end-of-arm tools to its product line-up.
OnRobot CEO Enrico Krog Iversen said the 3FG15 was developed as a response to existing pneumatic three-finger grippers that are bulkier and less flexible.
“We have long defined the market for electric parallel grippers with the RG2 and RG6 series, and we look forward to addressing new market segments and applications with a new three-finger gripper that allows users to deploy applications faster even with highly accurate, fixed positioning,” he said.
The three-finger design with a 15 kilogram payload provides a strong, stable grip for both form fit (internal) or friction fit (external) gripping. It was specifically designed for machine-tending tasks and automatically centres workpieces, resulting in a
strong, stable grip and precise placement in machine chucks. Its gripping force (from 10 N to 240 N) competes with much
less flexible finger grippers.
The company said the gripper
can handle packaging and palletising applications and is compatible with any major collaborative or light industrial robot arm through OnRobot’s new One System Solution.
The platform provides a unified mechanical and electrical interface between the robot arms and any OnRobot end-of-arm tooling.
OnRobot also launched a new compact, single-pad version of its Gecko adhesive gripper, the Gecko Single Pad (SP) gripper.
It brings the same capability to new automation applications with small footprints and lower payload, the company said.
According to OnRobot the Gecko SP gripper can lift a range of flat, smooth, shiny or perforated surfaces, such as
circuit boards, aluminium mesh or head gaskets. The Gecko SP is available in three sizes that can handle payloads of one, three or five kilos.
The technology requires no compressed air or external power, and can be implemented quickly through OnRobot’s One-System Solution platform. It requires little or no
negative effect on the flavour and digestibility of deep-fried food, while changing the cooking oil too soon, leads to higher costs.
A cooking oil tester such as the testo 270 offers a convenient solution for monitoring cooking oil consumption. The sensor is immersed in the oil and in only a few seconds measures the amount of “Total Polar Materials” (TPM) in the oil. If the oil is too old, it shows an increased TPM value.
SUPPORTIVE LOGGERS
Data loggers are used everywhere where measurement values are recorded regularly or over a longer period. In refrigerated rooms and storerooms, data loggers ensure adherence to the
programming on any major collaborative or light industrial robot arm for greater production flexibility.
OnRobot says its Gecko gripper technology uses millions of micro-scaled fibrillar stalks that adhere to a surface using van der Waals forces, the same way that geckos climb. ✷
prescribed temperatures. They can store up to a million measurement values, which can be read via a PC. Crucial for use in the food sector is a robust, splash-proof construction so the loggers do not need to be uninstalled before cleaning the rooms.
The use of an automated data monitoring system is even more convenient. It is worthwhile especially when several rooms or refrigeration units are monitored – and with its alarm function, provides a decisive additional level of security.
With the right questions and good understanding of your food safety practices, it’s not too difficult to select the right measurement technology and keeping food quality and food safety in balance. ✷
necessary. For this reason, the use of a combi instrument such as testo 104-IR is convenient and saves time, since it gives users both penetration measurement and fast IR measurement in one
instrument, which can be safely stowed in any pocket.
MEASURING OIL QUALITY
Cooking oil in the deep fryer has a direct impact on all kinds of factors. Spent cooking oil has a
www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | April 2020 | Food&Drink business | 45