Page 75 - Food&Drink Nov-Dec 2020

Not all automation systems
are created equal
Investing in automation technology must provide the best value for money, but also be flexible enough to grow and change with your business well into the future. Robotic Automation managing director Colin Wells writes.
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
IF you invested in technology for your plant more than
25 years ago, it most likely involved a lot of dedicated and inflexible equipment.
Since the introduction of flexible automation options such as robots, many of these dedicated solutions have been methodically replaced with robot-based solutions.
However, with the current level of technology now available, it is possible to create solutions that offer the end user more future options with the ability to significantly modify the system to meet their ever-changing needs.
A case in point would be a typical high-speed palletiser.
A quarter of a century ago, this would have been a dedicated layer machine that was complex, limited, high in maintenance,
As a result, there has been a definite general improvement in the outcome over the older dedicated solutions. Some of these early robotic solutions have proved themselves adaptable enough over 25 years, clocking up millions of reliable pallet outputs.
Robotic Automation is currently in the process of replacing one such system which is ‘25 years and not out’ – an impressive innings. This is testament to an organisation embracing the right technology way back in the mid-90s, which has served them very well.
However, these early robotic- based solutions have difficulties taking advantage of future opportunities particularly within an increasingly complex ANZ market.
So what’s the answer?
MAIN: The Robotic Automation FX15 Owens Corning. BELOW: The FX10 001 in action.
“ Companies should not confuse “waiting for the latest solution” with understanding the need to acquire a truly flexible automation solution.”
high-tech robot
gripper technology; and
• an embedded WMS system
that can work hand-in-hand with the above.
Now you have a solution that
is truly flexible. This new generation of automation can be edited to meet future needs and is bristling with Industry 4.0 features, thus providing a myriad of reporting capabilities at your fingertips.
The previous palletising example applies to a lot of industrial applications. Palletising is just one example but a very relevant one to our ANZ market. ANZ automation solutions
have always been known internationally for innovation and held in high regard.
A WORD OF CAUTION
Companies should not confuse “waiting for the latest solution” with understanding the need to acquire a truly flexible automation solution. COVID-19 has taught us that hard lesson, and we would all be well advised to heed the learnings. Additionally, it needs to be kept in mind that the implementation of such systems can take a year from start to
completion. This needs to be kept in mind as it’s often just not possible to shorten the process due to the complexity and scan of each unique system.
Just imagine how many costs the last generation of robotic palletisers have saved for thousands of companies within ANZ over the past 25 years or so. Many dived in as they could see it was a logical step forward and have not regretted it.
Additional benefits can be expected from the new generation of intelligent automation systems – and is there for the taking – but it is surely looking like the right timeforenduserstoengage. ✷
full of single points of failure and almost impossible to make significant changes to it.
For the past 25 years or so robotics has pretty much taken over this market, but these systems were often surrounded and ‘hemmed in’ by conventional out-of-date conveyor technology. In my opinion, this is what has impeded the development of flexible palletising systems for at least the last 10 years and has held them back.
Progress has changed gears and gone up a notch or two in the world of flexible automation opportunities. For example, if you add into the recipe the following elements for a typical high-speed palletiser such as:
• easy-to-use AGVs running
on a Windows-based
platform;
• the embedding of AGVs
with robots creates the
flexibility required;
• flexible and intelligent
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