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Robots do not freeze up when handling
A
Micromech product story
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk editorial team
May 3, 2005
Working at temperatures as low as -30 deg C without shivering is the reason why many frozen food manufacturers have turned to robots for flexible packing and palletising deep-frozen products.
Working at temperatures as low as -30 deg C without shivering is simply inhuman and that is why many frozen food manufacturers have turned to Fanuc robots.
Frozen foods are easy to use, which makes them extremely convenient and very popular, unless you have to handle them.
If this is the case there are very definite Health and Safety regulations to contend with and equally important the bodily limits to the amount of time that humans can spend in such an environment.
However Fanuc has a solution to warm hearts.
When flexible packing and palletising solutions are required the M-410i robot can operate in temperatures as low as -30 deg C yet still handle loads ranging from 100kg to 400kg.
Furthermore it can perform 730 standard cycles/h and its overhung arm means that it always accesses the 'in-feed' or pallets from the upper surface making it the ideal solution for 'complete layer' lifting of cases.
Another very useful feature of this robot is it the ability to rotate 360degrees allowing it to service several in-feed and palletising stations thus achieving considerable production cost savings.
The control system is located outside the cold room and a graphical interface permits the operator to review stacking options without the need for programming knowledge.
This clearly has two major benefits, the operators avoid potential strain or mishandling injuries of heavy or difficult products and of course they stay in the warm.
As system partners Micromech Robotics and Fanuc can specify, build and install the right equipment that is simple to programme and operate.
Some manufacturers may not be already using a robot, then this might be the time to come in from the cold and review handling methods.
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