Veo Robotics, the industrial automation company that created FreeMove, a 3D safeguarding system for industrial robots, has agreed a partnership with Gray Solutions, an automation services provider for the food and beverage sector.
This partnership will enable Gray Solutions to include Veo’s safety-certified flagship product as part of collaborative palletizing solutions for the CPG industry.
Ron Ledoux, regional sales manager at Veo Robotics, says: “Gray Solutions understands and has the ability to integrate new technologies like 3D dynamic safety, it is part of their DNA.
“They understand that FreeMove is the type of disruptive technology that can significantly change how a workcell is configured by enabling any size robot to work in a collaborative manner.”
The partnership comes at a time of accelerating automation from CPG manufacturers and warehouse distributors as they look to address labor shortages and supply chain constraints while maintaining productivity.
The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) recently reported that food and consumer goods companies are among the fastest-growing sectors for robot orders, with purchases up 29 percent in 2021 from 2020.
CPG companies increasingly use these robots to stack products on pallets for shipments.
However, even low-risk, highly automated tasks such as robotic palletizing require humans to enter a workcell and interact with a robot.
Veo’s FreeMove provides 3D speed and separation monitoring in these collaborative situations, allowing robots to work alongside their human coworkers safely and efficiently.
Furthermore, FreeMove’s ability to enable this human-robot collaboration with industrial robots rather than Power and Force Limited (PFL) robots means CPG manufacturing engineers don’t have to sacrifice reach, speed, or payloads.
Sam Janes, senior robotics engineer of Gray Solutions, says: “Veo’s FreeMove is the only product currently available with this level of safety design to unlock the true power of human-robot collaboration within the CPG market.
“We are excited to offer it as part of our Robotic solutions for CPG companies looking to adapt to change with more automated and flexible manufacturing practices while maintaining Safety and reducing footprint,” added Sawyer Dillard, Manager, Advanced Automation of Gray Solutions.
FreeMove has been certified for compliance from TÜV Rheinland with ISO 13849 for PLd, Category 3.
