ABB Robotics has launched PickMaster Lite, a streamlined version of its PickMaster software suite designed to help packaging OEMs and system integrators deploy high-speed, vision-guided robotic picking applications more quickly and with less complexity.
Offering essential functionality for common picking tasks, PickMaster Lite reduces engineering effort and simplifies system setup, enabling faster commissioning and lower total cost of ownership.
Craig McDonnell, business line managing director industries at ABB Robotics, says: “Manufacturers are increasingly looking for automation that can be deployed quickly and reliably to keep pace with changing demand.
“With more than 74 percent of manufacturers facing ongoing labour shortages1, and nearly 80 percent of consumers expecting more personalised products2, the pressure to increase production flexibility is growing.
“PickMaster Lite enables machine builders to bring robotic picking systems online faster, while maintaining the performance and flexibility required for high-speed applications.”
A streamlined version of ABB Robotics’ proven PickMaster technology, PickMaster Lite delivers accurate vision-guided picking, conveyor tracking, and motion control through an intuitive, task-based interface.
Pre-configured templates and guided workflows remove the need for specialist programming expertise, reducing engineering effort by 30 percent and commissioning time by 25 percent in comparison to conventional pick-and-place software or PLC based.
PickMaster Lite can also be integrated with ABB Robotics’ RobotStudio® platform, enabling users to create digital twins, simulate layouts, and optimise robot paths prior to installation.
Together, these features provide a simpler, lighter, and lower-risk development path for compact, scalable, high-speed vision-guided picking cells and machines.
PickMaster Lite is designed to integrate easily into existing machine control architectures, enabling seamless communication with PLC and HMI systems via the OmniCore controller.
This allows machine builders and system integrators to manage key functions such as recipe selection, start, stop and pause directly through their preferred control systems, allowing OEMs and system integrators to maintain existing machine designs while reducing development risk.
PickMaster Lite is ideally suited for cost-sensitive, high-volume standard picking and packing cell applications where simplicity, speed and reliability are critical, such as consumer goods, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, electronics and e-commerce.
As part of the PickMaster family, PickMaster Lite provides a scalable pathway from simple set-ups to more advanced solutions using PickMaster and PickMaster Twin, enabling users to expand functionality as their production needs evolve.
For more advanced needs, PickMaster delivers enhanced functionality, greater customization and higher performance for complex picking tasks, while PickMaster Twin extends capabilities further through digital twin technology, enabling simulation, testing and real-time optimization of live picking lines.
