Robotics & Automation News

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beverage

Central McGowan expands its highly automated distribution hub

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Central McGowan is expanding its Fargo, North Dakota CO2 distribution hub, with the intention of turning it into a fully-stocked retail store and distribution site.

Central McGowan is a supplier of gases and technology for the manufacturing, welding, medical, and food and beverage industries in the upper Midwest. And the company is a Fanuc-authorized integrator of automation or robotic solutions

Central McGowan’s Fargo store is located at 1226 38th St N, Fargo, ND 58102 (next to the newly painted water tower). The store officially opens today. Central McGowan has had a presence in the area since 2017, when it acquired Pro-CO2. [Read more…] about Central McGowan expands its highly automated distribution hub

Taiwanese store employs robot to make and serve tea

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A Taiwanese food and beverage store called Babo Arms is now using a collaborative robot from Universal Robots to make and serve tea.

Universal Robots’ UR5 unit was chosen by Babo Arms to “add a twist of modernity” into their production process.

Babo Arms were searching for an automated device to enhance operations and address the ongoing recruitment issue faced by the food and beverage industry. [Read more…] about Taiwanese store employs robot to make and serve tea

Carton recycling robot 50 per cent more productive, claim researchers

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carton recycling robot

Project uses artificial intelligence to identify, grab, and separate food and beverage cartons

The Carton Council of North America says that it has been conducting a pilot program that uses artificial intelligence to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of carton recycling.

Its research concluded that the system was 50 per cent more productive.

Through a collaboration led by the Carton Council with two Denver-based companies, AMP Robotics and Alpine Waste & Recycling, a robotic system has learned to identify the wide variety of food and beverage cartons in order to grab and separate them from the recycling stream.

The AMP Cortex, nicknamed “Clarke” after the sci-fi author and futurist Arthur C. Clarke, has spider-like arms with specially designed grippers to pick up and separate cartons at a materials recovery facility.

Clarke was installed in late 2016 and, through fine-tuning and adjustments, has achieved a pickup rate of 60 cartons per minute. This is a considerable increase from the human average of 40 picks per minute.  [Read more…] about Carton recycling robot 50 per cent more productive, claim researchers

Software for smart beverage production

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Software maker Copa-Data has demonstrated new solutions for smart breweries, comprehensive energy data management, flexible batch production and efficient filling lines.

Copa-Data also says the system has interoperability with the Weihenstephan and OMAC PackML standards, as a result of which machines and equipment can be more quickly integrated into existing manufacturing infrastructures.

Emilian Axinia, industry manager for food and beverage at Copa-Data, says: “Our software innovations for the smart production of beer and other drinks… demonstrate flexible batch production using an equipment model controlled by zenon. These are smart and field-tested software solutions from soft PLC, through ISA-88 Batch Control to mobile technologies.”  [Read more…] about Software for smart beverage production