Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

packaging

Pack Expo to showcase robots in packaging industry

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Robot use in the packaging industry has grown nearly 48 percent among consumer packaged goods companies and 30 percent in the life sciences and pharma sector.

Pack Expo Las Vegas and co-located Healthcare Packaging Expo – scheduled for September 23-25, 2019 at the Las Vegas Convention Center – is primed to introduce the “Robotics Zone”, a new show floor destination that spotlights new robotic technology, human and robot interaction and collaborative robot displays.

The new destination area is an ideal place for attendees to get ideas and inspiration, meet leading robot providers and interact with cutting edge robotic technologies first-hand. [Read more…] about Pack Expo to showcase robots in packaging industry

Smart vision inspection system cuts stoppages in packaging

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A collaboration between SICK and AutoCoding Systems has resulted in the launch of the first fully-automatic smart vision inspection system for printed coding and marking on food, pharmaceutical and other consumer goods packaging. 

The 4Sight Automatic Print Inspection System achieves significant savings in day-to-day production stoppages for producers. 

A breakthrough innovation achieved in the AutoCoding 4Sight software, operating on SICK’s Inspector P smart vision camera, enables direct closed-loop communication of the printed message from any brand of printer using standard inkjet, laser or thermal transfer technologies.

[Read more…] about Smart vision inspection system cuts stoppages in packaging

Sick launches new compact image-based code reader

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Sick has launched a new compact image-based code reader, Lector621, for reliable detection of 1D, 2D, stacked codes, and plain text.

The high-performance DPM – direct part marking – decoder can read laser or dot-peened codes perfectly, even in the case of low contrast levels, contamination, or poor code quality.

This fills a gap in Sick’s existing portfolio of code readers, by providing a compact solution with increased reading distance, resolution, field of vision, and scanning frequency. [Read more…] about Sick launches new compact image-based code reader

Tetra Pak launches connected packaging platform

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Company to turn cartons into ‘full-scale data carriers and digital tools’

Tetra Pak has launched what it calls its “connected packaging platform”, which the company says will “transform milk and juice cartons into interactive information channels, full-scale data carriers, and digital tools”.

Driven by the trends behind Industry 4.0, and with code generation, digital printing and data management at its core, the connected packaging platform will bring new benefits to food producers, retailers, and shoppers.

For producers, the new packaging platform will offer end-to-end traceability to improve the production of the product, quality control, and supply chain transparency.  [Read more…] about Tetra Pak launches connected packaging platform

Robotics specialist Sewtec completes ‘six-figure packaging machine’ to launch new Tetley product line

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Robotics specialist Sewtec has created a six-figure bespoke packaging machine for Tata Global Beverages, bringing a new Tetley fruit tea product line to market from its flagship UK plant.

Sewtec’s new technology has been installed in Tata Global Beverages’ largest factory across its global operations, located in Eaglescliffe, England. The plant operates 24 hours a day for five days a week, producing 260 million tea bags every week.

The Tetley brand – which operates across 40 countries worldwide and celebrates its 180th anniversary this year – is now able to pack 2,000 tea bags every minute with this new automated system. [Read more…] about Robotics specialist Sewtec completes ‘six-figure packaging machine’ to launch new Tetley product line

Bosch plans to sell its packaging business

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Bosch has decided to look for a buyer for its packaging machinery business (PA), more specifically the pharmaceuticals and food units of the Packaging Technology division.

The company said that it had not identified any sufficiently relevant synergy effects in terms of business or technology that might offer the division prospects for the future within Bosch and that packaging technology was not part of the group’s core business.

PA is involved in project business relating to specialised areas of the packaging industry. The company also operates in a competitive environment in which the players are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and who are therefore at a structural advantage.

[Read more…] about Bosch plans to sell its packaging business

Collaborative robotics startup Kassow Robots signs up Project Group as first customer

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Kassow Robots, a startup company which is showcasing its collaborative robot at Automatica this week, has already found its first customer.

The company says German packaging specialist Project Group has become the first system integrator for Kassow Robots.

Kassow staff were particularly pleased that even before the Automatica trade fair had opened its doors, the company was able to present the German Project Group as its first partner.  [Read more…] about Collaborative robotics startup Kassow Robots signs up Project Group as first customer

Efficient supply chains: From quirky packaging to highly functional boxes

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Designers can be awkward sometimes. Actually, they can be awkward a lot of the time. Something to do with the artistic temperament probably. 

To be fair to them, their job is to make their work stand out from what is often an overcrowded marketplace.

So, as a result, in packaging design, for example, you see all sorts of shapes and sizes that could make life really difficult for the people who actually make the physical packaging.  [Read more…] about Efficient supply chains: From quirky packaging to highly functional boxes

Proco unveils new collaborative robotic system for packaging industry

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Proco, a supplier and integrator of automation technologies, has unveiled a new collaborative robotic system for the packaging industry. 

The company, which specialises in blow-molding, says it is responding to the latest automation technology which is “sweeping the packaging industry”.

Siva Krish, Proco’s vice president of sales, says: “Collaborative robotic systems are seeing strong growth in the blow molding industry due to the need for greater efficiency and automation.  [Read more…] about Proco unveils new collaborative robotic system for packaging industry

Automatica 2018: Innovative automation solutions in plastics, foodstuffs and packaging

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Leading automation companies will be at automatica in Munich, Germany, from June 19 to 22, 2018. Visitors from industries such as food and beverages, plastics and packaging will find numerous innovative automation solutions and have the opportunity to exchange ideas with experts.

Companies from the fields of plastics, foodstuffs and packaging are increasingly employing innovative automation to improve their competitive position. Compared to the pioneering automobile industry, however, these three industry sectors have some catching up to do.

The great economic importance of automation technology can be felt on a global level: According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), more than 1.7 million new industrial robots will be installed in factories all over the world by the year 2020, which will increase global inventory to more than three million units.

[Read more…] about Automatica 2018: Innovative automation solutions in plastics, foodstuffs and packaging