2008-11-25 - ABB’s UK robotics business is inviting food and beverage manufacturers to attend its latest Food Technology Seminar in Milton Keynes. Taking place on Wednesday 21st January 2009, the seminar will present the latest robotic products, systems and services for food and beverage processing and packaging applications.
The seminar will show delegates how they can improve productivity, increase product yield and introduce greater flexibility to their production lines through investment in robotic technology. The day will feature live demonstrations of ABB’s picking, packing and palletising systems incorporating ABB’s advanced integrated vision software PickMaster 3.2 and the latest PickMaster 5 for palletizing applications.
Workshop opportunities
Workshops on ABB’s intelligent programming software will also be held on the day and will cover PickMaster 3.2 and 5, RobotStudio, and the recently launched ABB Remote Service Technology which uses GPRS communication where both the customer and ABB can monitor a robots health and record key performance data whilst working in a production environment.
Experienced speakers from the Food Industry
Sharing their expertise will be a host of key speakers, including ABB’s global segment manager for the food industry, Peter Cuypers, along with a senior representative from the Food Processing Faraday Partnership Limited and first hand experiences from customers within this industry who have already integrated robot technology in to their own manufacturing processes.
Robots on show
An example of ABB’s robot technology is the IRB360, with increased speed, higher payload and a smaller footprint than its predecessor, the IRB340. When combined with ABB’s PickMaster software and the IRC5 robot controller, the IRB360 can help users to greatly enhance productivity and flexibility in high throughput production lines. With stainless steel options for hygiene and wash-down applications, the IRB360 is the ideal robot for use in both high and low risk areas of the production process.
The seminar will also demonstrate ABB’s other robots ideal for packing and palletizing. The IRB260 a compact packing robot designed for easy integration with the ability to work close to the base in order to minimise floor space, ensures high throughput for applications with a reach of 1560mm and a maximum payload of 30kg.
For palletising needs, ABB’s IRB660 is an exceptionally fast 4 axis machine that combines a 3.15 metre reach with a 250Kg payload providing the versatility, reach and handling capacity to meet the demands of the market.
ABB’s Global Partner Program
The seminar will also enable delegates to find out more about ABB’s Global Partner Program (GPP), aimed at creating targeted robotic solutions for specific industries through the sharing of resources and expertise between ABB, system integrators and machine builders. This mutually beneficial relationship helps ensure both ABB and its partners deliver cost effective and technically sound solutions to end users.
ABB is currently running a nationwide campaign to educate UK manufacturing companies about the benefits of robots. Looking at the 10 key benefits typically enjoyed by robot users worldwide, the campaign is aimed at demonstrating how robots can actually help manufacturers to transform their competitiveness and deliver significantly enhanced levels of productivity, efficiency and profitability.