Dual-robot control offers a seamless PLC and robot integration

Dual-robot control with MLX100 Robot Gateway from Yaskawa Motoman enables controlling and programming Motoman robots entirely within the ControlLogix platform, eliminating the need for an additional controller or language. With MLX100, robots are programmed through the same PLC ladder logic code that is widely used for controlling equipment such as filling machines, packaging machines and conveyors.

Melissa LarsonContributing Writer

Oct 15th, 2013

Yaskawa Motoman

Image #1 in the article text.

Report: Innovative New Robotics at PACK EXPO Las Vegas

PMMI Media Group editors fanned out across the many booths at PACK EXPO Las Vegas to bring you this Innovations Report. Here’s what they saw in the robotics category.

Unilogo Robotics’ Cleanline packaging system targets liquid product CPGs in industries like cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and household cleaners and chemicals.

Linear Servo Track System Allows Production-on-Demand for Liquid Filling

With the help of a track system from B&R, this Polish OEM is building machines that make it practical for liquid products CPGs, like cosmetics or pharma companies, to plan for short and specialized product runs.

Palletizing Robot

Yaskawa’s compact five-axis PL80 robot features an 80-kg payload capacity and is designed for a variety of palletizing applications including case and bag palletizing, de-palletizing, layer picking, and layer forming.

Motion Controls Robotics Joins Mobile Industrial Robots’ Certified System Integrator Program

Motion Controls Robotics, Inc. (MCRI) forms partnership with Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) as certified integrator for MiR's autonomous mobile robots (AMRs).

New Fanuc Lr 10i A10 Robot

Robot for Warehousing/Logistics Applications

Fanuc America introduces the LR-10iA/10 robot designed for machine tending and a variety of picking applications found in the warehousing and logistics markets.

Packaging World Presents: Automating Flexible Omnichannel Fulfillment

On today's Take Five with Packaging World video, omnichannel fulfillment drives ABB acquisition of ASTI Mobile Robotics Group.

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Universal Robots’ Cobots Educational Training Programs Endorsed by ARM, Ohio Dept. of Education

These endorsements of Universal Robots’ products and educational curriculum emphasize the importance of UR’s collaborative robots (cobots) in today’s manufacturing processes and in classrooms.

AAA20 Group Offers Subscription-based Robotic Solutions

AAA20 Group, LLC's RaaS (Robotics as a Service) is designed to help integrate collaborative robotic automation in small to mid-size companies.

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unPACKed Podcast: Revisit Cobots, Cannabis and More from PACK EXPO Las Vegas

PMMI Media Group Editors discuss the trends and innovations that drove PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO.

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Fast-Changeover RRP Case Packer

A live, timed changeover demo illustrates the speed at which Delkor's LSP Series case packers can changeover between individually sized pouches in corrugated RRP cabrio cases, and larger club-store pouches in club-store corrugated trays.

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Cart-based Automated Storage and Retrieval Boosts Speed

Signode debuted its newly enhanced cart-based Storfast system at PACK EXPO Las Vegas, operating at twice the speed of previous systems with improved acceleration and deceleration control of robotic carts.

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Modular and Mobile Compact Palletizer

Allied Technology's PicPac Palletizer is a complete turn-key robotic palletizer for end-of-line packaging and is easily programmable for multi-picks and complex patterns.

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ABB's and Covariant's Intelligent Pick-and-Place System

At PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2021, ABB and Covariant showcased their new pick-and-place system combining ABB's IRB 1300 robot and Covariant's artificial intelligence technology.

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Cobot miniPAL 2.0 has 25% Greater Payload, Added Safety Features

Columbia/Okura upgraded its miniPAL® with the enhanced UR10e cobot arm by Universal Robots, increasing the payload to 12.5 kg (27.55 lbs) as well as replacing pressure sensitive safety mats with area safety scanners.

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Small-Footprint Robotic Case Packer has 1-Day Comission

Schubert Group’s compact lightline robotic case packer is a preconfigured machine that can erect, fill, and close cartons and cases in a range of formats.

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Easy-to-Use, Compact Robotic Palletizer

In partnership with Nova Automation, Kawasaki debuts its robotic palletizer that is both compact and modular and doesn’t require robotic programming knowledge to deploy.

Omron demonstrates its advanced product pick-and-place robotic system that incorporates a collaborative mobile and fixed robot with 3D vision technology.

Omron Highlights IIoT and 3D Bin-Picking Technologies

From tactical packing operations to data transfer for better decision-making, Omron shows how its technologies can be used for a variety of CPG processing and packaging applications.

Robotic Case Packer Brings Sequential Operations into Monoblock

Brenton, a ProMach product brand, demonstrates its RT1000 robotic top-load case packer, equipped with two Fanuc robots for case erecting and loading and a Dekka tape head for sealing.

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KUKA's New SCARA and Delta Robots

At PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2021, KUKA highlighted its KR 6 R500 SCARA robot and KR 3 Delta robot for material handling and packaging applications.

Robotic Handling System

Agr International’s Gawis AF robotic handling system, in conjunction with the Gawis 4D measurement system, provides a solution for meeting both the need for comprehensive testing/measurement of bottles as well as a means to address throughput demands.

More in Robotics

Picking, Packing, Fulfillment, and Palletizing Robots

FANUC to feature robot and cobot solutions for picking, packing, fulfillment, and palletizing at PACK EXPO Las Vegas.

Universal Robots’ new UR10e (with a 12.5kg payload) powers Robotiq’s palletizing sysem.

Universal Robots Increases Payload Capacity of its Longest-Reach Cobot

Increased payload capabilities, coupled with it longer reach, position the UR10e for increased packaging and machine tending applications, while the UR5e provides automated box erecting capabilities.

ABB’s GoFa CRB 15000 collaborative robot features a 950mm reach and speeds up to 2.2 meters per second.

ABB Showcases New, Higher Payload Collaborative Robot

The new 6-axis GoFa CRB 15000 cobot is designed for picking, pack-and-place, kitting, and product handling applications.

Collaborative Robot Palletizer

Columbia/Okura LLC launches its upgraded miniPAL® 2.0 collaborative robot palletizer featuring a UR10e cobot arm by Universal Robots.

85% of participants are looking to expand their current portfolio of automation solutions in secondary packaging

Robotics in the Digital Age of Secondary Packaging: Future Trends

Robots and cobots are expected to expand to 95% of all secondary packaging lines within ten years, according to a report by PMMI Business Intelligence.

Otto 1500 V2 Crop

OTTO Motors and Significans Automation Partner to Bring Robotics to the Printing and Packaging Industry

OTTO Motors, the industrial division of Clearpath Robotics and a manufacturer of AMRs, signed a partnership agreement with Significans Automation Inc. to bring AMR material handling technology to the Printing and Packaging space in the Americas.

The Varioline packaging system works with ten robots, distributed among four modules, which enables the machine to handle a total of 18 different packaging variants.

Mastering Complex Production Sequences

This middle-tier German beer producer offers some 25 varieties of beer in returnable glass bottles, so it needed a highly versatile and automated controls architecture.

In the area of robotics, 2020 was the first time yearly orders of robots coming from the non-automotive sector surpassed orders for automotive applications in North America.

New Advances in Robotics for Packaging

Despite a turbulent 18 months, robot suppliers continue to introduce advancements in robotics technology that include innovations in payload and reach, end-of-arm tooling, software, and applications.

The robot places lids on the containers of preforms at a speed of 45/hr.

Robot Accurately Places Bin Lids at 45/min

A supplier of PET preforms for Coca-Cola, Western Container installs a lid-placing cell that features a six-axis robot that reliably and accurately picks and places lids onto reusable totes.

As of November, all Syntegon machines will be delivered “IoT ready” and provide interfaces for numerous digital solutions, enabling customers to enter a new level of digitalization. Picture: Syntegon

Syntegon to Showcase Robotics and Automation Solutions at PACK EXPO 2021

See it at Booth C-2800: New robotics pick-and-place platform RPP on show live for the first time, two automated lines for cookie and cracker packaging underline innovation potential, and live demos include virtual live launch of new LFS filling machine.

After quality control, the Danish are individually inserted into the clamshells by F4 robots.

Robots Handle Packaging of Pastries at 160 cakes/min

A modular packaging line at J. Skinner Baking Co. uses a number of robots to pack Danish pastries in clamshells and then into cases of various formats.

MHS’s multi-pick robotic end effector can pick up and hold up to 36 items simultaneously and pack four orders at a time into four shipping boxes.

E-commerce Poses New Automation Challenges

Two new robotic technologies help address e-commerce related packaging issues, including a reduced labor pool, the need for speed, and sorting of intermixed products.