Entries Tagged 'Fanuc Robots' ↓

Friesland Foods Cheese, a large producer of Edam Cheese in Holland, is using three Fanuc Robots to increase productivity. The Fanuc R-2000iB is used in a material handling application to grab trays of cheese and places them on a conveyor using vacuum cups. The process depends on the R-2000iB’s features of collision detection, sensing, and wrist roll motion to accurately and delicately move the individual cheeses. The conveyor eventually delivers the cheeses to a Fanuc M-710iC robot equipped with a gripper to pick up and rotate the cheeses and place them in boxes. Full boxes proceed to a Fanuc M-410i palletizing robot at the end of the line. The automated line increased productivity by 10%.

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Popularity: 38% [?]

Fanuc Robotics has introduced its new LR Mate 200iC robot, the company’s next generation mini-robot offering maximum performance in a light, efficient, and accurate cell. The six-axis, LR Mate 200iC robot is significantly lighter and more compact than its predecessor. ARC Advisory Group, one of the leading research and advisory firms in manufacturing and supply chain solutions, rates the LR Mate 200iC as “best in class” for its wrist load capacity, repeatability, work envelope, and speed.

The LR Mate 200iC is designed to meet the needs of a variety of industries including metals, plastics, packaged and consumer goods, food, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Its flexibility allows it to quickly adapt to small lot sizes, new styles and other modifications. The LR Mate 200iC gives manufacturers an affordable solution for small part and flexible production. Its slim and lightweight design maximizes flexibility for small and narrow workspaces.

The LR Mate 200iC has a load capacity of 5 kg and a reach of 704 mm. It can be mounted in a variety of positions including floor, tabletop, inside machines, angle and invert.

Applications for the LR Mate 200iC include:

Machine Tending/Parts Transfer
Assembly
Dispensing
Material Handling
Material Removal

In Fanuc’s words, “The new LR Mate 200iC is the flexible alternative to SCARA or Cartesian robots. Streamlined yet powerful, our latest mini robot is the perfect solution for accurate, high speed assembly and handling.”

Popularity: 100% [?]

The problem faced by our customer was all about weight. Salt is heavy; salt bags weigh 50 pounds. Without a palletizing robot, an employee had to lift 50-pound bags all day and stack them on a pallet. By the end of the day, production slowed; throughout the year, employee injuries resulted in down time and higher costs.

Using a Fanuc S-420iF/RJ2 Robot, KC Robotics designed a system consisting of four conveyors and a specialized gripper to lift the bags. To begin the process, employees bag and seal crushed salt on the first conveyor. Bags of salt continue on a route to the second conveyor to be re-oriented for a vibrating conveyor. The vibrating conveyor vibrates the salt in the bags until the bags lay flat. The flattened bags transfer to a locating conveyor where the robot picks up the bags with a custom-made gripper. The gripper palletizes the bags on a skid in seven layers. A forklift operator moves the skid and replaces it with a new skid. The process begins again. Review out Palletizing Robot video to see the whole process:

Palletizing Robot Moving Salt Bags

This customer benefits from robotics in several ways:

1. The process is smoother and faster than a manual operation.
2. The robot eliminated a difficult to fill employee position by doing the heavy lifting.
3. Employee health problems and injuries associated with heavy lifting are eliminated.
4. The vibrator packs the bags flatter, allowing more bags per pallet.

The customer should expect this palletizing robot system to pay for itself in less than eighteen months.

Popularity: 67% [?]