Food Technology Seminar to focus on robotics

Delegates will also be shown 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 PickMaster 5 for palletising applications.

Workshops on ABB's intelligent programming software will also be held on the day. They 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 robot's health and record key performance data while working in a production environment.

Speakers

Key speakers including ABB's global segment manager for the food industry Peter Cuypers and a senior representative from the Food Processing Faraday Partnership Limited will be sharing their expertise. Customers within this industry who have already integrated robot technology into their own manufacturing processes will also relate their first-hand experiences.

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 enhance productivity and flexibility in high throughput production lines. With stainless steel options for hygiene and washdown applications, the IRB360 is suitable for use in both high- and low-risk areas of the production process.

The seminar will also demonstrate ABB's other robots for packing and palletising. 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, a fast four-axis machine, combines a 3.15m reach with a 250kg payload, providing the versatility, reach and handling capacity to meet the demands of the market.

ABB's Global Partner Program

Delegates will be able to find out more about ABB's Global Partner Program (GPP), which is aimed at creating targeted robotic products 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 products 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 world wide, 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.

For more information on ABB's Food Technology Seminar, email [email protected] or call +44 (0)1908 350 300, quoting Food Technology Seminar.