Big pickings with ABB
By Canadian Packaging Staff
General Bagging/Weighing Robotics ABB ABB FlexPicker ABB Robotics AGG Group Delta robots PickMaster3 softwareABB adds eight kilogram model to IRB 360 FlexPicker line, expanding high speed picking and packing performance to heavier items.
AUBURN HILLS, Michigan—ABB Robotics has added an eight-kilogram model to its IRB 360 FlexPicker line, supplementing the existing one- and three kilogram models and expanding the high-speed picking and packing performance of the Delta robot in the industry to heavier items.
The stronger model handles up to 100 cycles per minute, featuring the smallest footprint of all Delta robots with payloads greater than three kilograms.
With over 5,000 worldwide installations since 1997, the FlexPicker has been a leader in state-of-the-art picking and packing technology, providing greater flexibility and versatility than hard automation. The eight-kilogram version of the IRB 360 robot has been re-engineered to handle higher payloads and improved pick-and-place performance.
The new design includes a redesigned carbon fiber arm-set, a new delta plate designed to handle larger weights and inertias, and improved motion tuning. The new eight-kilogram unit also features a deeper (350 mm) work envelope than the other 1130 mm reach FlexPicker models.
“The eight-kilogram FlexPicker provides a robust solution for handling larger individual products, and, in multi-product pick applications, more products can be handled per cycle,” says ABB Robotics, North America consumer products segment manager Rick Tallian. “This new model will provide our customers a wider range of high speed picking robots and improve the overall productivity of the robotic system. For specific applications, such as picking and placing flow wrapped products into cartons, the IRB 360 eight-kilogram version has the ability to handle up to 500 products per minute.”
The upgrade expands the IRB 360 FlexPicker’s other existing advantages, such as a hygienic design for wash down applications, and superior conveyor tracking performance, including tracking high-speed indexing conveyor belts.
The ABB FlexPicker is designed for operation in sanitary environments, and the stainless steel IPK69 rated model withstands the most stringent cleaning operations associated with sanitary product handling. Multiple variants of work envelopes (800, 1130 and 1600 mm), payloads (one-, three and eight-kilogram) are available, all with environmental protection options to meet most application requirements.
In addition to handling flow wrapped products, the IRB 360 FlexPicker is ideal for the direct picking and placing of unwrapped food products and pharmaceuticals into primary wrappers; loading meat products into trays; and kitting of personal care products and medical devices into blister packs.
ABB’s PickMaster3 software can be utilized for many of these applications, integrating advanced vision guidance and inspection capabilities to the process.
About ABB
ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 145,000 people.
ABB Robotics is a leading supplier of industrial robots—also providing robot software, peripheral equipment, modular manufacturing cells and service for tasks such as welding, handling, assembly, painting and finishing, picking, packing, palletizing and machine tending.
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