IDM ¦ Packaging
Only the best for children: that's what system integrator
MODU System in Malaysia thought, too, and has opted
for a KR DELTA from KUKA. The high-speed robot in
the Hygienic Machine version is perfect for its task:
distributing dosing spoons for baby food quickly and hygienically.
And the KR DELTA can do even more.
Increased hygiene requirements, sustainable
solutions
Hygiene is an elementary component of food safety – and is a
challenge in the food industry. Among the important points are
increased hygiene requirements for production areas, cleaning
and disinfection of surfaces and equipment, but also a trained and
healthy staff. Malaysian system integrator MODU System aims to
support the industry with its robot-based automation solutions.
The company is getting help from KUKA, which has the ideal robot
for these requirements on offer: the KR DELTA. "We want our
customers to have confidence in us," says Rajinderjit Singh, regional
manager of MODU System. "That's why we have invested a
lot of resources in technology development and work closely with
partners like KUKA to find a more sustainable solution."
Pick and Place: How the spoons fall
This solution is located in Klang, west of Kuala Lumpur. Two KR
DELTA pick up dosing spoons from a conveyor belt and place them
on a second belt into open conveyor bags. These in turn consist
of a food bag containing baby food. Next to the bag is a free area
with a sticker including a bar code. "If the robot detects the free
area via the camera, it knows to place a spoon there," Singh says.
Then another machine pushes the bag and spoon into a box. But if
the bag covers the label, then no spoon is placed, because otherwise
40 · September/October 2022 ¦ international-dairy.com
there could be a jam in the machine during packaging. What
sounds relatively simple is actually an interplay of different systems
that go hand in hand.
KR DELTA scores in the food industry
"Of course, the focus is on the KR DELTA, which can come into direct
contact with food thanks to its stainless steel body," explains
KUKA employee Lim Jia Ming. The robot's corrosion-resistant
stainless steel body is designed to meet German LFGB and US FDA
food standards. It also meets European CE certification, American
UL certification and German TÜV safety function certification.
The robot is protected against dust and moisture according to IP
67 protection class and can therefore also be cleaned under high
pressure and with alkaline or acidic cleaning agents – which is perfect
for the food industry from a hygiene point of view.
Up to 80 spoons per minute
But it is not only its appearance that is impressive; the KR DELTA is
also extremely fast: with a cycle time of up to 0.5 seconds, the KR
DELTA is ideally suited for pick-and-place tasks. "The two robots
thus manage around 80 trays per minute," says Jia Ming. At the
same time, they work extremely precisely: possible manual errors
can thus be avoided. Before automation, this process step was
carried out manually at the baby food manufacturer – a potential
source of danger. With the robot in the Hygienic Machine version,
this is an all-round hygienic work step. In addition, the entire
solution is very space-saving. The two robots are mounted on
the ceiling above the conveyor belts and each has an installation
area of just 350 mm in diameter. One of the biggest challenges at
the beginning was the precise calibration. After all, this is what is
needed before the two robots can precisely grip the trays at speed.
Kuka
Dosing spoons for baby food
"The system is very easy to operate, looks good and the
clear stainless steel robot design convinces our customer
from the food industry. I am very satisfied with it."
Rajinderjit Singh, Regional Manager MODU System
/international-dairy.com
