Fast automation with the tog.519 from Schubert

In times of widespread labour shortages, which can lead to production bottlenecks, intelligent solutions are required. this can lead to production bottlenecks. With the tog.519 cobot, Gerhard Schubert now offers a hassle-free and highly flexible technology to efficiently close automation gaps. The mobile robot is an entirely autonomous system that can be set up at any location in production. Either free-standing or in a protective cell, alternatively combined to form an entire cobot line or even to supplement third-party systems and robots from other manufacturers.

A cobot using a suction gripper to pick up and sort packets on a blue conveyor belt.

Picking up unsorted products using pick & place tools immediately eliminates the need for the otherwise time-consuming product pre-sortation – making the entire packaging process more efficient.

Picking unsorted products eliminates the need for upstream sortation

At speeds of up to 90 cycles, the tog.519 unerringly picks up unsorted products and places them down at the designated position. Schubert’s image processing system, supported by a trained neural network is what enables this. No programming is required as the cobot “sees” what it has to do thanks to AI. This opens up a wide range of applications, with the pick & place approach to working with unsorted products immediately making the otherwise time-consuming pre-separation of products obsolete. As a result, the entire packaging process is made more efficient – regardless of whether bare products such as pasta, bars packed in flowpacks or tins of pet food are being picked.

For example, the tog.519 can pre-group products, load the infeed of a flow-wrapping machine, feed fragile chocolate figures into a wrapping machine, fill boxes and trays of all kinds or create a wide variety of mixed packs. Customised pick & place tools ensure safe, gentle handling. Cobots are ideal for offline applications outside a packaging line, as well as for manufacturers who often produce small batch sizes and require a high degree of flexibility for their product range.

Pick and place of a chocolate figure against a blue background.

The tog.519 can also feed fragile chocolate figures to a wrapping machine, with 3D-printed pick & place tools ensuring gentle handling.

Flexible, fast switching between products

Packaging processes carried out using one or more cobots are a lean and comparatively cost-effective solution – in particular for end-of-line packaging – which can be quickly adapted to new processes time and time again. This is especially worthwhile for confectionery producers who frequently introduce new products with a short life cycle to the market. During test phases, Schubert cobots can easily take over the packaging of the new goods without the need for major retooling and without having to immediately invest in a specialised packaging system. It reduces financial risk and offers the option of waiting until the new product is established on the market and the purchase of a larger system becomes economically viable.

A packaging robot from the manufacturer Schubert, model tog.519, mounted on a conveyor belt and enclosed by a transparent safety cover.

The cobot is an entirely autonomous system that can be set up at any location in production. Either free-standing or in a protective cell, alternatively combined to form an entire cobot line or even to supplement third-party systems and robots from other manufacturers.

Successful operation and comprehensive consulting

In the food sector, the tog.519 from Schubert is already proving itself in the packaging of oat bars and chocolate bars into cardboard boxes – for single-variety and mixed packs. Feeding chocolate figures to a wrapping machine is also being planned. The practical experience gained with the Schubert cobot in other sectors, such as cosmetics and pet food, can be easily transferred to the specific requirements of confectionery manufacturers. Schubert advises its customers comprehensively before deciding on a packaging solution with cobots and, of course, takes the entire production process and possible future requirements into consideration. This is the best way to assess whether cobot technology can be a sensible and cost-effective packaging solution for the customer.

Industries

Schubert Group

Packaging food with cobots - flexibly and cost-effectively