The processes in the packaging industry have become more complex and demanding. This, in addition to the fact that most aspects of packaging tasks are inherently repetitive, has led to a rise in challenges that small businesses in the industry face.
The increase in complexity of tasks increases the likelihood that employees will make mistakes. Since a small packaging business has to handle different shapes and types of materials, it also means that tasks take longer, especially when you consider the time spent changing between processes. Furthermore, the repetitive nature of these tasks has also led to an increase in incidences of musculoskeletal injuries.
Collaborative robots offer the best solutions for most of these challenges. These robots are incredibly fast, can work non-stop, and can also work alongside human beings. In fact, one of the things that make them really effective packaging robots is the fact that they are highly flexible. The following are characteristics that make it ideal for use in the execution of packaging tasks.
Easy re-programmability
In the current environment, a small business in the packaging industry has to be able to handle different pallets on a moment’s notice. Furthermore, it also has to be able to deal with different types of packaging materials and be able to cut out different shapes accurately.
Collaborative robots are not just easy to program. They are also easy to reprogram. There is also the fact that they can be programmed to handle different tasks at the same time. This added flexibility makes them perfectly suited to handle the challenges facing small businesses in the packaging sector. It allows them to be able to handle complex tasks without necessarily compromising the quality of their work. It also decreases the number of human workers that these companies have to keep on payroll in order to execute several tasks.
Light in weight
This is a feature that makes it easy to move the robot from one section of the production line to another. Being light in weight means that a business can be able to deploy the robots to different sections faster, something that definitely reduces the amount of downtime that is normally associated with redeployment. This is something that usually goes a long way towards making the packaging process more efficient.
Relatively smaller in size
When compared to traditional robotic systems, collaborative robots are relatively smaller in size. This is an advantage that allows for greater flexibility since it means that a business will have more space for other activities that don’t require the robot’s direct input. It means that a business can have enough extra space to handle large boxes and also allow for several processes in the production line to be executed at the same time without worrying about space constraints.
Another advantage of the small size characteristic of cobots is the fact that it allows it to be able to move freely on the floor. This is so especially in the case of autonomous robots. These robots can be able to move freely on skids, something that makes them capable of loading, palletizing, cutting, and doing other packaging-related work without needing to be guided. Since small businesses tend to operate mainly in relatively smaller spaces, this level of automation is only possible because of the relatively smaller sizes of cobots.
Use of different end-effectors
Collaborative robots are incredibly flexible mainly because they can use different types of end effectors. They can use different arm types. They can also use arms powered by different technologies. This flexibility allows these robots to be able to perform different tasks flawlessly. It also makes them capable of handling different types, sizes, and shapes of products with precision.
The added flexibility that comes with being able to use different end effectors makes it possible for small businesses to pivot from one sector to another. As a result, it usually makes a difference in a small business’s ability to survive in an ever-changing market.
Photograph by Michal Jarmoluk