Copyright © GEA Food Solutions Germany GmbH 2024 – All rights reserved
Success by the slice – at top speed
Development support for GEA Food Solutions Germany GmbH
GEA Food Solutions Germany GmbH is a leading global system provider of process technologies and solutions for the food industry. In order to operate more efficiently and flexibly in the highly competitive food processing environment, the company wanted to further automate its own packaging lines. GEA was looking for a robot picker solution that combines maximum automation and high flexibility.
Mechanical engineering / Fully automatic cutting, loading and packaging systems for foodstuffs
GEA Food Solutions Germany GmbH
Copyright © GEA Food Solutions Germany GmbH 2024 – All rights reserved
Die Einführung des GEA OptiRobot 6000 hat es uns ermöglicht, unsere Produktionslinien auf ein neues Effizienzniveau zu heben und gleichzeitig die Flexibilität zu bewahren, die unsere Kunden erwarten.
Maximilian Fikentscher, Product Manager Loading, GEA Food Solutions Germany GmbH
The challenge
Many of GEA’s customers use its systems for the production and packaging of sliced products. In order to be able to react more quickly and flexibly to changing end customer requirements, there was a repeated request for a standard machine that could be used to produce differently shaped portions and arrangements of sliced products without long set-up times.
GEA wanted to provide such a system and commissioned robomotion to develop and integrate the necessary robotic elements. As a member of the development team, our specialists primarily contributed their expertise in pick-and-place automation.
The solution
robomotion GmbH developed the GEA OptiRobot 6000 on the basis of KUKA Hygienic DELTA robots.
A well thought-out concept and a precise material flow design are crucial at the beginning so that the requirements for automation and product handling can be fully realized. The selection of conveyor technology, the arrangement of components and the development of an intelligent buffer system that returns products to the cycle and ensures a minimal footprint play a central role.
We used fast and flexible Kuka Hygienic Delta robots to implement the process. We used the Kuka Pick Control system to precisely coordinate the robots, image processing, conveyor belts and gripper mechanisms. Thanks to our experienced programmers, we were able to successfully implement the high requirements for the high-speed pick-and-place application in the control system. We developed and designed 3D-printed grippers with a quick-change system in hygienic design, which are highly flexible and suitable for different products, portioning and pack sizes. The intelligent buffer system minimizes loading downtimes and significantly increases efficiency.
Our powerful image processing solution, roboVision, based on advanced Halcon algorithms, reliably detects objects. It identifies and tracks objects regardless of size, shape or position and, thanks to integrated full HD cameras, ensures a high level of detail that further increases the precision of the overall system.
