Robots are the way forward for fresh produce packers, according to Abar Automation.
The packaging machinery specialist has developed a “gentle fruit handling” picker and packer from a model previously used only on potatoes.
Brian Hill, on the Abar stand at PPMA, said robots will continue to outshine conventional machines.
He said: “The flexibility of robots saves packers time and money, and this is important because supermarkets regularly change their specifications.
“While a conventional machine is built for a specific purpose, and designed for right or left-handed operators, a robot is completely adaptable, and can be easily converted or re-programmed.”
Hills added that one robot can be positioned on the end of two production lines for cost-effective use and an efficient output.
He said: “Robots are cheaper than conventional machines, with payback between 12-18 months.”
The mean time between failure (MTBF) for robots is 60,000 hours - and this is much better than conventional machines, according to Hill.
He said: “The degradation in performance in conventional machines can be a matter of weeks, and the engineering costs are high. But robots, which can be operated with a simple stop and start button once they have been programmed, will always operate as they did on day one.”
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