Given the current economic climate, many manufacturers and packers have put a freeze on new machine purchases. Yet in one area – robotics – the opposite seems to be true. 

In fact, companies looking to make cost savings are warming up to the idea that robots are one of the quickest ways of boosting productivity and reducing labour costs. Nigel Platt, sales and marketing manager with ABB’s UK robotics division, says: We’ve sold more robots in quarter one this year than we’ve ever sold in a quarter before. I think that tells a story in itself.

Other companies involved in the supply and integration of robots might not be quite as bullish about the present state of the market, but most agree that sales are continuing on an even keel.

Cama 3, a division of the Italian-based Cama Group, says it hasn’t yet seen a decline in enquiries for robotic equipment,
and RTS Flexible Systems managing director Dave Bradford says after a difficult year last year, its order book has been filling up with food industry projects during the first few months of this year.

Some of the major UK food groups have got fairly definite plans to put in more automation, he says. Everyone needs to eat so I don’t think food has been as badly affected as some non-food industries.

His view is echoed by Fanuc Robotics sales and marketing manager Maurice Hanley, who says: Working with our strategic partner network, sales have increased into the food sector by approximately 30% over the past 12 months.
Some argue that it is not because of the recession that robot sales are on the rise, but that it’s part of an ongoing automation trend. The benefits of robots and the need for flexible automation had been realised by larger food manufacturers long before the credit crunch hit home, says Hanley. End-of-line palletising robots are essential to major manufacturers to maximise efficiency.

Similarly, Steve Levitt, applications engineer with Sewtec Automation, notes: While the economic downturn has undoubtedly highlighted the importance of companies becoming as lean and efficient as possible, this has in reality been a key requirement for most businesses for many years and will continue to drive the move towards more automated and robotic systems.

Automatic or the people?
While it’s clear that a gradual automation drive has been taking place in the packaging industry for some years now, it is also true that the recession has given many companies the nudge they needed to take the plunge. I think the general uncertainty about the future is offering manufacturers a choice – a do-or-die option, says ABB’s Platt. It’s automate or run the risk of not being competitive.

When you look at the benefits of using robots for packing applications, it’s easy to understand why companies would opt to automate. For starters, most machines pay for themselves within a couple of years, and the maths is looking more attractive than ever. Between 1990 and 2007 the hourly wage of an unskilled worker went up by 105%. In the same period the real price of robots came down by 48%. So return on investment is much shorter now than it was a decade ago, says Platt.

While the labour savings alone are enough to convince some companies, there are other benefits to replacing people with robots. These include reduced operating costs, increased production output rates and yield, improved product quality and consistency, reduced material waste and improved workplace health and safety.

But it seems these arguments are not enough to convince everyone. As Chris Rayner, operations director at Cama 3, says, there are still some companies that have chosen not to spend any money and instead stick with the equipment they’ve got.

At Pacepacker Services, although enquiries are up, they aren’t necessarily leading to orders. I think people have had their confidence knocked by the speed at which the recession has hit. That has made people cling on to the status quo for the moment to see how things turn out, says sales manager Ian Merchant.

So how are robotic equipment suppliers working to convince robot sceptics and those who prefer to err on the side of caution?  Leasing arrangements are one option, suggests ABB. I think the initial outlay puts off a lot of people, says Platt. But there are all sorts of financing options available now that should make that a bit easier for them – we can lease the equipment.

Reinforcing the flexibility of robots is another way of assuaging concerns about capital outlay. If the product line they are buying the robot for isn’t guaranteed for the long term the robot can be redeployed to do another task, says Platt. As an example, he says that a palletising robot could be reconfigured for case packing.

Robot wars
For many years, ABB has had the market for four-axis robots sewn up with its FlexPicker. However, the patent for the FlexPicker has now expired, and other manufacturers are developing their own four-axis robots. Cama, for example, has developed a four-axis robot called the Triaflex ready to go head to head with the FlexPicker.

We were able to launch that as soon as the ABB patent expired, says Rayner. The advantage to potential customers is that we design the entire packaging system – not just the robot. By contrast, ABB is just a component supplier, so we argue that companies have the added cost of integrating the FlexPicker into their machine and writing the software.
However, ABB is still confident that its four-axis robot is the best on the market Years of development go into a product like that, so for someone to catch up it’s going to be a long haul, says Platt.

The  recession means a lot of robots from the automotive industry are coming on to the market, so Pacepacker Services has tapped into that with its Blu-Robot pre-owned robot offering. There is a significant saving to be had through installing pre-owned ex-automotive industry robots for many palletising and pick and place applications, says Ian Merchant. It costs less than half the price in some cases. Most of these car industry robots are probably a third of the way through their working life, so have got many hours of serviceable life left in them.

But are they really suited to packaging applications or is this a case of square peg, round hole?

They are normally six-axis so have some movements that aren’t needed for straightforward palletising, but nonetheless you’re not paying any extra for them, Merchant says.

He admits they will not be as fast as the latest new robots, but reasons that for a lot of our customers, being able to palletise at 10-12 movements a minute is more than they’ll ever need. He openly admits such machines might not be for everyone. For example, with a two-shift 24/7 operation, companies would get a quicker return with a new robot.

But some companies are taking advantage of the secondhand market – Pacepacker is selling as many pre-owned robots as it is new ones.

Off-line simulation tools have also taken on a new lease of life, as potential buyers start to recognise their value, according to RTS’ Dave Bradford. Pre-development simulation is basically about replicating the real-life conditions on a particular line and creating, in a PC-environment, the actual robot programmes that are going to do the job.

Bradford explains: It allows us to use real-life data, like actual speeds and production flow variances, and run the robot in that scenario to prove we can achieve the output customers need. It means you have accurate data before you cut any metal and it increases the speed of on-site implementation.

Such simulation tools have been around for a few years, but the difference is that potential customers are becoming increasingly willing to spend money on this development stage.

It’s both refreshing and encouraging, says Bradford. In the past, customers were reluctant to spend money on development so we would have to put in extra when quoting to cover the development work. It helps us to keep our margins tight when we’re quoting and it gives them the confidence that we can do the work for the price we’ve quoted.

ROBOTICS ROUND-UP
• Distributed and integrated by Barr & Paatz in the UK, the new stainless steel Delta 3 from ELAU is a high-speed wash-down robot designed for food industry pick-and-place and packaging applications.

• TM Robotics has launched a range of ceiling-mounted Scara robots, designed to save floor space in the robot cell. In addition, it has introduced a range of IP65 covers which allow any Scara to be converted into an IP65 device.

• Sewtec Automation has launched a robotic top-load system for the fast and efficient packing of primary and secondary packs. The Sewtec LX5249 toploader has a facility for temporarily storing product in the event of a line stoppage.

• ABB’s FlexPicker 360 made its first UK appearance at the PPMA show. The machine is said to offer a 20% average improved cycle times of 110 picks a minute and a 50% higher payload of up to 3kg.

• Paal, the German supplier of packaging and automation technology, used Interpack 2008 to launch a fully automatic tool change system for its high-speed Elematic 6000 F-6 top loaders.