It will probably be years before we fully understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed business practices and operations. However, one area where its impact can be clearly seen is the increased use of robotics on the factory floor. say Maya Xiao, Senior Analyst at Interact Analysis, “The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent labor shortages and rising wage costs have turbo-automated factories across a wide range of industrial sectors.”
In North America, the robotics market experienced its best quarter ever in Q1-2022. That’s according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), which reports that companies from the US, Canada and Mexico ordered 11,595 industrial robots in that time period – a 28% increase over Q1-2021. Revenue increased by 43% and reached a value of 664 million dollars. “Across all industries, the post-COVID boom generated double-digit growth during the same quarter last year,” notes IFR President Milton Guerry.
Referring to the packaging market, a new report from PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, titled, “Robots and Cobots 2022 An Automated Future”, shows that 54% of respondents spent more on robotics in 2022 versus 2019, at 29%. The report also notes that the majority of consumer packaged goods manufacturers — 84% — are using robotics along their production lines today, and 93% of participants predicted they would use robotics on their production floor in five years. future.
According to the report, among the top five gains CPGs expect when adding robots are a reduction in repetitive work and tasks (90%), an increase in speed and productivity (78%), repeatable quality and consistent product handling (67 %). , improved operator safety (51%) and minimization of waste and human error (33%).
Along with labor shortages, advances in robot payloads, end-of-arm tools (EOAT), Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, vision, hygienic construction and other innovations are helping to fuel the robot boom. In part I of The world of packagingIn the Annual Robotics Report, we explore some of the technologies driving the use of robots in the primary applications of food and pharmaceutical packaging, case packing and palletizing.
Read the following sections of the report to learn more:
Robots reduce labor, increase product safety in primary food packaging
OEMs introduce new delta robots designed to meet IP69K ratings and with improved vision and EoAT systems to handle pick and place functions in food packaging applications.
Hygienic features of robots, pharmaceutical applications Precision Spur
A number of new robotic technologies meet the pharmaceutical industry’s need for greater automation, providing solutions for capping, pick and place, and other processes.
Tape packaging robots boast flexibility, efficiency and speed
Nearly half of CPGs in a new study report using robots for secondary packaging processes. New robotic technology for packing club stores and packing container boxes and lids gives them new opportunities.
Ease of use, Programming are desktop shares for palletizing robots
Seventy-five percent of CPGs are now using robotics for end-of-line packaging operations. A new palletizer from Iris Factory Automation using a Kawasaki robot meets the growing need for robotics that are flexible and easy to use.
Six-axis robots gently depalletize, clean cosmetic bottles
Italian contract manufacturer Cosmint installs a new robotic depalletizing cell designed to clean and manipulate high-end, pre-printed cosmetic bottles without leaving a scratch.