MU May / June 2015

36 MACHINERY UPDATE MAY/JUNE 2015 www.machineryupdate.co.uk
Feature: Confectionery
Machinery Update
talks to Pacepacker
about end-effectors
Robotic end-effectors
are a hotbed for
innovation in pick and
place lines right now,
says Paul Wilkinson,
business development manager at
Pacepacker Services, and attached
to each is a powerful vacuum system
that delivers the suction required
to move products ranging from
individual chocolates to heavy
bags of icing sugar in an efficient
and controlled manner. And in
practice, any type of end-tooling,
from suction caps to grippers,
clamshells or magnets can work
with these vacuum systems.
As the range of product
variations emerging from
confectionery factories continues
to grow, the use of vacuum
systems within this sector is also
rising due to their flexibility.
Confectionery manufacturers can
opt for multi-use end-effectors
which can perform multiple
tasks which results in fewer tool
changeovers. Vacuum systems also
address previous concerns over
post suction marking on delicate
products, explains Wilkinson.
The design of a vacuum system has
to take into account many factors. As
well as the size, weight and texture of
the load being handled, automation
engineers need to consider everything
from operating pressure and the
size and type of generator systems,
to gravitational and acceleration
forces. “Generally speaking you
can lift almost anything by vacuum
providing you get the science right and
calculate the holding force and suction
pad diameter correctly,” he says.
Vacuum handling specialists
will have vital knowledge and
experience and can provide anything
from pumps, cups, generators
and pneumatic pump sets. With
a choice of hundreds of various
end-effectors to accommodate
different products as well as lots of
different configurations it is vital
that manufacturers and systems
integrators work with vacuum
experts to determine the most
Vacuum is a
great option
There’s a choice
of thousands of
end-effectors to
suit individual
products and
lots of different
configurations
appropriate automated vacuum
handling solution to suit their
specific requirements.
The first phase of any pick and
place installation is to specify the
right system for the job. Generally
speaking, there are four categories
to choose from, each offering
particular benefits depending on
the application and manufacturing
sector. Within each, there are
also a huge variety of suction pad
options, which can accommodate
different products and suit all sorts
of automation configurations.
Users can choose from a vacuum
You can lift anything by
vacuum providing you get
the science/calculations right
pump, a high air flow pump, a
vacuum generator or the so-called
Bernoulli pump.
Having selected the most
appropriate vacuum system,
manufacturers have a choice of
over 1,000 end-effectors. In terms
of popularity, the vacuum gripper
offers the greatest flexibility as
the valves can be tailored to the
specific product being picked.
Suited for gripping and handling
small objects with flat, slightly
concave or convex surfaces,
another benefit of vacuum grippers
is they can be multi-functional.
Suction cups, also part of the
vacuum range, tend to be used
for handling individual products,
while the ‘Octopus’ head – a
bar-like vacuum system – can
be used for palletising tasks.
T 01371 811544
W www.pacepacker.com