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66 MACHINERY UPDATE JULY/AUGUST 2018 www.machineryupdate.co.uk
Feature: Automation, robotics and vision
Get more grip
on your bottles
Yaskawa has developed an efficient, flexible and
safe bottle gripping system for today’s bottlers
Bottles are picked up with secure hold and
controlled movements made at high speed
AirGrip has been developed
by Yaskawa for use with
Motoman robots to meet the
demands of today’s bottling
plants for flexible and efficient
gripping systems. The combination of
industrial robots equipped with robust
rubber grippers is designed to ensure safe
handling of bottles at very high speeds
without damaging the screw caps.
The AirGrip gripper tool meets
the increasing demand for a flexible
The system works across many bottle sizes
application in bottling plants where the
same basic concept can be used for both
small and large applications and for a
wide variety of purposes. The bottles are
lifted by compressed air with minimal
mechanical stress which also helps to
reduce maintenance requirements.
And because the cuffs are open at the top,
there is no restriction in bottle height.
These cuffs are available in five
standard sizes which cover most
popular bottle sizes from 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and
2 litres while customised designs are
also possible.
IMPROVED PROCESS EFFICIENCY
In one bottling application for a major soft
drinks manufacturer, 1.5 litre PET bottles
are being handled at a rate of 47,000
bottles per hour. Other sites where the
system has improved the efficiency of
the bottling process include a number
of major European breweries in Sweden
and in Norway.
AirGrip is available as a basic model in
which the rubber gripping cuffs can be
replaced when worn by simply unlocking
and pulling out the gripping head
compartment without the need for
special tools.
The technology can be adapted to meet
the requirements of individual production
lines, speeds and product development.
Yaskawa says this enables production to be
more easily adjusted to meet the varying
demands of the market while ensuring that
high standards of reliability are met.
Depending on the application,
for example handling trays from a
pallet, or bottles into trays, the AirGrip
concept includes a Motoman-MPL160,
or Motoman-MPL80 robot, the AirGrip
device, a conveyor, a pallet magazine
and an operator’s control panel.
When the requirement is bottles into
trays, a configuration table replaces
the pallet magazine.
Either way, AirGrip makes sure that the
bottles are picked up with a secure hold
and controlled movements are possible
at high speeds. In addition to these
benefits, AirGrip requires little
maintenance, is easy to operate and
requires only a small footprint.
T 01295 272755
W www.yaskawa.eu.com
Expert technical support at the push of a button
The financial impact of breakdowns and unscheduled
engineering support can escalate quickly in the event
of critical system failure.
In your time of need, you can now have on demand
access to expert technical support. Simply push the
button for an immediate response.
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astecsolutions.com | +44 1543 888134 | info@astecsolutions.com
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