Drives and Controls January 2023

41 www.drivesncontrols.com January 2023 PACKAGING n and can increase the tension on the film. Uneven tension, in turn, causes defects during pouch-forming and sealing, such as curling, ripping, folding or misalignment. Not only do these issues make these films unworkable, they also have can generate waste, defeating the object of moving to a “greener” film. Omron has addressed this issue by developing a film tension control system which provides synchronised control of tension, feed and cut. This system is one of a series of function blocks for optimising film processing in form, fill and seal machines. An algorithm programmed into a motion control platform makes it easy for OEMs and systems integrators to build this function into their machines. Smart temperature control In sealing, temperature control is the challenge. Thinner films are very susceptible to burning and the variability of recycled films means that running the sealing system at a constant temperature will result in defects. One answer is to use AI to enable dynamic temperature control. A sensor on the sealing bar links to an adaptive algorithm in the control system that will adjust the sealing temperature automatically when it encounters variability in the material. AI-driven dynamic temperature control has potential not just on flexible film lines but in any packaging application involving heat and variable materials. There is a huge opportunity in blow-moulding. Many companies are opting to outsource blow- moulding because of the complexity of producing lightweight bottles incorporating recycled content – a slight variation in the resin composition can result in many rejects. Closed-loop temperature control can solve this problem. It is not just on primary packaging operations that manufacturers are migrating to more sustainable packaging strategies. Secondary operations, such as cartoning and palletising, are also undergoing transformation. Flexible pallets As smaller orders of multiple SKUs become the norm, one of the most obvious ways for FMCG manufacturers to make sustainability gains is to optimise the pallets they ship. However, from a palletising perspective, this can be a headache, and manufacturers will usually prefer to send two pallets rather than trying to rationalise two different products onto one pallet. This is because the algorithms of most robotic palletisers were written for pallet patterns with identical boxes. These are stand-alone programs embedded in the robotic arm controller, limiting the possibilities to work with multiple palletising layouts. Developing a way of arranging multiple layers in a pallet that could control multiple palletising stations is a major challenge. However, Omron engineers are working on it, and have improved the palletising process by embedding easy-to-use “function blocks” into automation systems that allow different layers to be set up and multiple stations to be controller from a single controller. This allows systems integrators to build flexible palletising systems without extensive reprogramming, cutting engineering, implementation and ultimately integration costs. Circularity is an important theme in sustainable packaging, so it is apt that we now come back to where we started. Through clever control and automation, oversized cartons and wasteful fillers could soon be a thing of the past. Technology has helped machine-builders to develop cartoning platforms based on cutting-edge motion controls that enables cardboard boxes to be “made-to-measure” so that products can be delivered in the right size of box. Moving to lower-impact packaging is rarely simple but, thanks to advanced automation and control technologies that support flexibility, it is achievable. n Robotic eyewear bagging system is ‘industry first’ A US specialist in e-commerce robotics claims to have commissioned the first robot designed to work with an automated mechanical bagging system to ensure that unique orders are placed into the correct bag for shipment to customers. San Francisco-based Osara has worked with the automated bagging equipment supplier Pregis to deploy three robotic bagging systems for a customer fulfilment centre in Northern California where the online eyewear specialist Zenni packs pairs of glasses into bags, ready for dispatch. Previously Zenni – the US online eyewear market-leader, which has sold more than 45 million pairs of glasses since 2003 – relied on a team of workers capable of handling ten orders per minute. Accuracy is essential to ensuring that the right order gets to the right customer. “We are focused on quality and innovation,” says, Zenni’s director of distribution and facilities Simon Goh. “With a mountain of online orders and a persistent shortage of labour, we looked to Osaro to take us to the leading edge of technology to be sure our customers receive fast and accurate processing.” The project uses pick-and-place robots to perform complex tasks that demand visual acuity, precision and dexterity. Vision and grasping technologies enable the robots to perform the piece- picking task, in which each order is associated with a customer’s prescription. “The stakes are high here: special- order, high-value items that must be bagged and labelled correctly to ensure they are sent to the right customers” points out Osaro CEO, Derik Pridmore. Using robots to handle e- commerce processing can reduce labour turnover and staff shortages that are challenges in the rapidly growing e-commerce fulfilment sector. Zenni is using pick-and-place robots to perform the complex task of placing pairs of glasses in bags for shipment to customers. (Photo: Business Wire)