ROBOTS AS MASTER BUTCHERS
An innovative solution for processing
pork and removing bones from pork legs
can be seen in this Japanese system,
which incorporates three Stäubli sixaxis
RX160 HE robots operating as
master butchers. The specifications for
robotics in a meat factory could not be
more onerous. Chief among them are
the strict hygiene requirements that
apply to the handling of fresh meat.
In addition, expectations in terms of
speed, precision and flexibility are
set high, as no fewer than 500 pork
legs enter and leave the line each
hour. The functionality of the robots
operating within this system are at
the highest levels possible, given the
special conditions prevailing in the meat
processing industry. Also, because
no one piece of pork is the same as
another, flexibility is required to allow
high-speed processing
Simon Jenkins expands on the
capabilities of this system: “This
system clearly demonstrates what
the latest generation technologies
are capable of and therefore what
can be achieved here in the UK. In this
application, an X-ray system is used
to detect the position of the bones
within the meat, and the exact incision
line for the robots is then calculated.
A perfect solution, but one that is also
subject to the vagaries of the meat
processing industry. The fact that
the meat hanging on its hook is liable
to shift its position on the overhead
conveyor within certain limits means
that the robots must operate in a highly
coordinated way to achieve the correct
cut and avoid the bones.”
The de-boning system represents a
high level application of robots within
the food sector, however there are also
many other less complex applications,
such as handling and packing products,
where robots can be used to address
the numerous issues facing the UK’s
food manufacturers.
Of course, this will require investment
by manufacturers, and historically
the traditional short term view on
payback on capital projects is often
cited as a reason to avoid investing in
new equipment or technology such
as robotics or automation. Taking
an alternative view, either on the
duration of the payback period and
/ or considering flexible financing
options such as hire or leasing, may
open the door to the introduction of
the technology which could potentially
transform productivity levels.
Improvements as a result of this
investment may actually contribute
to the security of contracts with
customers and ultimately the long term
future of the business. The flexibility of
robots, for example, allows them to be
used for new products or new contracts
and their inherent reliability means
that they will provide years of service.
Having this type of technology in place
when bidding for new contracts can also
differentiate suppliers and provide a
competitive advantage.
www.staubli.com
FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 51