CONTROL & AUTOMATION BESPOKE AUTOMATION
FANUC
Fanuc support helps samey robotics to revolutionise fresh fish supply chain
A 22-year partnership with leading industrial robot manufacturer FANUC has been hailed as a key factor in Icelandic firm Samey Robotics ’ role in revolutionising the international supply chain for fresh fish . Specialising in the design , manufacture and installation of bespoke automation for the food processing industry , Samey Robotics has delivered over 150 projects across 10 countries including Iceland , Norway , the Faroe Islands and the UK . At the heart of many of its tailored solutions is FANUC ’ s M-410 series of industrial palletising robots , renowned for its ability to handle heavy items , such as pallets of fresh produce . With over 100 FANUC M-410 robots already purchased by Samey Robotics ( including 25 in 2021 alone ), the company currently has a further 25 on order .
“ We know we can trust FANUC products to deliver time and time again in harsh operating environments while handling delicate and high-margin fresh produce ,” says Kristjan Karl Adalsteinsson , Samey Robotics ’ Chief Sales & Marketing Officer .
JUST-IN-TIME SUPPLY CHAIN
Samey Robotics was founded 32 years ago , just south of Reykjavik in Iceland ; a country renowned for its seafood . During this time , the company has built a reputation for delivering robust robotic systems that promote the safe , efficient and fast handling of fresh fish .
The M-410 series is renowned for its ability to handle heavy items , such as pallets of fresh produce , allowing fish to land , be processed and shipped to a customer within just 24 hours
Blazing a trail for other food sectors to follow , Samey Robotics has revolutionised the fresh fish supply chain , with distribution handled by automated centres supported by robotics . In many cases , fish may be landed , processed and shipped to the customer within just 24 hours , meaning every second counts .
“ An order can be placed in London , logged onto one of our customers ’ operating systems in Iceland or another coastal country , and a robot will automatically start feeding the raw produce into the production cell ,” explains Kristjan . “ In less than an hour , it will be palletised and on its way to being shipped , without anyone having to send an email , take a phone call or make a decision as to when to start or stop the system . The whole process , from order to delivery , is fully automated .”
As well as the ability to gently and rapidly handle large quantities of fresh produce , it is imperative that any robotic solutions specified by Samey Robotics are also robust and reliable . “ Given the nature of our clients ’ supply chain , the fish will spoil if production stops for any length of time ,” states Kristjan . “ Some of our customers handle up to 500 tonnes of fresh produce per day , so unexpected downtime is simply not an option . The reliability of FANUC robots has been a huge factor in our joint success .”
With over 100 FANUC M-410 robots already purchased by Samey Robotics ( including 25 in 2021 alone ), the company currently has a further 25 on order
A CHANGING MARKET
A perfect storm of rising labour costs , post-Covid digital transformation and affordable automation has helped drive a surge in industrial robot installations throughout the food and beverage processing industry . In fact , the number of industrial robots installed in European food processing applications is set to double in the 10 years from 2015 to 2025 ,
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