Anne Marie Mohan

ESS Technologies uses three Fanuc robots to collate more than 160 cosmetic tubes/min for feeding to a case packer.

Robotics Special Report: Vision Enables Tube Picking/Placing at 160/min

A new SCARA robotic cell developed for the collation of cosmetic tubes uses vision software and specially designed end-of-arm tooling.

ABB’s new IRB 390 FlexPacker delta robot for e-commerce applications will be launched at the end of 2020.

Robotics Special Report: E-Commerce Requires new Solutions

New robot technology addresses the specific needs of e-commerce packaging, including mixed pallet loads, labor challenges, and a variety of secondary packaging formats.

In fall of 2019, Columbia/Okura and Universal Robots developed the miniPAL, a mobile palletizing cobot integrating Universal Robot’s UR10e.

Robotics Special Report: Cobots Continue to Advance

According to a PMMI robot report, cobots accounted for about 3% of all robot sales in North America in 2017; by 2025, that number is expected to increase to 34%. Here are some of the new cobot technologies driving that growth.

Dr. Will's BEFORE the redesign

Bold Punctuation on Condiment Label Compels Consumers to Stop and Think

An attention-grabbing exclamation-point logo for U.K. condiment brand Dr. Will’s dominates new graphics for the packaging of its all-natural ketchup, mayo, and BBQ sauce.

More from Anne Marie Mohan

Premier Tech has developed the PSR robotic solution to speed the sorting of nuts at the final stage of the conditioning process.

Robotics Special Report: Addressing Labor Shortages can ‘Help Feed the World’

Robot manufacturer develops a system to alleviate the lack of labor in the nut industry that can sort nuts at the final stage of the conditioning process.

The interior illustration depicts the animals of the Royal Menagerie attending a coronation celebration surrounded by the precious Royal Regalia at the Tower of London.

A Jewel of a Presentation Box for Royal Salute Whisky

A new addition to the Royal Salute whisky range, The Treasured Blend gets a presentation box with double-door design that opens to a stunning, gold foil menagerie fit for a queen.

Nesquick packaging AFTER the redesign

Nesquik Bunny Quiky Reimagined for Brand Expansion

Facing competition in the RTD category, Nesquik updates its packaging to emphasize its nutritional value for all ages, resulting in a more mature, silhouetted bunny mascot.

Quest developed a flexible robotic system to load meat and poultry into an Ossid ReeForm E40 thermoformer.

Robotics Special Report: Food-Safe Solutions Emerge

New opportunities for the direct and indirect handling of foods emerge as manufacturers begin developing robots for handling unpacked goods.

Getty Images Resized

Hand Sanitizer Spike Here to Stay

U.K. co-packers’ association reports that inquiries for personal care items rocketed by more than 500% shortly after the coronavirus lockdown was implemented.

CP/CMs Navigate COVID-19

Sean Riley, Senior Director, Media and Industry Communications for PMMI, speaks with CPA Managing Director Ron Puvak about how COVID-19 has affected the co-pack/co-man industry.

Kawasaki Robotics Trend Manager failure prediction software is designed to help companies avoid unexpected downtime by allowing them to predict failures and fix issues before loss of production.

Robotics Special Report: Big Data is the New Currency

New software systems for robotics collect and analyze data to increase OEE, protect against cyberattacks, and predict failures.

At PACK EXPO Las Vegas in fall 2019, Syntegon’s Pack 102 horizontal flow wrapper with three Fanuc robots was demonstrated loading meal kits.

Robotics Special Report: Vision for the Future

New vision systems for robotics, including 2D and 3D machine vision, enable broader packaging applications.

The Spider 200i from BluePrint Automation uses a multi-axis robot to pick snack bags on-the-fly and vertically case pack them into a cassette that forms a vertical pack pattern.

Robotics Special Report: Mass Customization Demands Flexibility

A growing omnichannel environment requires that CPGs have the flexibility to produce a range of package sizes and styles. Automation provides that capability.