Alstrut, a Chennai-based company, offers robotics and end of line automation solutions to various manufacturing segments across India in the automobile, auto-component, FMCG, food, packaging and pharmaceutical industries. The company showcased its new Cobotizur product at PackPlus Expo 2019 in New Delhi. The new launch has applications specifically in the FMCG, food and pharmaceutical industry.
Palletizer with a collaborative robot
To develop this product, Alstrut partnered with Denmark-based robotic arm provider, Universal Robots. Speaking about the launch, Anuj Bihani, managing director at Alstrut India said, “The UR10 collaborative robot from universal robots is a new kind of robot that comes with all the necessary features required to work in close proximity to the worker.”
He further added, “Most of the robots in the industry work in a caged environment where people are not supposed to come close to them as it could be fatal. The Cobotizur, however, is designed in a way that allows the palletizer to be installed into an existing line without the need for additional guarding or fencing, thus making the installation extremely simple and effective.”
Portable with simple set-up
Bihani explained, “With this Cobotizur anyone can start palletizing without having any prior expertise or programming knowledge. A simple three-point calibration is all that is needed. With the help of the touch-panel interface, users can enter the dimensions and weigh all the SKUs. It can store over 200 SKU types. It is a portable solution, which allows the palletizing solution to be relocated easily within the plant or factory.”
The platform approach of providing a plug and produce equipment empowers users to now deploy a simplified palletizing solution which earlier was perceived as a complex project. . . . .
In addition to this, the key features of Cobotizur include quick installation, minimal footprint, modular easy to move, continuous operation, easy programming, safe usage and minimal maintenance,” added Bihani.
Technical specifications
The Cobotizur includes a lifter for the 7th axis, vacuum gripper, vacuum pump, touch panel HMI, tower lamp and Cobotizur UR+ software. It can lift 6 to 8 cartons in a minute with a maximum weight capacity of 8 kilograms and maximum pallet size and stacking height of 1000 x 1200 and 1500 mm, respectively.
Eliminates labor issues
Addressing the labor challenges faced by companies, Bihani said, “Many products are coming at the end of line process, and with manual intervention there are always high chances of error. Cobotizur eliminates the repetitive manual process of stacking cartons and helps to automate the operation by reducing manual errors, as well as increases the throughput.”
Cobotizur is used for applications such as palletizing and case packaging, which helps product manufacturers increase productivity and reduce damages in production.
Launching new system next year
Bihani mentioned that the company has already deployed 25 units in South Asian countries including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. He said, “Our target is to expand our business to South Asia and the Gulf region. To enter the global market with this product, we are aggressively participating in exhibitions in Dubai and the US.” The company is working with top FMCG companies in India to provide automation solutions in the packaging line. However, he refused to reveal details of his clients at this time.
“The Cobotizur’s weight holding capacity is 8 kg, as of now. We are also working on a system where we can increase its weight capacity. We will launch the new system with increased weight holding capabilities by the middle of next year,” Bihani said in conclusion.
