Meat + Poultry - December 2008 - 103

CFS PowerPak NT / RT

A : There are several mechanical,
electrical or controls factors that are
critical when marrying systems or components together. Typically, those are
encountered when integrating standalone or off-the-shelf systems. For example, an off-the-shelf vision or conveying system may require complete
redesign before it can meet a food
plant's in or off place cleaning (CIP/
COP) requirements. The uniqueness of
the CFS RobotLoader is the fact that it
is not an integrated solution. The experts from CFS and Bosch Sigpack
worked intensively together to design a
new, high-performance, sanitary, delta
robot-based automatic loader.

the types and number of processing
companies currently utilizing CFS robotic technology. Can you site some
specific companies using the equipment in the U.S. and/or Europe?
A: The CFS RobotLoader is capable
of handling a broad spectrum of meat,
poultry, seafood or dairy products ranging from raw to cooked, fresh to frozen,
bone-in, boneless, oriented or nested,
whole or portioned (cut, sliced, interleaved, shingled, stacked), large or
small. It can e.g. handle picking and
placing soft, limp, raw sausages at
speeds exceeding 90 PPM and cooked
sausages exceeding 100 PPM.
Currently, CFS is working ver y
closely with several food processors
in the U.S. and Europe on applications
like loading ham steaks, bacon strips,
chicken breasts and loins, preformed
chicken patties, sliced ham and cheese
and much more.

Q : While most people attending trade
shows recently have seen demonstrations of Delta robots in picking and
packaging products, applications for
handling raw, unpackaged products
seem to be less common.
A: In addition to non-food products,
the RobotLoader has been designed
to handle a wide range of raw, even
ready-to-serve, unpackaged products.
Its vacuum system constantly draws
air through the end effector to prevent
backflow and cross contamination. The
product contact areas are pretty much
limited to e.g. the suction cup and product-belt surfaces, both of which are entirely made from FDA/USDA-approved
material that can be very easily and
quickly removed for sanitation.

Q: What are some of the options available in terms of grippers used to handle
raw products?
A: The CFS RobotLoader offers various standard solutions using vacuum
and/or mechanical end effectors. CFS
also has a team of design and application engineers tasked with creating
special tools and end effectors.
Q: Assuming the spider-type robots and
articulating arm-based systems are each
equally effective, depending on their applications, what are some of the more
common meat and poultry processingbased applications for the CFS system?

Q : Discuss some of its capabilities
in handling raw products and some of
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December 2008

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Is it better suited for certain types (in
terms of product types, product volume,
etc...) of operations?
A: CFS offers broad solutions for the
case-ready, ready-meals, meal components and slicing-solution segments.
Some of these solutions are complete
automatic lines which incorporate horizontal form/fill/seal (HFFS) machines
such as the CFS PowerPak or tray sealer, such as the CFS TwinStar. In order
to achieve high overall equipment effectiveness - commonly known as OEE
- a certain level of mechanical, electrical and control interfaces are required.
The CFS RobotLoader is best suited
for such applications since its design
allows it to be configured to work with
other machine(s) as one.
Q : Is there a need in the market for
both types of robots ("spider" type
and articulating arm style)? What are
some of the main differences in terms
of: speed, flexibility, footprint, maintenance and purchase price?
A : The delta-style CFS RobotLoader is a high-speed, vision-based,
complete washdown, compact, multipurpose automation pick-and-place
solution specifically made for the protein-based food industry. High payload
end-of-line robotic packaging applications like cartoning, case-packing
or palletizing typically require multiaxis articulated manipulators. Those
are generally bulkier, slower and have
larger footprints due to additional
safety enclosures and separate control cabinets.

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Meat + Poultry - December 2008

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