Brief news of the week, check out the return of PACK EXPO International after its 4-year hiatus caused by COVID from the retail chain. The makers promised a re-entry with a big bang and delivered on it by announcing it A strong show. From a robot and cobot perspective, however, it was a dominant performance. From what was seen at the show, an increasing dominance of robot-driven automation is coming in the very near future.
One show, two take home!
When the show hits, pop-up conversions to grab onto Pack Expo 2022 are two: more cobots doing more things better and more flexibly than ever before; and then, looking more closely at these same cobots, the fact that cobot systems integration is the most important 
the next big advance in robotics. If that’s all you took from the show, you’d have glimpsed the future of wrapping and packaging.
Editors at show producer PMMI (Packaging and Processing Technology Association (formerly the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute)) noticed the increase in the cobot population immediately as they walked the floor to report on their first impressions.
“Collaborative robots or cobots are increasing their impact on packaging systems. Before, robots on the exhibition floor had to have a wide berth. It’s still a bit surprising to see these cobots without any kind of enclosure, where attendees are free to interact with them.”
There is a world of variety, flexibility and built-in “intelligence” in these two implementations. The penetration of robotics into almost every aspect of packing, packaging and manufacturing is amazing.
KUKA, ABB & Beckhoff
Chad Dukart from KUKA showed one such integration with Pick Control by KUKA system that uses “smart” vision software to 
simultaneously controls the actions of a 6-axis cobot, two Delta robots and a SCARA robot, all operating on the same conveyor line to pick and pack product in what he called “robot-based conveyor tracking software with integrated image processing” .
As product cycles become shorter and shorter, while resource and energy efficiency receive increasing attention, flexible, integrated manufacturing solutions are in demand. He said he could, for example, with the push of a button, have one or the other of the Delta robots run faster or slower, while still keeping the conveyors full of packaging product in sync.
ABB showed a standard IRB 360 FlexPicker which showed another new cobot skill in choosing integration: artificial intelligence “this 
enables the robot to learn and adapt to a wide variety of objects, including cuboids, cylinders, pouches, blisters, and arbitrary shapes as found in electronics, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, cosmetics, and other consumer product industries.
ABB claims that FlexPicker’s in-house developed AI solution delivers unprecedented accuracy with “first-time pick rate, correct pick of 98.5% and pick efficiency of >99.5%” in picking features from an unstructured landscape; and due to the reduced computing time, “peak selection rates of up to 1,500 items per hour.”
In something reminiscent of toys coming together, Beckhoff appeared with ATROa modular industrial “prefab” cobot system “that can be used to assemble the optimal cobot structures for different applications on a customized and flexible basis.”
Need a 4-axis cobot today, a 6-axis cobot tomorrow, and maybe a 7th axis thrown in just in case? Is of ATRO (Automation Robotics Technology) system consists of standardized motor modules with integrated drive functionality and connecting modules of different designs and lengths.
Beckhoff says all ATRO modules “have internal media for data, power and fluids (vacuum, air and water). This allows the ATRO to use different tools, such as mechanical, pneumatic or electric grippers. As these media channels are internal, this allows for infinite rotation of the ATRO axes and final executive tools, as there are no external cables to interfere with the robot’s range of motion.”
Epson is partnering!
If you are Epson and known for color printers, you are also known for cobots. From the unique partnership between Epson cobots and 
printers created a new, novel way to print labels and then stick them onto packages as they travel along the conveyor.
That’s the idea behind Epson, which demonstrated its VT6L All-in-One 6-Axis robot with built-in controller paired with the Epson ColorWorks C6000 color inkjet label printer.
It’s also a great example of the flexibility in design and capabilities that cobots bring to automation, especially at the Pack Expo, where all the flexibility can be seen and experienced within walking distance of each other at the show.
Epson can be credited with another unique world first with its adaptation of a cobot with a 6-axis design with a kinematic “folding” arm configuration (see photo).
Great for working in tight spaces, the compact arm of the Flexion it has the ability to fold in on itself instead of moving around itself. Epson claims it uses 40% less space than a standard 6-axis arm and can easily work in a one square meter enclosure, ideal for medical and pharmaceutical labs with limited space.
Cobots handle the mighty transport pallet
The humble but mighty wooden shipping pallet (48 inches × 40 inches or 1219 mm × 1016 mm), with over 2 billion in use worldwide, has been a global transportation standard for nearly a hundred years. The humble pallet is such a powerful transport medium that it has been elevated 
to the verb status: hence, to palletize; and vice versa for depalletizing.
All sorts of human and software calculations were devised on how best to pack pallets and then stabilize their loads for safe, efficient and cheapest transport. The people tasked with loading pallets is pure brain-numbing work… and expensive, but more often than not people get the job if, that is, enough people can be found to be employed.
Automating palletizing and depalletizing would be an industry dream come true. Closed robots do it most often, but in remote transport areas, away from people and isolated from the production flow.
Cobots are the latest to take on the challenge of automating the packing of the mighty shipping pallet. Pack Expo even had Logistics pavilion with 25 aspirations packing/wrapping companies, with some looking to take up the challenge.
Winning the palletizing/depalletizing challenge means having a highly mobile, accessible anywhere in a factory or warehouse cobot that can work among people and normal production flows, work long hours at near-maximum payload, quickly pack a pallet, and then be nimble enough to move to the next pallet in a hurry.
Two team up to take on the world palletizing championship: World leader in cobot sales, Denmark Universal robots (UR), carrying its latest 6-axis cobot, the UR20, with its 20 kg payload and longest reach, along with its partner, Canada Robotiqspecialist in palletizing applications and solutions.
Everything fell into cabin N-4925.
And wouldn’t you know it, they did it in style!
The world of packaging reported: “The extended reach capability of the UR20 has been demonstrated in the Robotiq palletizing system as it shows how the UR20 can be used to stack items up to a height of 1800mm (5.9ft). With its extended reach, the UR20 can be used to stack two standard American pallets. With Europallets, the UR20 can stack up to 2m high.’
Finally, the mighty transport pallet has found its match, and it’s a cobot! A cobot delivery machine integrated with Robotiq’s app proved crucial.
The UR/Robotiq partnership epitomizes Pack Expo’s two unique takeaways: Cobots married to integration is the next big thing.
Be sure to look for it at a trade show or event near you.
Read more about it at: Workfloor: Robotics News for the Factory
