Technology providers illustrate potential new machinery applications

Spread amongst the vastness of Pack Expo are illustrations of what new and emerging technologies could accomplish in newly designed packaging machines.

Festo showed a delta-style robot that I will call a hybrid between the cellular style and the integrated style that I wrote about in OnTheEdgeBlog last month. This robot, comprised of mostly off-the-shelf components and standard controllers, is available in multiple sizes and could be custom-configured to purpose-built dimensions and applications. Although integrated, purpose-built robotics were visible last year at Interpack, I’ve not seen much indication of them at Pack Expo. There is still a day and a half to go.

Another technology being displayed by both Jacobs Automation and Magnemotion is linear motors where the movers can be independently controlled on the same section of track. The Magnemotion demo, fresh out of the lab in June of this year, is the first of a size that lets one readily visualize the potential for doing things like replacing a lug chain with linear motors. When you watch the demo, be sure to see the three movers on one track section going in different directions and speeds at the same time.

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