Robots in food production and processing

29-03-2022 273

Robotic automation has spread to a wide variety of industries across the globe – the food processing industry is one of the last frontiers of robotic automation.

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Collaborative robots in the food industry are increasingly being deployed in primary and secondary processing applications. Robotic automation has spread to a wide variety of industries across the globe – the food processing industry is one of the last frontiers of robotic automation.

Both industrial robots and collaborative robots can be used throughout the food supply chain. Historically, though, food processing has been the hardest job to automate. But recent technological advances are overcoming these obstacles.
 

 

Improving robot technology allows automatic food processing applications


The traditional high-volume food processing has posed many problems for robots. First, the shape and size of food items are often very variable, posing a challenge when a robot tries to grasp an item. Many food items are also very sophisticated, with strict requirements for quality, making them even more elusive.

One of the most important advances in robotics technology for food processing has been the introduction of more advanced tongs. Today there are soft grippers that can quickly but gently handle sensitive food products such as fruits and vegetables. Other types of grippers, such as vacuum grippers, also show great promise in handling delicate or irregularly shaped items. Many advanced grippers are also combined with powerful robot vision technology to guide the robotic arm, allowing it to compensate for variations in product geometry. This results in greater accuracy and consistency in processing applications.
 

Robotic automation applications in food processing


In primary and secondary food processing, robotic automation can be effectively implemented in a variety of ways. Some of the popular and emerging applications include:
  • Pick and place fruits and vegetables
  • Robotic cutting and slicing for seafood or beef
  • Dispensing robots to decorate cakes
  • Robotic cleaning to maintain a safe work environment
  • Vision Guided Sorting Robot for Manufacturing

There are many other ways that robots for food preparation can be used. For example, some robots can now even be used to make pizza without any human intervention. But the few mentioned above are most common in industrial settings.

Food processing has long been an elusive industry for robotics. The challenges inherent in food products have prevented widespread adoption of robotic technology. Today, however, the most recent technological advancements have led to an increasing use of robots in food processing. This is likely to increase in the near future as manufacturers compete for peak productivity on a global scale.