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Accupak will bring a Kawasaki duAro dual-arm collaborative robot (cobot) to stand C200 at AUSPACK 2019.

The duAro has two arms which reach horizontally and move as a pair. According to AccuPak, this means the cobot can easily perform operations similar to those of a person using both arms within a one-person space.

It is also safe to operate around humans thanks to its collision detection systems and a function that slows it down when near a person, the company says, adding that because of these features, it can be reliably operated in tandem with human workers.

The robot is controlled by a single controller which makes it possible to perform coordinated movement, and direct teaching methods can be used to teach required movements by holding and moving the arms rather than having to program them in.

At an average cost of $50-75,000 per unit including vision system and systems integration work, the purchase of a cobot is within reach for most small and mid-sized enterprises, claims AccuPak.

The company will also exhibit a WIPOTEC-OCS HC-A checkweigher and a twin Fortress Stealth metal detector “combo” machine.

Food & Drink Business

CCEP has completed a $39.7m manufacturing upgrade at its Kewdale facility in WA, installing a high-speed can production line that increases capacity by more than 40% and lifts production speeds to 1500 cans per minute.

Nearly 6 in 10 Aussies in food and beverage manufacturing believe their organisation is becoming less productive, despite continued investment in workplace technology, according to Argon & Co.

Every food, drink, personal care and household product made in Australia starts with an investment decision. A company chooses to replace a production line, automate a process or expand a plant. That choice is now made in a global market for capital, and Australia is struggling to compete. The question is simple. Will the next generation of manufacturing investment come here?