OMRON UK has debuted the company’s ‘game-changing’ cobot palletiser – the RB1200 – in response to manufacturers’ end-of-line labour challenges including staff shortages, social distancing measures during the Covid-19 pandemic, and self-isolation.
The firm said the cobot system boasts a ‘50% cost saving, rapid delivery within weeks and plug-and-play system architecture’ to help businesses of all sizes ‘immediately de-risk’ their lines against the ‘unprecedented’ labour challenges currently being faced across the industry.
The introduction of the RB1200 comes as companies attempt to navigate social distancing guidelines amid high vacancy rates, which are said to have been compounded by Brexit and the long-term skills shortage.
The RB1200 was developed in partnership with OMRON’s automation partner Reeco. The two companies have designed a cobot palletiser described as making manufacturers ‘resilient’ to the detrimental effects of both labour shortages and the possibility of immediate workforce interruptions.
Omron said the use of the company’s 3i concept of intelligent, integrated and interactive engineering methods has shortened system design and delivery time, resulting in a 50% cost reduction compared to same spec cobot palletisers.
The modular solution has a maximum payload of 10kg and a cycle time of 12 picks per minute. It requires no system integration and is said to deliver a 60% smaller footprint than conventional robot palletisers. An ‘inherent flexibility’ means it can also ‘easily’ switch between lines and handle rapid changes in demand, the manufacturer added.
