Universal Robots (UR), the Danish collaborative robot (cobot) manufacturers, will showcase the next-generation of their industry leading solutions at Propak Asia 2023 from 14 to 17 June. To be held at Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC), the highly anticipated annual trade fair for industrial processing and packaging returns for its 30th rendition.
Propak Asia 2023 comes at a time of significant growth within the packaging industry, with packaging in Asia slated to reach US$458.2 billion next year. Locally, the Thai packaging market is projected to register a CAGR of 8.65% between 2022 and 2027, echoing similar growth to that of the region. Due to the nation's economic expansion, it has resulted in a rise in both production and consumption of packaging goods through the forecasted period, aiding with its growth in the market.
Growth within the industry has led to increased demand for technology to satisfy the needs of expanding businesses within the industry. This has prompted UR to showcase the palletising capabilities of their first next-generation cobot, the UR20, to over 37,000 trade visitors from 61 countries at the trade event.
Palletising Capabilities on Show
The exhibit will feature UR20 in a palletising application with OnRobot's VGP20 and an external 7th axis LIFT100. The VGP20 is a powerful electric vacuum gripper which is ideal for cardboard box palletising, as it does not require any additional pneumatic hoses to generate vacuum even on thin porous recycled cardboard. The LIFT100 is a useful tool to tackle challenges in stacking additional layers onto the pallet. Combining these solutions will be beneficial in both eliminating Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) in operators and creating a safe workplace for all.
"High GDP growth rates and increasing exports have led to growing consumer demand for technology in processing and packaging after the pandemic," said Thanakrit Thaneerat, Country Manager Thailand, Universal Robots. "We aim to meet those demands, and the development of the UR20 will set the standard for cobots to come which will undoubtably satisfy the needs of industry with its improved performance, versatility, usability, and small footprints."
Apart from the UR20, a range of other UR cobots will be on show. Accompanying it in Thailand will are the lightweight and space saving UR3e and UR5e, which are set to demonstrate their palletising capabilities through the demonstration of a carton erector — a machine designed to automate the process of folding cartons or cardboard boxes. It incorporates a UR5e cobot for handling and manipulation of the cartons. The cobot arm, equipped with a special suction gripper, picks up flat carton blanks and move the cartons through the folding plates, the specialised guides and folding plates strategically guide and fold the carton flaps into the desired shape. The folded cartons are then ready for further processing or packaging tasks. By integrating a UR cobot with a special suction gripper and employing folding plates, the carton erector achieves increased automation, precision, and productivity in the carton folding process.
From the UR3e's lightweight 11.2kg design and the UR5e's versatile reach of 850mm, to the UR20's massive payload capability of 20kg, the cobots on display can satisfy the varying needs of different businesses looking towards automating their workflow. Their versatility allows the cobots to be easily re-deployed to multiple applications outside of palletising — with welding, machine tending, assembling, and quality inspection being some other examples. Through a wide network of UR ecosystem partners, the cobots can be provided a wide range of components, kits, and solutions to suit different applications in different businesses.
"Cobots deliver a cost-effective yet low-risk solution to push businesses forward, yet remain easily deployable and flexible for a multitude of applications suitable for a wide range of needs," added Tharnakrit. "Visitors will have a better understanding on what cobots have to offer through their hands-on session with our technology, and envision how best they can be be implemented within their wide array businesses. We hope to give businesses eager to make the progressive shift towards automation more insight and a better understanding as to how cobots can help them move up the value chain through working hand-in-hand with humans.
"We invite visitors to come explore the benefits of cobots for themselves at Propak Asia 2023. We're keen on helping them explore the possibilities of cobot automation for their businesses, and helping with their technological push into the future."
Keen to find out more? Visit Universal Robots at Propak Asia 2023 from 14 - 17 June 2023 at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Hall 100, booth AB41).
Source: Mind PR
