As a result, labour costs are high and there just aren’t enough manual operatives available at reasonable notice. So we looked at different automated routes and concluded that a robot was the best long term solution. Similar results could have been achieved with a linear pick and place system but that wouldn’t have provided the flexibility we require.

Rachel’s is a fashionable brand and we sometimes have to change packaging in order to stay ahead of trends. If we did this with a linear system we would have had to change the automation as well. A robot is much more versatile.”

Tim Pink began his search for a more advanced end of line packaging system by talking to existing suppliers of other goods. Soco System was recommended to him by DS Smith, the packaging firm that supplies cardboard boxes to Rachel’s Organic. “Stephen Parry of DS Smith will only recommend someone he has worked with before and trusts,” explained Tim Pink. “That sort of referral can be very powerful.”

Soco very quickly built up a strong rapport with Rachel’s Organic and by the time the project reached a point where the company needed to choose second tier suppliers, Pink trusted the recommendations made by the integrator. “Our only caveat was that we had to see all the equipment they recommended in action. We did that with the Shibaura Machine robots and met some senior people from TM Robotics on the same day. After that we had no hesitation.”

The robots are used in end of line packaging for fresh yogurt in plastic multi-pack pots, which are sold in a cardboard sleeve.  However, the robots and the system are sufficiently versatile that they could be employed on almost any product in the company’s range. The pot itself is plain while the sleeve features the majority of the information needed to comply with food standards and market the product.

Rachel’s Organic needs to meet the demands of the market while achieving the cost savings required by all food manufacturers. This means automated production wherever a manual process doesn’t add value to the product. Amongst the biggest advantages of this is speed of production. The chilled pots are processed at an impressive ninety per minute.

First the cardboard sleeve is encoded for sell by date before metal detection. Next the product is conveyed to an in-feed conveyor, controlled by the inline product counter and product phasing arm. Outer cases, which are also cardboard, are mechanically pre-formed and automatically supplied on demand to the robotic pack point. This is where the Shibaura Machine SR-1054HSP SCARA robot, fitted with bespoke pick-up heads, comes into play. The pick-up head at the pack point is designed so the robot can pick six cardboard sleeves, each containing six pots, and separate them into two sets of three. The SCARA then places them into two outer cases, each one containing a single set of three, for distribution. The robot pick-and-place operation has to be highly accurate having a maximum of 8mm clearance. Finally, the outer case is barcode labelled so it can be tracked in the supply chain.

“Another benefit of the project is that it has helped us overcome problems with the manual handling regulations,” explained Tim Pink “Sometimes the best way of complying, and ensuring the safety of your staff, is to simply remove the manual element of the process. That’s what we have done here and we have certainly seen the benefits.”

Soco System UK provided the handling and conveying equipment as well as the robot head and integrated the Shibaura Machine SCARA robot. Soco System (UK) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Soco System A/S of Denmark who operate worldwide, with numerous subsidiaries and agents in most countries. The company manufactures equipment for end of line packaging, ranging from simple conveyors and semi automatic case erectors to case sealers, palletising and stretch wrap equipment and pallet conveying devices. It has a number of working relationships in the different countries, such as Soco System (UK) & TM Robotics, to provide other equipment.

“One novel element of the project is that a separate case erector and robot was used for the pick and place functions,” explained Peter Mapledoram. “Most jobs of this nature are done using flow line machines but this would have been twice as expensive as our design. Automation is about providing the right equipment for the job and delivering quick payback – and that’s what we have achieved here.”

Before the project was automated, Rachel’s Organic handled the entire process by hand. Because the employees previously handling the process were simply put to work on higher value added tasks, the original manual system could take over again if the robot suffered any problem. However, Peter Mapledoram believes that this is extremely unlikely. “So far it has worked like a dream.”

When asked whether the company would work with TM Robotics to integrate Shibaura Machine robots again, Peter Mapledoram was very positive. “We chose the SCARAs because they are light, provide good speed ratings and are simple to use and programme at a good price. We’re extremely satisfied and my customer says he likes the Shibaura Machine equipment. Furthermore, another client has recently commissioned a similar system after seeing the one at Rachel’s Organic, and this same client is ready to order the second of these systems. When an application sells itself like this, you know you have done something right!”

“I think Soco System UK has found an extremely sustainable market niche,” enthused TM Robotics’ Managing Director, Nigel Smith. “The UK food market has long been due a  n explosion of robotics and I believe that, thanks to the efforts of firms like Soco System, this is becoming more and more imminent. When people see the success of Rachel’s Organic and other leaders in the field I’m expecting the industry’s potential to be more than fulfilled. It’s particularly satisfying to see a company with such a vivid and rich heritage and a reputation for providing healthy products using robotics,” concluded Smith.