CASE

Tobacco bale handling with a gentle giant

In tobacco processing, we realized one of the largest industrial robots that handles tobacco bales in safe collaboration with humans. The robust robot cell combines power, process reliability and intuitive operation.   

 

The challenge 

The tobacco industry is one of the most important economic sectors in Indonesia. Stable and sustainable automation systems are required to meet the demand for cigarette production. Most of the tobacco bale cartons delivered by local farmers are dented or badly crumpled. In general, handling the bale cartons with a forklift truck is rather rough and rustic.   

This made the design of a reliable automation system extremely challenging. The aim was to integrate a robust robot cell into the existing tobacco production line with as few interruptions as possible, which could handle the bulky, sometimes tattered cartons and be operated easily and intuitively by the employees. 

  

The solution 

For this case, we chose a strong FANUC robot with a payload capacity of 700 kilograms and a correspondingly large gripper. It effortlessly removes the cartons from the infeed conveyor belt and gently presents them to an operator. This is because the process-safest way to open the cartons is still in the hands of a human.   

Thanks to FANUC Dual Check Safety, the integrated safety function in the robot controller, the operator can safely open the carton while it is still being held by the robot. A simple push of a button on the robot's gripper signals to the system that the carton has been opened and the robot continues its process and places the tobacco bale on the conveyor belt.   

 


 

“With adequate safety precautions, even giant industrial robots can work together with humans. The power of a robot and human dexterity can be combined to create a perfect process flow.”

 


 

The project   

We carried out the development and test assembly of the robot system in-house. Final assembly and commissioning took place on site in Indonesia. This enabled us to integrate the robot cell into ongoing production without interruption.

The Robotec team, led by Rolf Kalt (project manager, design and on-site installation) and Reto Brumann (software programming), successfully implemented this ambitious automation solution, meeting the customer's specific requirements.

  • Challenge

    The tobacco bale cartons delivered by local farmers are for the most part completely crumpled and dented. This makes the design of a process-safe automation extremely challenging. In general, the handling of the bale cartons on site with the forklift is very rough and rustic. The goal was therefore to integrate a robust robotic cell into the existing cigarette production line that could handle the bulky cartons and be easily and intuitively operated by the personnel there.

  • Solution

    A Fanuc giant with a payload of 700kg and a gripper as big as a closet effortlessly picks up the damaged cartons from the infeed conveyor and gently presents them to an operator. The most process-safe way to open the cartons is still in the hands of a human operator. Thanks to the built-in safety features in the robot controller, the operator can safely open the carton while it is still being held by the robot. A simple push of a button on the robot's gripper signals the system that the carton has been opened and the robot continues its process, depositing the bale of hay on the conveyor belt.

  • Conclusion

    Collaboration between robots and humans does not only exist in laboratory environments. With seriously evaluated and correctly implemented safety precautions, large industrial robots can also work together with humans. In this way, the power of a robot and the dexterity of a human can be combined to create a perfect process flow.

  • Special features

    - Collaboration between one of the largest industrial robots and humans
    - Double safety thanks to Fanuc Dual Check Safety
    - Integration of the robot cell into a running production without its interruption
    - Process reliability despite harsh conditions
    - Design & test setup at Robotec - final assembly and commissioning in Indonesia

Nick Koch, CEO / Verkauf

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