For many years the business group has been innovating and developing robotic systems to automate preparation tasks in fruit and vegetable warehouses.
Robotics is one of the group’s six important innovation lines, amongst which are also electronics, automation, electricity, mechanical engineering and traceability. The combination of all these research approaches has meant the development of automatic boxing systems that cover one of their clients’ predominant requirements.
Preparation systems have turned into a key component in warehouse automation, which solves two important concerns for clients: labour shortages and the need to reduce costs.
In recent years, the robotics department at MAF RODA has developed several product lines to offer a wide range of solutions that cover their clients’ different requirements and offer them flexibility in their packaging.
Greater yield at a lower cost
One of the new developments in group’s boxing systems is the Fast Pack Peach. This system is to be used for boxing peaches and nectarines with the significant new function of working with fruit orientation in boxes with honeycombed trays. One of its great advantages is that it is a compact robot that is easily integrated into the preparation line, and it is easy to handle.
Another important advantage is an optimised production at a constant rate, which allows greater yield at a lower cost. It is fed directly from the calibrator exit and it has smart feeding using a 3D camera for automatic recognition of the format and a continuous distribution of the fruit.
The Fast Pack Peach system fits the fruit directly into the boxes with different cellulose, flexible or paper honeycombed trays. The great versatility offered by this preparation system allows clients to adapt flexibly to the different formats of the orders that need to be prepared.
The Fast Pack Peach robots have already been implemented in fruit and vegetable centres, both in Spain and internationally, and they are offering very good results for clients in terms of efficiency and productivity.
Automation is essential in order to gain in competitiveness on a market that is increasingly globalised and with profit margins that are becoming ever tighter. The technology used in automatic preparation systems is a key element in a world that is moving towards process digitalisation and automation.
