B&R to Feature Adaptive Automation for Packaging at PACK EXPO

ABB unit plans to show integrated Codian open robot mechanics for personalized packaging.

B&R Industrial Automation


Codian's open robot mechanics can be combined with any control platform and used for precise pick-and-place tasks such as those in cosmetics packaging.
B&R will show at PACK EXPO Codian open mechanics, which are integrated with its robot controls for precise pick-and-place tasks such as food handling.

At this year's PACK EXPO, B&R Industrial Automation GmbH plans to show systems from Codian Robotics B.V. that are now integrated and rebranded within B&R's portfolio. The Codian line of delta configurations, including hygienic models, can be incorporated into any machine configuration, said the company.

“With an extensive selection of pick-and-place robot mechanics open to any control platform, we are committed to offer the best solution for our customer's applications,” said Wouter Valk, managing director of Codian Robotics, which B&R acquired in 2020.

Ede, Netherlands-based Codian said its technology can be used for precise pick-and-place tasks such as those in cosmetics packaging.

B&R, ABB, and Codian offer single source of packaging automation

“As consumer demand for personalized products continues to accelerate, packaging lines rely on cutting-edge automation and robotics to handle increasing product variety without compromising productivity,” said Jörg Theis, president of B&R Industrial Automation, in a release.

Eggelsburg, Austria-based B&R said it combines state-of-the-art technology with advanced engineering to provide machine and factory automation, motion control, human-machine interaction (HMI), and integrated safety. The industrial automation provider added that it works with Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) communications standards such as OPC UA, POWERLINK, and openSAFETY, as well as the Automation Studio software development environment.

In 2017, B&R became a business unit of ABB Group, and they introduced their first integrated robotics system in 2019.

B&R said its Machine-Centric Robotics solution combines Codian mechanics and B&R controls to offer machine builders and manufacturers a single source of automation for precise synchronization and ease of engineering.

Adaptive product line to be at PACK EXPO

At PACK EXPO from Sept. 11 to 13, visitors to Booth 5442 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center can see B&R's full Codian portfolio. It currently includes more than 100 variants, including class-leading hygenic models suitable for applications such as food and beverage and pharmaceutical packaging.

At Booth 4343 in the Central Hall, B&R will also show how robotics work in “seamless” synchronization with mechatronic product transport systems like ACOPOStrak and ACOPOS 6D, as well as machine vision. The company said attendees can expect to see how they can use its control and motion technology to create adaptive manufacturing systems that can dynamically change between different products and packaging, enabling profitable mass customization.

B&R added that its Machine-Centric Robotics system requires only one controller, one user interface, and one engineering system. This offering is suitable for implementing flexible packaging systems, said the company.

Editor's note: For more about PACK EXPO, visit Robotics 24/7's special coverage page.

In a traditional filling line, a damaged nozzle results in an insufficiently filled bottle that continue through the line, consuming additional resources in downstream processes such as labeling – only to ultimately be rejected as scrap, and the damaged nozzle continues producing scrap until the entire line is stopped to replace it. Intelligent ACOPOStrak shuttles simply skip the faulty station and can be reworked on the next pass around the track.

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B&R Industrial Automation

Codian's open robot mechanics can be combined with any control platform and used for precise pick-and-place tasks such as those in cosmetics packaging.


Robot Technologies