Dr. Marc-Olivier Demaurex, president of Bosch Packaging Technology SA, to retire; Frank Souyris appointed as general manager.

Dr. Marc-Olivier Demaurex, president at Bosch Packaging Technology SA (www.boschpackaging.com) in Romanel, Switzerland, reitred at the end of April. Meanwhile, Frank Souyris has been appointed general manager for the robotics unit. Demaurex has led Bosch’s work in the automation sector for many years, helping to make the company’s Delta robots one of the leading automation solutions for the packaging industry. Souyris previously collaborated with Demaurex during his tenure as sales manager with Demaurex SA. Both have been working together recently to ensure a smooth transition and handover of responsibilities.

Delta robots – revolution in technology

Demaurex joined Bosch when Demaurex SA, the Swiss company he founded, was acquired in 2004. Under his leadership, Demaurex SA first commercialized the Delta robot and held the exclusive patent for the technology until 2007. The principal of parallel kinematic Delta robots originated at the Swiss École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne where a team led by Professor Reymond Clavel completed the first concepts and developed the primary industrial units. The Delta robot, which was the first to make high-speed vision guided picking for lightweight products available to the manufacturing sector, accelerated packaging lines and increased efficiencies through its unique design of three translational degrees and one rotational degree of freedom.

Delta robots – drivers for innovation

Quickly grasping how this new automation solution could revolutionize the packaging industry thanks to its speed, versatility and accuracy, Demaurex extended its use from initial applications in chocolate packing factories to a broad range of applications worldwide, such as confectionery, non-food and secondary packaging.

“It’s incredible to see how rapidly the Delta robot has been adopted by manufacturers around the world, keen to harness its speed and precision,” says Demaurex. “I know that under Frank’s stewardship, Bosch will continue to refine this unique robotic technology and drive innovation in this sector, enabling manufacturers to increase their line efficiencies, drive competitive advantage and subsequently compete more strongly against their rivals.”

Future looks bright for Delta robots

After graduating from the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon in 1988, Souyris joined Demaurex SA (now Bosch Packaging Technology SA) as sales engineer. Working in the company at the outset provided him with the unique opportunity to play a strong role in the development of the Delta parallel kinematic robot. In the following years he was in charge of promoting robotic solutions in the French market, until in 1994 he took over the sales manager role, responsible for overall sales.

Since 2001, Souyris has held positions of chief operating officer (COO) and general manager in various companies, prior to returning to the team and taking up the reins as general manager at Bosch Packaging Technology SA on 1 March 2013.

 “It is very exciting to be back in the company, even though many things have changed, and to be back in the rapidly evolving area of robotics for the packaging sector,” says Souyris on his return. “Let’s build on the momentum cultivated over recent years and push ahead in the development of robotic technology by penetrating the market further and cementing our leading position. I can still see the excitement in the eyes of the people involved in robotic applications for the packaging sector. It is this energy that we will continue to foster and promote as we look to serve our customers with opportunities to increase their competitive advantage.”