Bosch Packaging Technology will introduce its entry-level Pack 102 horizontal flow wrapper using a Fanuc Scara robot at the International Baking Industry Expo (IBIE) 2019. This packaging solution with light automation is ideal for small to medium-sized bakeries and other companies.

The Pack 102 horizontal flow wrapper with light automation was designed for the bakery industry. The machine stands out for its versatility and is able to wrap products of various sizes, such as cookies, crackers, croissants and other baked goods. It achieves an output of 150 packages per minute and features a corrosion-resistant, stainless-steel design for easy cleaning. At IBIE, Bosch will be showing the Pack 102 with a single Fanuc Scara robot for pick-and-place. Visitors can watch demo runs of the system with chocolate chip cookies to see the smooth integration of robotics into the proven Bosch Pack 102.

The robot picks the products directly from two baking trays where about 15 cookies are placed on each baking sheet. It takes individual cookies off the sheet and places them into the infeed chain of Bosch's Pack 102 flow wrapper. Vision is used to find and place the products reliably into the infeed. When a product is broken, the robot is able to detect it and will not pick it up. As a result of the vacuum technology, products are handled very gently as they are picked from the baking sheets.

“Visitors will experience a cost-effective solution. Even for an entry-level stage, robotics can be an option. We have a lot of experience in implementing robots into our proven flow wrappers,” said Kelly Meer, product manager at Bosch Packaging Technology in New Richmond, Wisconsin. The Fanuc robot runs without interruption and is able to carry out 50 picks per minute. In total, up to three robots can be included in the Pack 102 system.