^{Hannes Häusler, Head of Cobots at Schubert
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Revista Alimentaria.- With the tog.519, Schubert is clearly prioritising collaboration – as indicated by the integration of the abbreviated ‘together’ in the product name. But what makes the cobot such a reliable working partner?

Hannes Häusler.- It all comes down to powerful performance on a very small footprint. Unlike other cobots in this segment, the tog.519 can pick up and place the most diverse products at up to 90 cycles per minute. It is housed in a protective cell to ensure that it can perform in a way that is ‘undisturbed’ – without having to constantly reduce its performance. The cell is designed so that humans and robots can work simultaneously on the same production line with very little space required. And, like most highly manoeuvrable industrial robots, it doesn’t work directly with human personnel.

R. A.- Why then is the tog.519 marketed under the cobot designation?

H. H.- With our take on cobots, we’re essentially filling the gap between classic industrial robotics and collaborative robots, which are often slow-running. The main advantages of a collaborative robot are quick integration times, easy operation and low programming costs, which all contribute to making the solution exceptionally affordable and practical. The downsides of collaborative robots become clear in inline processes and when it comes to performance. When a human operator approaches them, they work more slowly. This is exactly what we set out to avoid. Our tog.519 offers all the advantages of a collaborative robot, while being as productive as an industrial robot. The protective cell ensures that there are no interruptions in the process or reduced working speeds.

R. A.- How did you go about developing the tog.519?

H. H.- We have been working on robot-based solutions for pick & place applications since the 1980s, so we understand the advantages and design strategies that our technology enables. We equipped the cobot’s SCARA kinematics with an additional fifth axis. It can not only grip objects straight, but also at an angle, and place parts precisely into designated trays.

R. A.- What also makes the tog.519 unique is its ability to ‘see’. How was it equipped with cameras?

H. H.- Agility and an intelligent camera system from a single source – these are the two features that set the tog.519 apart, making it a true one-of-a- kind solution. We developed the camera system ourselves as the core component of the tog.519. It enables the robot to pick up and place products. Thanks to AI-based image processing, the robot even has the unique ability to ‘recognise’ products it has never seen before. This massively reduces the amount of programming required, creating the ideal conditions for quick, easy, no-fuss commissioning.

R. A.- How exactly does a cobot ‘learn’?

H. H.- The cobot assigns each product to a specific category such as ‘pouch’, ‘bottle’ or ‘lid’. To this end, we developed several neural networks, trained them with data and installed them on the cobot. These networks can very precisely recognise the positions of individual products from the categories mentioned – even if they form a disorganised pile. Based on product characteristics, the neural network can decide whether it is seeing the front or back of the product, thanks in no small part to a sophisticated camera system.

R. A.- And how exactly does this ‘visual aid’ work?

H. H.- Our camera technology provides the cobot with very detailed information about the products to be picked up. The tog.519 recognises which products are where, whether they are at the bottom or top, on the left or right. The robot also keeps an eye on the placement position, such as moving cardboard trays. It fills them, but can also load chains or erect bottles, pumps and lids. The cobot really comes into its own when bin picking – i.e. picking from an unsorted mass of individual objects.

R. A.- How does that go about?

H. H.- Our tog.519 can operate at up to 90 cycles per minute – in fact, the fastest image processing times for bin picking on the market. The key to achieving this is the combination of robotics and vision system. In this performance category, this remarkable feat can only be pulled off if both systems speak the same language and communicate efficiently with each other. For the user, this entirely eliminates the typically time- consuming integration of cameras into the robotics system – a major advantage in terms of maximising user-friendliness and speedy implementation.

R. A.- At Automatica, we’ve seen the cobot working with food and cosmetic products. Is Schubert focusing on these industry sectors?

H. H.- No, on the contrary. Intelligent image processing makes the tog.519 an exceptionally versatile, all-purpose cobot for all types of pick & place tasks. And with it, manufacturers of FMCG such as food, baked goods, confectionery, cosmetics or pet food have a winning card up their sleeve. The same applies to contract packagers of technical items or integrators who want to incorporate the tog.519 into other automation solutions. In this case, we offer the integrator a package consisting of the robot, camera and conveyor system – which, of course, also takes up very little space.

ABOUT GERHARD SCHUBERT GMBH

Gerhard Schubert GmbH is a globally recognised market leader in top-loading packaging machines (TLM). For its digital, robot-based packaging machines, the family-owned company based in Crailsheim (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) builds on an interplay of simple mechanics, intelligent control technology and high modularity. With this philosophy and a highly developed culture of innovation, the company has been pursuing an entirely independent technological path for more than 50 years.

With its TLM technology, the machine manufacturer provides its customers with future-proof packaging machine solutions that are easy to operate, flexible in terms of format conversion, high-performance and stable in function. The TLM packaging machines pack products of all types and from all sectors – from food, confectionery, beverages, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics to technical products – into trays, cartons, boxes or into flow-wrap bags.

Well-known global companies in the consumer goods and pharmaceutical industries rely on Schubert’s automation solutions, as do numerous small, medium-sized and family-owned companies. Founded in 1966, the second generation of the company now employs 1,700 people.