Company: MGS Machine

Website: www.mgsmachine.com

Equipment Snapshot: MGS Machine introduced their new Collaborative Palletizer at Pack Expo/Pharma Expo. Designed to work alongside humans, this new robotic palletizer eliminates the need for a safety fence, which cuts floorspace requirements in half compared to traditional robotic palletizers. Replacing manual palletizing, this automated solution improves productivity while reducing labor costs and the injuries associated with heavy lifting and repetitive motion.

Ideal for manufacturers and contract packers of pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, medical devices and other products, MGS’ Collaborative Palletizer handles cases weighing up to 77 lb. (35 kg) at speeds of up to six cases per minute. For life science companies working to comply with e-pedigree serialization and track-and-trace initiatives, MGS can supply a fully serialized integrated packaging line. Aggregated child-parent-grandparent relationships of serial numbers can be created from primary packages to secondary packages to pallet loads.

Anchored by Fanuc’s new CR-35ia collaborative robot, MGS adds value with their applications expertise, programming capabilities, end effector tooling and integration services that encompass secondary packaging and end-of-line solutions.

The CR-35ia is based on a traditional, field-proven Fanuc robot that’s been redesigned to safely work side-by-side with humans. This highly sensitive collaborative robot gently stops if it comes into contact with an operator. Once stopped, the operator can reposition it before restarting the program to begin where it left off by using a conveniently located button.

Featuring a soft foam cover that protects workers who make direct contact and a distinctive green color that visibly differentiates a collaborative robot from Fanuc’s traditional yellow-colored robots, the CR-35ia is certified to meet all safety requirements for sharing space with people. The CR-35ia is the only collaborative robot on the market able to lift up to 77 lb. (35 kg), allowing it to solve ergonomic challenges by automating tasks that are physically demanding for humans.

MGS’ Collaborative Palletizer can be fitted with a variety of end effectors to handle a range of case sizes and styles. For changeover environments with applications that require different end effectors, MGS designed a tool-less change that can be achieved in less than five minutes. Pallet patterns, saved as recipes in the system’s memory, can be recalled to achieve a change in seconds.