ABB FlexPicker in The Production of Delicato Cakes

A slice of cake
The pandemic has led all industries to adapt to new changes, and the food and beverage industry is no different. Many companies want to go one step further, take their production to another level, and of course, stay active in the market.

A very recent example is that of Delicato. With more than 70 years of experience, Delicato is the largest producer of pastry products in the Nordic region. It has incorporated new technologies into its operations.

Choosing ABB FlexPicker

Delicato decided to invest in four ABB FlexPicker IRB360 robots as they were looking for a way to increase production and profits. Another goal was to reduce the pressure on their employees with routine processes that could affect their health and safety.

Anders Jaresjö, Delicato’s Production Director, said, “We had to improve the profitability of the Delicato pastry line and also take into account that the line involved some very repetitive activities that put the health of our employees at risk.”

The incorporation of ABB FlexPicker IRB360 high speed robots would fulfill the function of placing and packing cakes. The robotic solution was designed by system integrator Evomatic, keeping in mind Delicato’s need for efficiency, product handling and elimination of routine tasks.

How It Works

As part of the ABB PickMaster vision system, the robots took the products from the conveyor belt to place them in the packages at high speed. After which they were taken for a second packaging and a third to distribute them to different customers.

Jaresjö commented, “The challenge was to manage our products reliably. It takes a high level of precision to pick up the Delicato balls from the production line and place them in their unit packaging, without affecting production, and later in packages. Therefore, the Gripper design and software was an important part of the solution. “

This enabled their employees to fulfill other responsibilities and develop their skills in other processes, by separating them from monotonous tasks. Sanitation and the ability to increase production were also improved to meet increasing demand.

Benefits of ABB FlexPicker

Thanks to the use of ABB’s FlexPicker robots to manage the collection and packaging processes, automation boosted the bakery’s productivity, reducing labor costs for the bakery’s personnel by about 40%.

ABB FlexPicker created flexibility in the production line for future capacity increases, eliminated routine processes and easily met high hygiene standards. Best of all, it doesn’t require extensive maintenance and poses a minimal risk of injury to the operator.

Jaresjö commented. “We have improved the work environment for our employees, while gaining higher availability and lower production costs by integrating ABB’s solution. Additionally, by using the latest production technologies, we have become a more attractive employer.”

What the Future Holds

Delicato plans to continue investing in the development of its production lines with new technologies, to take advantage of new business opportunities.

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