Robot caps 2 bottles per second at Merck
5/29/2012 8:14 AM EST
A FANUC M-1iA Delta Arm robot has recently been commissioned on a bottling line at the Guadalix, Spain, facility of pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck. Placing dispenser caps onto bottled allergy medications, the M-1ia is capable of operating at 120 cycles per second.
Integrated by FANUC systems partner Tecnomecánica, the M‑1iA needed no special clean room compliance as the caps are placed onto filled and sealed bottles – the final operation before packing.
A spiral conveyor on the robot cell lines up dispenser caps on a rail and a nylon worm drive positions bottles alongside. The robot grips a cap and places it on the bottle, which has previously been sealed by a screw-on cap. A simple encoder supplies the position data.
The M-1iA signals the worm drive to position the next bottle. A cylinder arrangement after the robot cell firmly presses the dispenser caps down onto the bottles. The capped bottles are then conveyed to the packaging machine.
Available as a four or six axes robot the M-1iA used at Merck only requires four axes. The cell is controlled by a 19”-rack-mounted FANUC R-30iA Mate Controller, the most-compact robot controller produced by FANUC.
Ten variants of bottle can be run on the system with robot line change requirements restricted to selecting the appropriate programme.
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Ref: Fa-133-A
Issue date: May 2012
Photography and graphics:
Contact David Wickham for digital images
Issued by:
Jon Oliver Communication Ltd.
+44-(0)1902-757115 email:
Further information:
FANUC UK
Maurice Hanley, Sales and Marketing Manager
e-mail:
tel: +44 (0) 24 7663 9669
Website: www.fanuc.co.uk
Notes to editors:
FANUC UK provides industrial automation solutions from the supply of CNC controllers, robots, drilling machines, EDM and injection moulding machines through to the complete integration of factory automation systems.
Providing a single customer support portal for its three core businesses, FANUC UK comprises FA – CNC Controllers, motors and drives, Robotics – industrial robots and systems, Robomachines – EDM, Injection Moulding, drilling machines.
FANUC Corporation is a world leading manufacturer of Factory Automation (FA), robots and Robomachines. Since its inception in 1956, FANUC has contributed to the automation of machine tools as a pioneer in the development of computer numerical control equipment. FANUC technology has contributed to a worldwide manufacturing revolution, which evolved from the automation of a single piece of machinery to the automation of entire production lines.
FANUC employs 5,000 people world-wide. Based at the foot of Mt Fuji near Lake Yamanaka, FANUC's factory uses over 1000 FANUC robots to support monthly a production capacity of 50,000 CNC controllers, 5,000 robots, 100,000 servo and spindle motors and 2,500 robomachines.