Robotics Archives - PERUZA

PERUZA Automatic Loader for Fast Operations and Easy Integration

Hugo Grube — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:32:01 +0000

In the fast-paced world of industrial manufacturing, efficiency is key to success. With the introduction of PERUZA Automatic Loader, an automated loading and unloading system for industrial washing machines, businesses can now streamline their processes and achieve unparalleled efficiency. This new solution is designed to handle a variety of products, including all kinds of boxes, bins, and trays, making it a versatile addition to any facility where washing process takes place.

Fast Working Time

Time is of the essence in the industrial sector, and PERUZA Automatic Loader rises to the occasion with an impressive working speed. Capable to load and unload five boxes per minute, PERUZA Automatic Loader significantly reduces loading and unloading times compared to manual processes. The fast-working time boosts overall productivity and allows businesses to meet tight production schedules without compromising on cleanliness. Here is a video below of the machine in action.

Workplace Well-Being

PERUZA automated loading and unloading system not only enhances efficiency but also prioritizes the well-being of workers by minimizing their exposure to physical activities. Its automated loading and unloading capabilities reduce the need for labor-intensive tasks, particularly when dealing with large and heavy loads. With the introduction of the PERUZA Automatic Loader for washing machines, working force needed for the process has been reduced from 2 to just 0.5 workers. At the same time loading force is reduced by 4.8 tons per hour. This marks a shift towards a more ergonomic and sustainable approach to industrial operations, ensuring a safer and more productive working environment.

Integration with Standard Washing Machines

One of the key advantages of PERUZA Automatic Loader is its compatibility with different kinds of industrial washing machines and factory layouts. This flexibility allows businesses to enhance their existing washing infrastructure without the need for a complete overhaul. Doesn’t matter if you want seamless integration with your existing washing machines or full process implementation by PERUZA with Cretel or other industrial washing machines, we ensure a smooth transition to automated loading and unloading process. This enables businesses to enjoy the benefits of efficiency without disrupting their current operations. See the image below of seamless integration with client’s existing washing machine.

Built to Last

PERUZA automated loading and unloading system for washing machines is not only built to withstand the demands of industrial operations but is also crafted to simplify the essential tasks of cleaning and maintenance. The thoughtfully engineered structure facilitates effortless cleaning and washing processes. The hygienic design minimizes hard-to-reach areas, making it easy for operators to maintain a high standard of cleanliness. Moreover, durability is a critical factor in industrial equipment, especially those exposed to water and cleaning chemicals. PERUZA Automatic Loader is constructed from high-quality stainless steel, providing not only robustness but also resistance to corrosion. This ensures a long lifespan for the equipment, minimizing maintenance costs and downtime, while also maintaining the highest standards of hygiene.

Conclusion

In the ever-evolving landscape of industrial manufacturing, PERUZA Automatic Loader stands out as a game-changer, providing an automated solution of boxes loading and unloading to industrial washing machines. With its fast-working time, compatibility with standard washing machines, ergonomic design and stainless steel construction PERUZA Automatic Loader offers an efficient solution for businesses looking to optimize their cleaning processes. Embrace the future of industrial hygiene with PERUZA Automatic Loader!

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Automation for Lean Manufacturing: Optimizing Efficiency and Waste Reduction

Hugo Grube — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 09:16:07 +0000

Manufacturers are always looking for ways to increase productivity, cut waste, and strengthen their competitive advantage in their aim of excellence in operation. The use of automation in lean manufacturing practices is an effective tool for achieving those goals. Manufacturing can be revolutionized by automation, which also reduces waste, enhances process efficiency, and ultimately promote operational excellence. This blog post will look at the important advantages of automation in lean manufacturing and how it might change manufacturing businesses.

Waste Reduction through Automation

Waste is a primary concern for lean manufacturing, as it hinders productivity and increases costs. Automation offers a multitude of ways to eliminate waste in manufacturing processes:

Overproduction

Products are made in excess of what is needed, which results in higher inventory and storage expenses. Automation technology can help businesses optimize production based on real-time demand information. Systems for automation make it possible to modify production levels and schedules, ensuring that goods are produced only when required and reducing the likelihood of overproduction.

Waiting

In the manufacturing industry, waiting time is an important contributor of waste. It happens when supplies, machinery, or personnel are not in use, which causes holdups and inefficiencies. By synchronizing processes and optimizing workflows, automation can end waiting periods. In order to assure a continuous flow of commodities, for instance, automated conveyors, robots, and material handling systems are used. This minimizes downtime and waiting times.

Processing

Automation is essential for raising the effectiveness and quality of processes. Businesses can increase manufacturing precision, consistency, and speed by automating repetitive processes. Manufacturing processes are carried out precisely and reliably thanks to automated assembly lines, robotic systems, and CNC equipment. This lowers the likelihood of mistakes, rework, and related waste, improving the quality of the final product.

Source: Freepik

Improved Process Flow

Automation technologies greatly contribute to optimizing process flow in lean manufacturing. They enable seamless integration of various stages in the production process, ensuring smooth transitions and reducing bottlenecks. Key automation solutions that enhance process flow include:

Integrated Production Systems

Automation makes it possible to integrate several production systems, allowing for data synchronization and exchange. This connection improves communication between various manufacturing stages, enabling smooth operations and reducing delays brought on by manual handoffs.

Predictive Analytics

An enormous amount of data from manufacturing processes can be gathered via automation systems. Businesses can obtain important insights into the performance of their processes by implementing advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms. These insights enable data-driven decision-making and ongoing process optimization by identifying bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement.

Real-Time Monitoring and Control

Automation technologies enable businesses to proactively manage production processes by offering real-time monitoring and control. Real-time monitoring of key performance indicators (KPIs) enables businesses to see deviations from goals and move swiftly to remedy them. This leads to increased process flow, decreased variability, and greater process stability.

PERUZA’s Reduced giveaway line

This PERUZA’s Reduced giveaway line, which was designed to automatically insert raw products into plastic trays or boxes, ensures higher line capacity and decreased product giveaways (less than 1%) by calculating the best combinations – the best destination for each fish. It gives noticeable profits if you calculate the giveaway costs. Even a few grams of overweight reduction for each pack brings significant profits.

The PERUZA Reduced Giveaway Line also called tray loader is specifically designed to automate the process of inserting products into plastic trays or boxes, or even thermoformed vacuum bags, ensuring that they meet the specified final weight range for packaging. There are many products that can be loaded, like frozen or fresh meat (pork, beef, poultry) steaks, fillets, chicken wings, drumsticks, legs, and fish (salmon, trout, cod, hake, herring, and other) fillets.

By using precise calculations, this system minimizes product overweight while maximizing line capacity. The products are fed onto the main product conveyor, where they are arranged in a single lane or multiple lanes, depending on the requirements. Once on the conveyor, the products pass through a 3D dimension recognition and weight calculation unit. This unit accurately measures the dimensions and weight of each product. Based on the calculated weight, the system’s program sends a signal to a robot equipped with the appropriate gripper. The robot picks up the product and precisely places it into a tray or box, ensuring that the set final weight range for packaging is achieved. The final weight range for packaging and the current line setup can be easily adjusted through a user-friendly smart interface. This allows for quick and efficient customization based on specific product requirements and packaging targets.

To sum up

Automation technologies are revolutionizing lean manufacturing by enabling companies to optimize efficiency, reduce waste, and achieve operational excellence. By eliminating overproduction, waiting times, transportation waste, and process inefficiencies, automation streamlines operations and enhances overall productivity. Furthermore, automation facilitates improved process flow, real-time monitoring, and data-driven decision-making, empowering organizations to achieve continuous improvement.

As robotics, automation, and machinery develop, you must look into the best possible solutions now. If you’re interested in learning more about how PERUZA can help you get the best results with your food processing, feel free to get in touch at info@peruza.com, and we’ll be happy to discuss the possibilities of us creating something great for your fish processing business!

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The Benefits of Using Robotic Fish Packing for Sustainable Seafood Practices

Hugo Grube — Thu, 11 May 2023 09:16:17 +0000

Sustainable seafood practices are becoming increasingly important for both the health of our oceans and the long-term success of the seafood industry. Robotic fish packing is one way that seafood processors can contribute to sustainable practices while also improving their bottom line. In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of using robotic fish packing for sustainable seafood practices.

Reducing giveaways and waste

First benefit of using robotic fish packing is reduced giveaways by calculating the best combinations – the best destination for each fish. It gives noticeable profits if you calculate the giveaway costs. Even a few grams of overweight reduction for each pack brings significant profits.

Also reducing waste is one of the significant benefits of using robotic fish packing systems for sustainable seafood practices. With manual fish packing, there is a high risk of damage or bruising to the fish during handling, which can lead to significant amounts of waste. In fact, robotic fish packing systems are designed to handle fish delicately and with precision, which reduces the amount of damage that can occur during the packing process

Increased efficiency

Increased efficiency is another benefit of using robotic fish packing systems for sustainable seafood practices. Robotic fish packing systems are designed to pack fish much faster than manual laborers. These systems can process fish continuously and without rest, increasing the speed and throughput of fish processing operations. Robotic fish packing systems can pack fish much more accurately, consistently, and quickly than manual fish packing, which can be labor-intensive and slow. Automation greatly reduces the possibility of human errors and delays brought on by weariness, accidents, or missing work. This means increased productivity and a decrease in the need for manual labor as seafood processing plants can process more fish in less time.

Enhanced food safety

Enhanced food safety is another benefit. With the increasing concerns over food safety and hygiene, the seafood industry needs to ensure that the products are safe for human consumption. Automatic fish packing systems can be designed with hygienic features, reducing the risk of contamination and ensuring that fish products are safe for consumers to eat.

Additionally, robotic fish packing systems can be designed with easy-to-clean surfaces, reducing the risk of bacteria buildup and making cleaning and sanitation easier and more efficient. This not only helps improve food safety practices but also reduces the risk of downtime due to cleaning and maintenance.

Source: PERUZA

PERUZA’s Reduced giveaway line

The Reduced Giveaway line is specifically designed to automatically place raw fish into plastic trays or boxes, resulting in minimized product giveaways – less than 1 % and increased production capacity.

The line operates by receiving products one by one on the main product conveyor, which can accommodate up to multiple lanes. These products then pass through a 3D dimension recognition and weight calculation unit, which accurately determines the weight of each item. The program then calculates the best destination for the minimal giveaway and sends a signal to the robot equipped with the appropriate gripper to pick up the product and place it into a tray or box to reach the desired final weight range with a minimal giveaway.

For example, if you’re currently producing 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and your product’s overweight percentage is 5% per pack, with a kilo price of 5 euros, implementing a Reduced Giveaway Line would result in an annual cost reduction of 600,000 euros.

Thanks to the advanced technology of the PERUZA Reduced Giveaway Line, production managers can easily adjust the final weight range and line setup via a user-friendly interface. This feature ensures optimal performance and flexibility, allowing manufacturers to quickly and easily adjust their production line to accommodate changes in product specifications or consumer demand.

Overall, the PERUZA Reduced Giveaway Line offers an efficient, accurate, and customizable solution for streamlining the packaging process of raw products, minimizing waste, and increasing production capacity.

To sum up

One of the main benefits is reducing giveaways and also waste, such as manual fish packing can result in a high risk of damage and bruising to the fish, whereas robotic systems can handle fish delicately and precisely. Increased efficiency is another benefit, as robotic systems can process fish faster and more accurately than manual laborers. Enhanced food safety is also a benefit, as robotic systems can be designed with hygienic features and easy-to-clean surfaces.

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From Manual to Automated: How Technology is Transforming Warehousing

Hugo Grube — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 09:56:52 +0000

Warehousing has come a long way since the days of manual labor and paper-based systems. With the rise of technology, warehouses can now automate many of their processes, resulting in increased efficiency, reduced labor costs, and improved accuracy. Technology is transforming the way warehouses operate from automated storage and retrieval systems to autonomous mobile robots. In this blog post, we will explore how automation is revolutionizing warehousing and the benefits it brings to businesses. We will also discuss some common examples of automation in warehouses and their impact on warehouse operations.

Types of automation in warehouses

As automation in warehouses is becoming increasingly popular there are many types of automation that can be used. Let’s look at a few of the most popular types of automation:

Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems

Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems are a type of robotic system used to store and retrieve goods from high-density storage systems. These systems use a combination of conveyors, elevators, and robotic arms to store and retrieve products. ASRS can increase storage capacity, reduce labor costs, and improve inventory accuracy. ASRS systems can be designed to accommodate a variety of products, including pallets, totes, and cartons. They can also be integrated with warehouse management software to ensure that products are properly stored and retrieved.

Conveyor Systems

Conveyor systems are used to move goods from one location to another within a warehouse. They can be used to move products to and from storage, as well as between different areas of the warehouse. Conveyor systems can improve efficiency and reduce labor costs by reducing the time it takes to move products around the warehouse. They are also a great way to increase safety in the warehouse as they can reduce the risk of injuries associated with manual material handling.

Source: Freepik

Autonomous Mobile Robots

Autonomous Mobile Robots are self-guided robots that can transport goods around a warehouse. They are designed to work collaboratively with workers, and they can improve efficiency and reduce the time it takes to move goods around the warehouse same as conveyor systems. Mobile Robots can be used to transport products to and from storage, pick and pack products for shipping, and move goods to different areas of the warehouse. AMRs are also a great way to improve safety in the warehouse as they can reduce the risk of accidents associated with manual material handling.

Automated Picking and Packing Systems

Automated picking and packing systems use robots and other machinery to pick and pack products for shipping. They can significantly reduce the time it takes to fulfill orders, improve accuracy, and reduce labor costs. Automated picking and packing systems can be customized to accommodate a variety of products and can be integrated with warehouse management software to ensure that orders are properly fulfilled.

Warehouse Management Software

Warehouse management software is an essential tool for any automated warehouse. WMS can be used to track inventory levels, manage warehouse processes, and optimize warehouse operations. WMS can also be integrated with other automation systems, such as automated storage and retrieval systems, to ensure that products are properly stored and retrieved.

PERUZA’S Full layer palletizer

As we discussed earlier, one of the most common types of automation in warehouses is Conveyor Systems. In PERUZA’s range of solutions, you can find different types of conveyor systems. One of them is PERUZA’S Full layer palletizer.

The PERUZA Full layer palletizer is designed to efficiently and delicately prepare and stack entire layers of various products, ranging from small bottles and packages to large boxes and thermoform packages. To form the palette layer as required, the operator inputs the product type into the system. The manipulator then arrives at the location of the product to pick it up, while the layer former feeds the product into the gripper, which then places it onto the palette. If necessary, the manipulator retrieves a separator sheet from the stack and places it onto the palette between each layer. Meanwhile, automatic palette stackers infeed palettes to the robot manipulator station.Finally, ready palettes are conveyed to the next processing stage.

Main benefits of full layer palletizer :

Fully automated palletizing process
The line is pre-programmed with necessary product types and variations
Easy adjustable to new product types and variations
Continuous workflow with reduced cycle time

Final thoughts

Automation in warehouses has become a necessity for companies looking to improve efficiency, reduce labor costs, and increase accuracy. With the advancements in technology, automation has become more accessible, affordable, and reliable, making it a great investment for businesses of all sizes. Some common examples of automation in warehouses include ASRS, conveyor systems, automated picking and packing systems, and warehouse management software. By implementing these systems, companies can significantly improve their warehouse operations and gain a competitive edge in the market.

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PERUZA’s robotic palletizing system for the producer of egg products – Balticovo

Hugo Grube — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 07:38:13 +0000

A robotic palletizing system for finished goods developed by PERUZA has been installed in the modernized production building of the “Balticovo” company. This system will increase the automation of the processing process, increase production capacity, and decrease production waste. Less than one million euros were spent overall on the production building’s modernization and automation.

Palletizing system for finished goods

Two robots, eight palletizing lines, a robot gripper concept specifically designed for the manufacturing facility, and more than 145 different product types make up the robotic and artificial intelligence-powered palletizing system. Along with other egg packing and sorting equipment, the new palletizing system for finished goods was installed in the building of the “Balticovo” production plant, which began operating in November 2020. More than a million eggs are sorted and packaged every day in the production complex, and just over 300 tons of boiled and shelled eggs are produced each month in the food preparation factory.

“Seeing how the production volume of our company is growing, it was clear that it is necessary to find a way to speed up production processes by reducing the amount of physical work, while at the same time raising the qualifications of employees,” says Toms Auškāps, a member of the board of AS “Balticovo”.

Complex production system, adapting to the specifics of the product

The “PERUZA” team admits that it was challenging to install the finished product palletization system in a facility that produced such a wide range of goods. In addition to being fully automated, the automatic palletizing system has a statistics and monitoring system that increases the productivity of electronic processes, increases production capacity, and lowers production waste. The manufacturing system automatically ensures that the mechanism for transporting the boxes has adequate space to divert them from the main conveyor in time using two effective robots. After that, one of nine exits—eight of which are automatic and one of which is manual—is where the boxes are delivered. The system determines which exit is the proper one based on the information provided by the barcode reader. These engineering solutions can process up to 16 boxes per minute and up to eight distinct items simultaneously.

Industry leaders choose the best solutions

The largest producer of eggs and egg-related products in Northern Europe is the firm “Balticovo.” More than 700 million eggs are laid by “Balticovo” hens in a single year, and around 70% of the products are shipped to other nations in the European Union and around the world. In 2021, AS “Balticovo” generated revenue of 62.435 million euros, a 14.9% increase over the previous year, however, its profit, which was 161,252 euros, declined significantly.

PERUZA has made significant investments in the growth of the business, including the establishment of a dedicated programming division that enables the development of fresh, inventive, and uniquely tailored automation, robotization, and artificial intelligence solutions for manufacturing firms, which are crucial for increasing both production capacity and competitiveness. Since 1991, the Latvian company has been designing and producing production machinery. The company’s objective in developing equipment is to minimize losses in product pre-processing and packing, which is crucial to boosting production profit. The company’s primary area of expertise is the manufacture of industrial equipment for numerous food businesses, particularly in the fish processing sector.

Source: PERUZA

PERUZA’S Robot palletizer and full layer palletizer

The PERUZA Robot Palletizer is designed to palletize different items at high throughput. The technology can process up to 500 units per minute. Robotic palletizers are helpful for palletizing plastic, glass, and cartons of various sizes since they can handle different-sized items. Two unit lines that are entering are palletized concurrently by the palletizer. Pallets are brought to a robot palletizing area that has a spacer. The robot handles units and pallets using sophisticated gripping mechanisms.

A full layer can be quickly and properly prepared and palletized with the PERUZA Full Layer Palletizer. Full-layer palletizers may handle a wide range of products, including tiny bottles or packets, huge boxes, and thermoform packaging. It might include a complex plastic or cardboard sheet feeding mechanism and quality control for incoming goods. On the basis of the operator’s input for the product type line, a palette layer is built as necessary.

Final thoughts

In recent years, the manufacturer of production equipment PERUZA has made significant investments in the development of the company, including the creation of its own programming department. This department gives the opportunity to create new, innovative, and individually adapted automation, robotization, and artificial intelligence solutions for production companies, which are essential for both production capacity and competitiveness.

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Top Robotics Trends In Food Processing You Should Follow in 2023

Hugo Grube — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 11:32:56 +0000

Innovation in the food business is developing. As we move into 2023, technology continues to dominate the food business despite rising worries about the environmental impact of how we farm, manufacture, and distribute food. The food processing industry is still moving away from conventional farming practices, food packaging techniques, and food delivery strategies. The way we produce, supply, and distribute food throughout the world is changing as a result of the latest innovations in food technology, sensors, and robotics.

We look forward to 2023 with a combination of excitement and, to be honest, angst as we get ready for year-end reports and presentations on how 2022 has gone. The industry’s labor shortage and inflation have dominated headlines over the past 12 months, delaying growth and undoing the beneficial effects of the post-covid bounce. But we often overlook the fact that difficult times are the finest environments for fostering originality, invention, and identifying any potential. So, let’s look at some trends In food processing you should follow in 2023.

Autonomy, not just automation

Some limited robotic applications have been used in restaurants over the past couple of years to automate operations like flipping burgers, frying potatoes, producing pizzas, or even creating a whole new experience with poke bowls that come from a vending machine. These are fantastic accomplishments for the food service sector as well as the robotics industry. This will eventually lead to the whole automation of meal preparation in 2023, not just the automation of a single operation. Same thing if we are talking about food processing not only meals but the full process of getting the products ready. Robotics are used throughout the food and beverage value chain to increase production efficiency, consistency, and scalability.

Greater profitability

It’s hardly news that food service has thin margins. In 2023, automation will allow us to change that. We can entirely alter the discussion on profitability if we have reduced staff expenses, lower turnover, and fewer individuals to hire amid the labor shortage situation. With the help of robots, food processing may reduce labor costs, decrease waste, and improve quality. But the right kind of robotics is required. Operators lack the most crucial quality when handling food with these limited solutions: adaptability. Software-based robotics systems that are flexible and adaptive are profitable (and scalable). These kinds of solutions will become increasingly prevalent in 2023, particularly in the delivery sector.

Source: PERUZA

Diversification

Food producers will have the chance to meet customers where they are as people’s eating habits vary in reaction to their ability to buy food during a recession — their wages may not stretch as far, therefore patterns may shift. What might this appear to be? To meet customer demands, they could alter the method they produce goods and even launch new ones. Shelf-stable meals, snacks, and restaurant food packaged for takeout are a few examples of food products that may become more popular during a recession. By diversifying their product lines, manufacturers may test which fresh ideas will be successful even in the wake of a downturn.

Final thoughts

Staying adaptable, concentrating on the challenges at hand, and carefully choosing which partner will help you get through the upcoming year — and perhaps we all from the food industry will emerge stronger on the other side — as everyone in the food processing industry continues to conduct business in an uncertain environment.

If you’re interested in learning more about how PERUZA can help you automate the manufacturing process, and implement some on-site food processing equipment, feel free to email us at info@peruza.com, and we’ll gladly discuss the possibilities of working together to boost the productivity of your business, no matter the time of the year!

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Food Expiration Dates – How Long Does Canned Food Really Last?

Hugo Grube — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 14:39:18 +0000

When we talk about canned food, the first thing that comes to mind is that it has a longer shelf life and is easy to preserve. Having a stock of canned goods at home is a lifesaver and an easy way to make dinner. You’ll probably find some old soup cans or green bean cans you purchased from who knows when if you dig far enough toward the back of your pantry.

But how long does canned food really last? There are many factors that can impact the shelf life of canned goods like – corrosion and rust, high temperatures, and other container problems. Just be careful to avoid purchasing bulging, rusted, leaky, or dented cans, and keep your canned foods in a cool, dry location instead of somewhere that may be exposed to extreme heat or cold, such as beneath a sink, above or next to a stove, in a wet garage, or in a basement.

In this blog post, we will look into the shelf life of canned goods and compare two types of autoclaves.

How long does canned food last?

It is advised to eat various canned products by a specified date for the greatest quality because, with time, many canned foods will experience flavor and texture changes and may eventually lose their nutritional value. It follows that the “use-by” or “best before” dates that are frequently put on cans are for quality, not safety. Although canned foods that exceed their “best-before” dates may not taste as nice, as long as they are still in excellent condition, there is no serious health risk associated with eating canned foods.

After opening canned foods, it goes without saying that you should put any leftovers and unused portions in the refrigerator. For the greatest quality and taste preservation, keep them in glass or plastic storage containers, avoid keeping them in cans. And the reason is that tin and iron can contaminate food, alter the flavor, and occasionally have a harmful impact on health. If the product is highly acidic, such as fruits and tomatoes, keeping open cans in the refrigerator is extremely risky.

So, let’s take a look at how long a different type of product will last canned:

Fish, meat and low-acid canned foods include stews, spaghetti, soups (apart from tomato soup), meat, and poultry in cans, as well as vegetables including potatoes, corn, carrots, spinach, beans, beets, peas, and pumpkin. Also canned fish like tuna and canned meat. After being canned, these foods retain their freshness for 2 to 5 years on the shelf. If you store them in the refrigerator after opening, they retain their freshness for 3 to 4 days.
High acid canned goods – juices, tomatoes, fruit products (including grapefruit, pineapple, apples, peaches, pears, plums, and all berries), pickles, sauerkraut, and any item prepared with vinegar-based sauces or dressings. These goods have a shelf life of 12 to 18 months, but once opened, they only remain fresh in the fridge for 5 to 7 days, but remember to remove them from the original can to a plastic or glass container.

But what is the secret of so long shelf life? Because all the microorganisms are eliminated during the canning process, canned food isn’t loaded with chemicals and preservatives. Cans that have been sealed in this way can stay fresh for many years. And one of the crucial parts sterilization of cans with hot water or air. So, in this part, the autoclaves step in.

Source: Steriflow

What is an autoclave? And which one is better?

Autoclaves are hermetic containers designed to endure high temperatures and pressures that offer a thermal treatment for a while at a high temperature. It is frequently used in the production of food to sterilize glass and metal containers. There are different kinds of autoclaves, but let’s look at 2 of the most popular ones in the food processing industry:

Autoclave using water

A retort also called an autoclave or sterilizer is a pressure vessel used in the food processing business to “commercially sterilize” food with steam and air after it has been placed into its container and the container has been hermetically sealed. A production retort is a sort of autoclave that sterilizes food using water spray and steam under pressure after packing and before it is shipped to market in order to give it a longer shelf life. Retorts are industrial-sized devices that can sterilize huge numbers of containers in a variety of sizes, shapes, and materials. The sterilization temperature and duration are predetermined and automatically managed by the computer. The most common temperature for autoclave sterilization is 121°C, but many cycles can reach higher temperatures, such as 132°C and 134°C. The water spray effectively transmits heat to the food containers to break down the bacterial and spore protein structures. This sterilizing procedure extends the shelf life of the food goods. The main benefit of an autoclave is – it washes away bacteria, literally. Water spray flows through the smallest schisms and gaps, maintaining a high-quality result.

Hot air retorts

In order to generate an overpressure in the retort, a mixture of flexible pressure steam and the air is added. This is called steam air type. Similar to water immersion and water spray, it is an over-pressure procedure, except instead of the water, the product is subjected to the effects of overpressure air. The thermal processing of a wide range of containers, including glass, metal cans, rigid plastic, and flexible pouches, is made possible by air overpressure. The main benefit of steam and air technology is that it is as efficient as steam and water, but it is more cost-effective by using less energy. The amount of energy needed to heat up air is far less than it is to heat up water. As a result, the cost is decreased and the heat treatment cycle lasts less time and is more consistent.

But which one is better? And again, there is no simple answer to this. It depends on the product and packaging type. But, if we take fish processing, for example, specialists tend more toward the water type. And why? Because traditionally fish canning factories have open-type baskets, which are designed for water spray. The autoclaves of direct steam use more closed-type baskets.. But, keep in mind, if you choose hot air retort it will be a more cost-effective choice.

Source: PERUZA

PERUZA’S Autoclave basket loader and autoclave basket unloader

PERUZA offers two amazing solutions for those who have chosen to work with autoclaves.

The autoclave basket loader and the basket unloader are made to load and unload specified kinds of autoclave or retort baskets. Cans are stacked in rows and layers in the basket, with a plastic interlayer cushion separating each pair of layers. The machine comes in manual, semi-automatic, and automatic (only for unloader) versions. The main benefits? The autoclave basket loading and unloading process is quicker and the design and operation are more ergonomic, secure, and clean.

How do these solutions work? It is necessary to insert the autoclave basket and position it above the lifting platform. Once it has been properly installed, the operator uses the control unit to raise the can layer using a hydraulic lift so that the top layer of cans is evenly spaced from the conveyor surface. This is done automatically for our automatic-type basket unloader.

Moving cans from layer to conveyor surface can be done with manual work or automatically with a pneumatic pusher. When a layer is empty, the operator must remove the separating sheet before raising the following layer to the correct height. Again this is done automatically for the machine’s upgraded version.

Final thoughts

No doubt canned foods are safe and accessible ways to store food for a longer period and keep them within arm’s reach. And the manufacturer’s task is to produce canned foods that not only taste good but also have a longer shelf life, right? And autoclaves are a crucial part of that task. But autoclave basket loaders and unloaders can ease the process and make it faster and more efficient.

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Robots can’t get Covid – and it might just be the right solution for your business

Hugo Grube — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 13:45:49 +0000

Covid-19 cases in the global workplace are on the rise, but there actually are solutions that could change this, and still let people keep their jobs by working remotely. And no, we’re not talking about a typical office job. We’re talking industries like food processing, agriculture, medicine, delivery services, and more.

Which industries are robots useful in?

While the applications of robotics before, during, and after the pandemic vary greatly – from giving directions, stocking shelves, welding metal in dangerous environments, and much more – today’s robots can generally be grouped into 7 helpful industries.

Manufacturing

Source: PERUZA

The manufacturing industry is probably the most well-known and oldest user of robots. Its applications are very important during a time like a global pandemic, as these robots and co-bots (the bots that work alongside humans) can work to efficiently test and assemble essential and in-demand products, like cars and industrial equipment.

It’s estimated that there are more than three million industrial robots in use right now, considering there were 2.7 in use already in September 2020. Manufacturing doesn’t only apply to the automotive industry, but also hugely includes food industries, such as fish, meat, and fruit processing. A food processing automation company PERUZA already has a lot of great robotics solutions created for safer, more hygienic processes to help create companies a higher yield.

If you work in a business that sees any shortage of workforce in your assembly, materials transportation, welding, and warehouse security departments, as these have been fully or partially done by humans till now, consider looking into robotics applications – you might find that both your employees and stakeholders will enjoy the change it can bring.

Farming and agriculture

Source: Unsplash

Farming is a massive industry that requires more and more efficient solutions every year, as the global population continues to grow and the demand for fresh, ethically sourced food reaches unprecedented levels during the pandemic.

There are special types of machines used in farming and agriculture – Autonomous Mobile Robots or AMRs.

AMRs are moving robots that make decisions in near real-time as they go. Sophisticated technologies such as cameras and sensors help them take in information about their surroundings. Onboard processing equipment helps them analyze it and make an informed decision – whether that’s moving to avoid an oncoming worker, picking precisely the right fruit, or selecting an appropriate surface to sweep.

These AMRs are great at helping farmers harvest their crops more efficiently and quickly.

The AMR and other types of robots can assess food ripeness, move any branches or leaves out of the way, pick weeds so humans don’t need to break their backs doing that anymore, and can pick the crop precisely, delicately, and very quickly to avoid causing any harm to the product.

If you work in farming and agriculture, this might be a good time to look into AMR and other robotics solutions, as they can enhance the safety of your workers during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, and increase your yield through higher efficiency and productivity.

Logistics

Source: PERUZA

The global pandemic has surely expedited the demand for retailers and logistics companies to be fast and efficient, which means that shipping, handling, and quality control robots are a must-have for most of these companies.

As customers expect their packages to arrive at impossible speeds, it is important for logistics companies to adapt quickly and employ robots in their warehouses, or even on the road.

Currently, there are robots taking ordered items off the shelves, transporting them across the warehouse floor, weighing, packaging, and unpacking them.

Some logistics companies have even employed robots – drones – to deliver the goods to your home to avoid face-to-face contact with humans during the pandemic, and we must say that this trend is probably going to grow into methods used more and more in the future.

All of these processes being automated is crucial for the safety of warehouse workers and increased accuracy, so take a look at PERUZA warehouse solutions and see how you could make your workplace safer and more efficient with robotics.

Home

Source: Unsplash

Remember when you had to wash your clothes, sweep your floors or do your dishes by hand? Yeah, we neither. That’s what the washing machine, dishwashing machine, and Roomba vacuum cleaners are for, right?

Robots are all over our homes, helping with previously tedious chores like those mentioned above, reminding us of our schedules, turning on music at our homes, and even entertaining our kids with immersive video games.

Not to forget that there are also robots that can now do everything by themselves completely autonomously – from mowing grass and cleaning windows to cleaning pools.

It is now more accessible than ever to have robotics solutions in your house, which can help you save time and reduce human contact during the time when it should be limited to a minimum anyway, so explore the options of assisting you and your staff with robots.

Travel

Source: Unsplash

Although there is nothing more science-fiction-like than autonomous vehicles, they already exist. A great mix of data science and robotics, self-driving cars, and other vehicles are taking the world by storm.

Great automakers such as Tesla, Ford, Waymo, and others are all working on ways to create a completely autonomous vehicle that will let you enjoy the ride without the need to concentrate on driving yourself.

Not to forget the brilliant ideas rideshare companies like Uber, Lyft, and others are working on to develop autonomous rideshare cars that don’t require humans to operate the vehicle – finally a taxi ride without the fear of catching Covid-19 in addition to uncomfortable conversations with the driver.

Keep your eyes open for the opportunities of autonomous vehicles, and look into implementing this type of robotics into your business, if that means safer and better ways for you, your employees, and goods to travel.

Healthcare

Source: Unsplash

Healthcare can employ robotics in just about every aspect of the industry, from robot-assisted surgeries to bots that can help patients recover from injury in physical therapy.

Examples of robots at work in healthcare are Toyota’s healthcare assistants, which help people regain the ability to walk, and “TUG”, a robot designed to autonomously stroll throughout a hospital and deliver everything from medicines to clean linens.

There are multiple other types of robots used in the healthcare industry, for example, the previously mentioned AMRs are actually used to also disinfect surfaces with excellent precision, and provide mobile telepresence functionality.

There are also cobots that are now used to assist medical professionals during rehabilitation or to help nurses better serve their patients while doing it remotely, or even perform surgery remotely, reducing the risks of contamination and human error in very detailed operations.

Not to forget that there are robotized prosthetics that can greatly improve the quality of life in those who have lost any limbs.

Robots have also been employed by pharmaceutical companies to aid in fighting Covid-19. They are now used to fill and seal Covid-19 testing swabs and are also being used by some manufacturers to produce PPE and respirators.

As you can see, healthcare is one of the biggest industries to embrace the robots before, during, and hopefully, long after the pandemic in helping employees reach better results while continuously focusing on the safety of the patients.

Smart cities and hospitality

Source: Pexels

Robots can help create smarter and safer cities around the globe. From hospitality companies using robotics to provide concierge services to whole cities offering way-finding services and tourist-guide bots to promote safer and more exciting tourist experiences, this is an industry that is booming in use-case exploration all the time.

AMRs can be used to deliver goods locally and conduct routine security patrols. Robots can also assist in speeding up building construction and even help with parking your car in the future.

All of these applications are something to look into if your business relies on safe structures and guided processes that serve the public by providing recreational, educational, or living spaces.

Final thoughts

The robotics industry is really booming with new applications being discovered and implemented on a daily basis. So if you take only one thing from this blog post it’s to really consider jumping in and implementing some of the clever ways robots can help you and your business in the Covid-19 situation and long after the pandemic is gone, as there is only one direction the robotics is taking – forward.

If your company is in need of automating some processes in the fish and food industry or looking for ways to ease their existing logistics load with packaging and other processes, feel free to contact us at info@peruza.com, and we’ll be happy to help you choose the best solution for your company!

The post Robots can’t get Covid – and it might just be the right solution for your business appeared first on PERUZA.

Are Robots The Future Of Manufacturing?

Hugo Grube — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 11:49:25 +0000

Manufacturing and robots go perfectly together. Robotics nowadays play a significant part in the production scene – if a manufacturing company wants to achieve optimal results, increasing the overall work efficiency and quality, automated solutions are a must. Yet still to this day, many human workers are skeptical about robot integration into their everyday work, worrying that they might get replaced. But robots are meant to make their work easier, not to take their jobs away completely.

So in this blog article let’s have a look at what robots and robotics are, how they’ve evolved in recent years, and how manufacturing companies benefit from having robots.

What exactly are robotics and robots?

By definition, robotics is a field in science, engineering, and technology that focuses on producing robots – machines that replicate human actions. Originally, robots were built to do repetitive tasks so human workers could concentrate on more complex things, saving time and effort and that way ultimately increasing production results.

We all know at least one sci-fi movie, where robots, that once were human friends, have taken over the world becoming people’s worst enemies – and that’s a total exaggeration, caricaturing what robots really are.

Robots today

Nowadays robots have significantly evolved in many ways – from fields, they’re used to their amazing abilities. We can now find different kinds of robots in everyone’s homes – robots are vacuuming our floors and turning the light on or off without our assistance. In 2005, 90% of all robots were found in automobile assembly plants. These robots were mainly machines with mechanical arms that are charged with welding or screwing on specific elements of an automobile.

Today there are so many robots out there, and every robot has a different level of independence, ranging from human-controlled bots that perform tasks that a person has complete control over to fully autonomous bots that complete operations without any outside inputs.

Robots in manufacturing

Manufacturing companies in many different fields are using robots that are collaborating with human workers for quite some time now. These kinds of robots are called “cobots”.

Companies like “Cornell Dubilier” – a power capacitor manufacturer in the United States – are already seeing a return on investment from using cobots in their work procedures. For example, they have deployed robots to verify capacitor installations, resulting in a doubling of the labeling process speed from 125 parts per hour to 250 parts per hour. And a significant decrease in wasted time across the supply chain implies that human workers have more time to devote to jobs that need more creativity and thinking.

So it’s only clear that industrial robots have this amazing power of reducing production time and making main procedures smarter and less expensive. And, according to PwC report data, approximately 59% of all US manufacturing companies are using one or another form of robots in their facilities.

Source: Freepik

5 benefits from using robotics in manufacturing

As you now understand, there come many benefits with robot integration in manufacturing processes. Let’s look at some of them:

increased efficiency in every process: when you use any kind of robot – either mechanical arms or AI softwares –, you’ll notice a significant efficiency increase in all manufacturing processes – from raw material handling to even the finished product packaging;

possible 24/7 operation: there are many robots that can be configured to run 24/7, ensuring continuous production;

high flexibility: most robotic equipment can be customized for your company’s needs, so it can perform even the most difficult and dangerous tasks;

ensuring competitiveness: since robots are used almost everywhere and many production companies are already using one or another kind of robotic solution, manufacturers need to integrate automation in order to stay competitive;

valuable investment: overall robotic solutions are a highly valuable and even cost-effective long-term investment for nearly all company sizes – even small shops.

As time goes on, it only makes sense to introduce modern and up-to-date solutions in production facilities. You also have to think about your human workers – what is the cost of their coffee breaks, how much the production volumes reduce when some of your workers are sick, etc.

Source: Freepik

Are robots eliminating human jobs in manufacturing?

One of the biggest human laborer fears is about losing their jobs to robots – does robotic equipment integration into our work mean that we are going to lose our jobs completely?

And while these kinds of fears are understandable, they are not necessarily justified, and here’s why:

by integrating robotic solutions into manufacturing facilities, more job positions can be created, as it can then produce higher production volumes and therefore accept more orders;
robots can free up human workers from monotone and repetitive tasks, while simultaneously creating more desired employment in fields such as engineering, programming, administration, and equipment maintenance;
robots can do more dangerous tasks, allowing human employees to remain safe, avoiding various injuries and troubles;
they let many different companies maximize their human workers’ skills and knowledge in business areas, where more creativity and thought is required.

Should your company, too, start to think about robot integration?

As already discussed in this article, there are many benefits, not only in terms of your company’s ROI but also for your employee work efficiency and productivity as well, from using robots in your manufacturing business. So thinking about ways you can improve your business in the new year, you should definitely think about robot integration in your production facility.

In fact, we here, at PERUZA, specialize in creating the best equipment for manufacturers, including many robotic solutions, such as:

Our experienced engineers will help you decide the best solutions exactly for your business’s needs and goals, so feel free to contact us at info@peruza.com, and we’ll keep in touch!

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5 Benefits Of Automated Food Packaging

Hugo Grube — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 06:40:55 +0000

There is no doubt that the food industry is one of the all-time fastest-growing industries. That requires many responsibilities – from the speed of the food production to maintaining consistently high food quality.

The competition in this industry is very high, which means that your company must always think 3 steps ahead to be able to maintain a high position in the food market. The good news is – this can be achieved with automated food packaging systems, which can process large volumes at high speeds, meeting the demand of the supply chains.

In fact, research by the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies states that almost a third of food processing operations already use robotics in their facilities. According to another survey conducted by the organization, 94% of food packaging operations were done using robotics in the past few years.

What is automated food packaging?

A food packaging process can be divided into two main stages – primary and secondary packaging. In the primary packaging stage, the raw food needs to be wrapped or enclosed. In the secondary stage, products are packed into smaller cases or packages, before being put into a larger case and palletized for distribution.

Using vision-guided robotic arms, automatically guided machines, delta robots, and other advanced inspection systems, food production companies can make their operations much more efficient. But what are the other benefits that automated food packaging can provide?

What are the benefits of automated food packaging?

1. Higher production volumes in a shorter period of time

When it comes to the need of speeding up the production process or producing higher volumes of the product, an automated packaging system is a better solution than recruiting additional workers.

Compared to traditional food processing methods, automated systems and robots have a few significant advantages. For example, food packaging robots are capable of repeating one specific task over and over with little or no variation in precision. These machines, unlike human laborers, never get tired, making it possible to maintain a continuous pace of work.

This balance of precision and speed has been proven to boost food production companies’ performance, maintaining industry standards for packaged items at the same time.

2. Improved food safety

Year by year the concerns about food safety are drastically increasing. Research data show that almost one in ten people all around the world get ill after the consumption of contaminated food. Even more concerning is the fact that about 420 000 of them die every year from the same cause.

Despite the growing improvements in food safety standards, diseases that are caused by contaminated food still remain very common even in the developed countries. Food-producing companies can improve this critical situation by introducing automated packaging machines in their factories. You might be wondering – but how does that help?

Well, food packaging workers, especially those who work with raw products, can easily spread different types of bacteria from one product to another or from one factory area to another and so on. So, by reducing human contact in the food packaging process, food-related companies can significantly reduce the risk of contaminating the food.

Automated food packaging machines are set in one place, reducing the risk of carrying the bacteria from other places. Of course, there are still some minor risks of cross-contamination, if these machines are not cleaned properly, but, complying with all the necessary hygiene requirements, the risks are significantly lower.

3. Operations are done more precisely

All humans make mistakes, it is inevitable. But, in many situations, it can be very costly to the company. That’s why for organizations that are involved in food production and packaging, quality assurance is critical. Reducing all the possible errors and defects is the most effective way to enhance income and efficiency. The best solution to achieve this is an automated packaging system.

More accurate weight calculations significantly reduced product waste, and correct labeling are some of the more common human-made slips that these automated food packaging machines can easily prevent.

4. Lower company expenses – reduced labor cost

By implementing automated food packaging systems in the factories, companies can significantly reduce the expense, and here’s how.

Finding responsible workers that are willing to work in food factories, that have to operate with high production and packaging volumes, can be really hard. By making these processes automated, using packaging machines, companies are not taking the job away from people – they’re just making the work much easier.

With these machines, all you have to do is introduce your team of workers to them and teach them how to use the machines. And every time your team members change, it is much easier to teach the new workers how to use the machine instead of teaching all the manual techniques.

5. Reduced risks of potential bottlenecks and downtime

When human errors occur during the process of manual food packaging, it can lead to bottlenecks in production. In those cases, automated packaging methods can help to alleviate this bottleneck – custom machines are built to keep up with the production line’s flow. Therefore there are fewer opportunities for packaging errors with automated packaging, which means reduced downtime and bottlenecks.

Also, your staff is allowed to take breaks from the manual labor, and this means that the production stops during those periods, resulting in lower productivity levels of manufacturing. With automated food packaging machines, you can reduce the time that is lost in those breaks, because most of these machines work automatically, requiring little time – just for their monitoring.

What do we suggest?

To make the process of food packaging way more efficient, food companies need to use automation systems like PERUZA’s “Reduced giveaway line” to always guarantee food safety and quality standards, meanwhile saving labor costs.

Our “Reduced giveaway line” is specially designed for automatic raw product inserting into plastic trays or boxes, ensuring significantly reduced product waste and increased line capacity.

This machine is great for every company that works in the food industry because it:

is adaptable to various products, ranging from fresh or frozen meat and fish to vegetables and fruit;
works with precise calculations, reducing the product waste;
operates at a high speed, increasing production volumes in a shorter period of time;
has an intuitive user interface which makes this machine easy to use.

Our automated food packaging machine can package up to 120 products per minute (or 60 per one lane), so just imagine how much time this would save you! Check out PERUZA’s “Reduced giveaway line” here: https://peruza.com/solution/reduced-giveaway-line/!

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