Smart Factory: The Pick & Place System for IAG Facilities

A helping hand that saves costs, increases quality and takes the load off employees

Packing, assigning, sorting and depositing – the new Pick & Place robot from IAG takes care of all this, and it can also be easily integrated into existing IAG facilities. Optimised for individual needs, the automation solution boasts high flexibility, precision and reliability.

• Efficient: Efficient sorting of up to 12 different products in pallets or other transport containers
• Practical: Automatic calculation of the maximum stack height for variable product thicknesses
• Flexible: Individual depositing pattern for each product
• Precise: Superior quality and damage prevention through exact execution of operations, even in continuous use
• Adaptable: Rapid and uncomplicated adaptation to altered production processes
• Digital: Process optimisation through smart software
• Quality control: Seamless product tracking from the raw material to the pallet, even when samples are collected manually
• Process reliability and fail-safe operation: high productivity without production bottlenecks

Both companies and employees benefit from the interaction between humans and robots.

In addition to cost savings and enhanced quality and reliability, the reduced strain on employees is an essential factor for implementing a Pick & Place system. Everyday work in production often involves heavy loads and strains, such as monotonous, repetitive tasks, work with heavy, sharp-edged or hot objects, or activities where people have to expose themselves to danger every day, for example from harmful product fumes. Using robots means that employees can be deployed in higher-value tasks, which is reflected positively in key figures such as employee satisfaction, staff turnover and the reduction of sickness-related absences.

Despite these advantages, robots don't always have the best reputation in our society. Even in the age of digitisation, machines are often perceived as rivals. Yet, it's precisely the combination of human experience, judgement and flexibility with the strength, endurance and precision of a robot that offers countless opportunities.

Integrating the Pick & Place system in IAG facilities brings the convenience of a smart system and offers numerous opportunities for process optimisation. For example, the fill level of a pallet can be visualised in real time or the message of a pending pallet change can be mirrored to a PC or mobile device. Possible interfaces to ERP systems, warehouse management software or QM systems facilitate the digitisation and optimisation of internal processes.