Vacuum Gripping system from GRIPWIQ for automatic de-panning of fresh loaves of rye bread.
(video: GRIPWIQ)
GRIPWIQ creates grippers for a variety of machinery solutions in addition to its core business of equipping industrial robots.
The de-panning application with the gripping system made by GRIPWIQ
In collaboration with Danmatic A/S, a leading company specializing in the design and production of bakery and other food processing equipment, GRIPWIQ has been working on gripping system for de-panning application.
The main goal of this project was to develop a solution that would help Jensen Bread, a family-owned bakery known for its delicious, high-quality goods, address the current labor shortage and improve its working conditions.
The newly installed machine can just in 6 minutes perform a de-panning of 20 pans, with ten fresh loaves each. It picks the pan from the rack, feeds it to the vacuum gripping system, and returns the sheet after the tailored-made grippers emptied the molds.
The build-in vacuum gripping system takes ten loaves of rye bread out of the molds and stacks them on a conveyor belt in a perfectly even order for further transportation into the cooling chamber. Later, the rye bread will leave the chamber for packaging application and transportation to customers.
The system consists of two rows with 5 SofTouch suction cup grippers per each, where the distance between the cups is determined by the loaves’ order on the pan.
The cups mount on the Gripwiq standard mount, which gives increased flexibility when changing. It usually takes less than 30 secs to pull the vacuum cup off and replace it with a new one.
Big automation plans start with the success of small projects
Without this machine, a fifteen-kilogram bread pan had to be lifted and turned over on a conveyor belt by hand, which required more time and physical skills of the operator. Usually, this procedure requires several workers to empty and align the products on the running conveyor, but now it can be done by one person, who brings the rack with pans to the machine and assists when some minor technical errors happened.
“It is not the first time we develop grippers for the automatic solution, and it is always fascinating to watch how a well-constructed machine can easily compete with some of the robotic solutions. We know that for many SMEs introduction of robotics may seem like a very complicated project at first glance. Usually, though, it is the acquisition of advanced machinery solutions that pave the way for industrial robots. That is because food producers can truly feel the benefits and the great potential of the process automation themselves. Plus, there are still some concerns amongst the food manufacturers about the lack of skilled operators, that nowadays is easily addressed by user-friendly interfaces and different training courses offered by the certified integrators”, says Rene Nørgaard, CEO and co-founder of GRIPWIQ.
Vacuum grippers for the bakery industry
Over the past years, GRIPWIQ has developed solutions for lifting fresh and frozen buns, baguettes, white and rye bread loaves.
Typically, gripping methods for automated handling of baked goods are limited due to the complexity of the manufacturing process and the wide variety of shapes and textures.
Mads M. Pedersen, CTO and a co-founder of GRIPWIQ, explains, “One of the reasons why we have great success with handling bread and other baked goods is that we are in full control of our products’ design and hardness of the material. For instance, when we receive requests for picking white bread, we know right away that the use of vacuum is limited because of the imprint-sensitive surface of this product. So, we develop a solution that is ultra-soft and compatible for work with a low vacuum force”.
GRIPWIQ is one of the few gripping equipment suppliers that offer tailor-made solutions to cover all the aspects of reliable and effective food automation.
