Compactness and dexterity were two important features of the anthropomorphic FANUC LR Mate 200iD robot selected by FlexLink for a cutting-edge medical assembly line located in Italy. Combined with a FANUC M-1iA delta robot and an integrated iRVision system, FlexLink completely re-engineered the blister packing operation, automating an intricate and time-intensive job that previously performed manually.
Increasing productivity enables the FlexLink system to consistently produce 60 blister packs per minute, the M-1iA delta robot starts by undertaking the first selection task. With a work diameter of 280mm, this specific model was designed by FANUC to deliver accurate movements and handling of small objects at high speeds, so suits the application perfectly.
Presented in bulk quantities on the conveyor belt, the delta robot picks up and using FANUC iRVision, quality checks each product component. “Integrating the visual system eliminates the need to orientate objects as the robot finds them. It meant we didn’t need further conveyors and devices that would have made the conveyor system more complex and cumbersome,” explains FlexLink’s engineering manager Davide Zuffa. Imperfect pieces are rejected at this phase of the process, remaining on the conveyor to be discarded.
