The machine we are going to exhibit is a fully integrated robotic solution, with a very small footprint and a cell of Cama’s own 12 Triaflex delta robots working in co-flow, therefore capable of packaging about 1000 products per minute. These robots feature an anti-collision system, which allows them to work in a very small space without interfering with each other’s functions. The cell configuration allows for two product loading lines, one on the right and one on the left, with various pick & place patterns able to be handled. The lines have an advanced vision system, which allows them to recognize product shapes and do quality checks. They are also equipped with an integrated digital-twin simulation system, the flagship of the first phase of Industry 4.0. Even before the machine was produced, in fact, we focused on preventive design, and dedicated engineering that allowed us to simulate the behavior of the products and their interaction with grippers and packaging. All of this is visualized with a large HMI touch screen, mounted directly on the machine and allowing users to see a virtual twin operating in sync with the live machine. Digital twin technology and the ability to simulate solutions during the design phase of machine realization is a game-changing technology to allow Cama as a machine builder to get the machine built right the first time to deliver successful projects for our customers. This design strategy is very useful in sectors such as frozen food, where there is no guarantee of being able to test a product that is 100% representative before machine installation, due to the need to maintain a sufficient quantity of products in the cold chain, which in that sector are often tons processed per hour on very fast lines. The digital twin, therefore, helps to simulate a real production cycle and helps to prevent problems that, if discovered during assembly and testing, can be very serious problems.
Cama’s Industry 4.0 capability also includes an augmented reality package where through the use of a tablet, overlays for user information relating to maintenance, changeover, and spare parts are brought to life for the user as an augmented reality view on the tablet’s screen. This information, which was previously accessible with the paper manual, is displayed on the screen via a QR code. This is a user-friendly solution that almost completely replaces the traditional manual, and makes accessing the right information easier and more effective, an ideal tool for supporting staff training.
For 2022, and looking forward, Cama is rolling out its technology into new segments, including Personal, Home & Healthcare, a sector in which we have already increased our turnover since last year, with a range of innovative machines that have taken us out of our traditional market, allowing us to face new challenges that we have successfully learned from and solved with new solutions.
In fact, we have adapted our technology, which was developed for the specialized food industry, to meet the needs of the non-food sectors, exploring new opportunities such as assembly, where packaging and product handling combine, creating opportunities and challenges with the likes of components, adhesive tape, cosmetics, but also returning to food, where the likes of meal kits or ready meals are assembled from a variety of food components.
