Robotic arms help optimise production and reduce work accidents

Two robotic arms help brewers at Carlsberg brewery in Fredericia tackle the remaining manual work processes on an already highly automated production line. The robots have freed-up nearly 50 percent capacity on the line.

In the fall of 2017, Carlsberg brewery in Fredericia introduced two extra robotic arms in production: two Universal Robots (UR) arms, which today handle up to 500 packaging cartons per hour on a line that packs bottles and cans filled with the world-famous beer.

“The entire line that the UR robots are a part of now consists of highly automated technology within draft beer production. We want to be at the leading edge of technology, to brew both for today and for tomorrow. That is our goal,” explains Senior Project Manager at Carlsberg Fredericia, Thomas Kern Ruby.

We want to be at the leading edge of technology, to brew both for today and for tomorrow

Cooperation produced optimal solution

After being contacted by Carlsberg Fredericia, Area Manager Steen Slabiak Jensen of BILA Robotics partnered up with the automation firm Robot Nordic. The two visited the brewery in Fredericia several time for inspection and, together, they came up with the final solution, which Robot Nordic implemented in the fall of 2017.

Today, it is the two UR robotic arms that prepare the packaging cartons for packing with the draft beer products on the highly automated line at the Carlsberg plant.

“The investment in the two UR robots hasn’t been a question of increasing production capacity, but rather of providing relief to staff and improving their work environment. We have a goal of zero accidents in Carlsberg’s sustainability program, and the robots help achieve that”, explains Thomas Kern Ruby.

In the past, the work took 70-80 percent of one employee’s capacity on the line. Today the employee’s only task in connection with packaging handling is to transport a pallet with cardboard boxes over to the production line. The robots do the rest. This has meant that the line can easily be managed today by just two operators, who continuously carry out work such as tests, hygiene, troubleshooting, etc.

Source: Bila-Robotics