Courbon and Staubli have signed a partnership agreement to produce automated packaging systems

Citation

(1999), "Courbon and Staubli have signed a partnership agreement to produce automated packaging systems", Industrial Robot, Vol. 26 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.1999.04926baf.010

Courbon and Staubli have signed a partnership agreement to produce automated packaging systems

Courbon and Stäubli have signed a partnership agreement to produce automated packaging systems

Keywords Assembly, Robots

Located in Saint-Etienne (France), Courbon is an integrator employing 240 persons (mainly automation and computer specialists) with an annual revenue of 140 million French Francs reported in 1996. Their main objective is to meet industry automation and information management needs.

Courbon specializes in machines and flexible systems design which call for advanced technology integration such as test bays, vision control and automated systems.

Backed by 15 years experience in the field of artificial vision systems, Courbon produces ready-to-use automated systems based on the ROVIPACK concept (robot + artificial vision + tracking). The combination of this know-how and Stäubli robots' performance in terms of speed, precision and repeatability offers end users highly flexible and reliable manufacturing (see Plate 8).

Used in packaging, the ROVIPACK concept allows automated packaging of products that cannot be listed mechanically (fragile or fresh products) with the following functions:

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  vision control of products randomly moving on a conveyor;

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  picking of passing products and orientation;

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  product packaging in a fixed or moving container (boxes, divisional sections, cases);

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  vision control of the correct packaging.

Conveyor tracking speeds can reach 20 meters per minute.

Past experience shows that a single robot call can pack up to 90 parts per minute by means of multiple grippers. The production line's pace is maximized by placing several identical cells side by side.

Plate 8 Courbon specializes in machines and flexible systems design which calls for advanced technology integration

Production modifications can be made very quickly by typing or loading new parameters. This is why ROVIPACK systems are so flexible.

Currently, the food (sausage, steak, chocolate, cookies, cheese) and hollow glass (glasses, table accessories, bottles, lamps, head and tail lights) industries are using the ROVIPACK concept, benefitting from Courbon's experience.

Courbon benefits from strong engineering skills, and thanks to a network of specialists, sets up complete production line installations, mainly in Europe.