Tell us about your company. 

For the past 103 years, Yaskawa has led the way in the area of Robotics and Motion Control.  Based in Kitakyushu Japan Yaskawa’s global footprint backed by over $4 Billion in annual revenue gives our customer base the latest in leading edge technology and the security in knowing that we are a highly stable automation partner. Yaskawa’s forward thinking development initiatives see our robots and Motion Control solutions driving success in packaging, as well as a broad spectrum of industrial applications

Your company will be exhibiting at PACK EXPO, what is it that makes this an important event for your company? 

As a perennial exhibitor at Pack Expo, it is important to us that we connect with the packaging community to display our latest innovative ways of helping to solve their application needs. Secondarily, it is imperative that we gain true voice of the customer insight to help us lead the way in developing future products that meet our customers’ needs.

Highlight 2 or 3 products you will be showcasing at the event.

Pack Expo will allow us to introduce our MotoMini robot to the packaging community. 

We will also be showcasing our new YRC1000micro controller and Smart Pendant, which offers a new intuitive approach to programming.

PACK EXPO has many educational sessions, forums & demo’s, is your company involved in any of them this year?

Our booth will include demonstrations of picking, packing, and palletizing technology. We will be highlighting our collaborative robot technology, along with many of our easy teach tools. Our systems will be tied together and monitored via Yaskawa Cockpit. This innovative software platform allows a customer to monitor Production and Maintenance aspects of a production system in order to optimize OEE.

When you get a chance to walk the exhibit hall floor yourself, what is it you will be most interested to see?  Any educational sessions, pavilions etc. you plan on attending?

When walking the floor, I am interested in learning more about innovative ways that other companies are solving customer problems. I am especially interested in seeking out companies that we can form alliances with in order to develop highly effective solutions for end users.  An additional area of interest is learning about purchasing trends that are driving customer purchasing decisions.

The factory floor is undertaking rapid advancements, be it automation, robotics, machine vision or data.  The process of packaging is a huge part for many manufacturers, give us an idea on how your company and product is being utilized now in the smart factory.Our company is becoming more and more responsive to the Industry 4.0 requirements of the packaging industry. 

Our ease of teach tools, peripheral option interfaces including vision,  superior motion controls, and ability to program our robots in multiple languages make us an easy choice when selecting automation for flexible packaging applications.

Give us your thoughts on what the future holds for manufacturers and packaging. 

Packaging designs will dictate a greater need in flexibility in automation solutions.  This flexibility will include ease in program changeover, flexible tooling, data acquisition, and ease of training. As shorter product runs and package geometry changes become more prevalent, flexibility and changeover ease in automation solutions will become even more of a mandate.

The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of RoboticsTomorrow

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