Robotic automation enabling SMEs to compete on global market

Industrial robots, once the preserve of large-scale manufacturers, are increasingly being seen in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

A custom turnkey solution installed by systems integration company SAGE Automation for boutique South Australian bakery Perryman’s has helped the company to double its production, open new export opportunities and improve occupational health and safety.

SAGE installed a robotic system to automate the icing of the bakery’s Gingerbread Babies product. A robot arm dots the eyes, nose and bellybutton on 120 gingerbread babies at a time, within a three-minute time constraint. The job was previously done manually. The success of the project has demonstrated that even the most mundane and time-consuming tasks in a small business can be transformed, creating quantifiable profit capabilities.

Perryman’s is the Gingerbread Babies arm of Perryman’s Bakery - a forward-thinking family company led by owner and manager, Neil Perryman.

“The robotic addition is quite remarkable,” said Perryman. “It has helped to eliminate the fatigue factor and has raised our output capacity from 5000-6000 units per day to approximately 15,000 per day.

“We couldn’t have attained such an advanced level of production without this form of automation. The installation was easy and the set up was thorough and complete, with any training easy to follow.

“The addition of the robot technology has been a positive step for Perryman’s and has played a big part in helping us to export our products all over Australia and, more recently, New Zealand. Japan, Singapore and Dubai have also shown a genuine interest.

“SAGE Automation has greatly assisted us in putting our gingerbread products on a level of production that 18 months ago we were only dreaming about.”

SAGE Automation has drawn on its extensive robotic experience in the automotive industry and previous work with companies such as Electrolux, to overcome this production hurdle for Perryman’s.

Adrian Fahey, chief executive officer of SAGE Automation, said that robotics will play an intrinsic role in the future of Australian manufacturing.

“Perryman’s was a good example of robots being utilised to complete a task that requires a high level of accuracy from the beginning,” he said.

“Perryman’s market was increasing and the company needed to be able to meet demand without growing its workforce”.

SAGE reviewed the scope and designed a flexible work cell comprising a robot hung from the top of the cell that utilises a vision system to identify the location and position of each of 120 biscuits on a tray as they leave the oven.

The robot then takes this information and positions a dispensing gun over each biscuit to ice them all within the allotted time frame. The compact work cell (1.2 x 1.2 x 2.2 m) was turned from a concept into a completed solution in 12 weeks.

The complete turn-key project integrated a number of disparate technologies - ABB IRB 140 robot and controller, a human machine interface, a Cognex Insight 5403 vision system, a hygienic icing system and a custom-built dispensing gun.

SAGE also supplied electrical and mechanical design, build and commissioning and a manual feed station. The design is flexible enough to account for other products Perryman’s may introduce in the future.

SAGE Automation has integrated around 20-30 robots over the past four to five years and designs and constructs automation and industrial control systems, as well as providing specialised professional technical support and process improvement for a diverse range of industries.

These include automotive, defence, emerging technologies, food and beverage, infrastructure, manufacturing, mining, pharmaceutical and utilities.

SAGE is also involved in the development and commercialisation of new patented technologies for export-oriented businesses, as well as advancing the technical skills of the current and future workforce.