Proven to deliver a whole host of benefits for wood processing industries, robotic technology brings an upward shift within business operations when correctly implemented. Materials handling, machine tending and product assembly are some of the typical applications increasingly undertaken by robotic technology in the manufacture of wood products.
The technology brings unmatched precision and a rapid return on investment. It also enriches companies’ competitive abilities, while improving employee benefits and satisfaction levels. According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), in 2020, an estimated 1.64 million industrial robots were in operation worldwide.
Homag’s extensive experience in the manufacture of state-of-the-art wood processing robots makes them a trusted and reliable choice for wood process companies worldwide. Its custom-built specialist robots are employed for the handling and packing of wood panels, handling flat-pack furniture, doors and door frames, window frames, flooring and other construction materials.
The major benefits of using Homag robotic technology include:
Higher output levels with lower costs
With 24-hour production capacity, Homag’s robotic technology provides increased productivity, whilst reducing staff workloads and lowering costs. This provides an optimised ability to meet order deadlines and acquire more customers.
Consistent perfection with greater efficiency
With Homag’s robots, you can rely on having more products finished the first time to your exacting requirements. Energy waste is also eliminated, with no need for products to be re-manufactured due to breakages, poor quality or inconsistent finishing.
Safer jobs – robots can do the dirty work
Homag’s robots can take charge of jobs in demanding dusty, hot or hazardous environments. By taking control of these unpleasant, arduous health-threatening tasks they improve workplace health and safety.
Trouble-free energy-efficient handling makes operations faster and easier
Materials are handled with ergonomic precision and ultimate care by Homag’s industrial robots with manual handling virtually eliminated.
Cost-effective all-rounders
Homag’s robots are all-rounders in batch size 1 or series production, regardless of whether it’s handling in conjunction with sawing, laminating, processing edges, drilling, routing, assembling, packaging, or sorting and picking. Innovative feed and stacking systems or pick-and-place applications ensure high performance with maximum repetition accuracy and extraordinary precision.
Here are a few select examples of Homag’s state-of-the-art robotic systems:
Homag Feedbot for robotic handling
This is a robotic system for automatic material handling. It can be used in conjunction with CNC processing centres, drilling machines, and edge banding machines and can handle a diverse range of materials.
It provides a reliable supply of workpieces and turns machines into high-performance processing centres. The material and surfaces it handles are protected during parts handling thanks to a vacuum gripping system. It also has additional functions such as position measurement or cleaning which can easily be integrated if needed.
Homag PAQBOT I-300 robotic insert station
This robotic technology is employed for the automatic packing of products into cardboard boxes. It can be integrated into almost every packaging concept and as such, it is an ideal robotic solution for the packing of furniture, for example.
Homag TRANSBOT automated guided vehicle system
These self-driving smart transport robots are automated guided vehicle (AGV) systems that navigate freely through any space, without the need for mechanical aids such as rails. They connect together individual processing machines, automated cells and manual workstations.
AGV systems provide a flexible and fully automated solution for connecting the processing steps in a production workflow, from manually operated individual machines to automated processing centres.
The full range of benefits offered by this new style of materials handling can be applied to both small and large production facilities, from series production to batch size 1 production.
These systems can also be adapted to new conditions with minimal effort if changes are made in the production process or production program. These scalable systems open up brand new possibilities for networking schemes and provide the necessary flexibility for further development in the future.
For more information on these and the full range of Homag’s robotic solutions visit the Homag website.
For a demonstration or more information on Homag’s full range of wood processing machinery or software, contact Adele Hunt at Homag UK on 01332 856424.
