Artificial intelligence (AI) may not be a panacea for the current requirements in many industries. But when used wisely, it can greatly simplify processes, including the packaging of confectionery and snacks. As a driver of innovation, packaging machine manufacturer Schubert relies on AI-supported cobots.

The Schubert tog.519 cobot is one example of how AI based on neural networks ensures simple handling and high flexibility during packaging. The cobot is designed for high performance pick & place applications with lightweight products. Its neural network is so extensively trained that the robot can immediately process new products from the same product group. These can include pouches, sachets, flowpacks, stand-up pouches, sealed pouches, etc. in various sizes or bottles in different shapes and materials.

Ralf Schubert explains how this works: “We use an AI-supported image processing system that we developed ourselves as the basis for controlling the tog.519. It recognises both the products as they are picked up and the environment in which they are to be placed. An expensive 3D camera is not needed for this; a standard 2D camera is perfectly adequate. Even for bin picking, i.e. the picking of unsorted bulk items, because here the AI simply generates the 3D images required for the cobot from the camera images supplied.”

This allows the cobot to permanently ‘see’ what it has to do. “If similar processes were programmed using conventional algorithms, even a different colour would be problematic with otherwise identical packaging,” says the Managing Director, adding: “Bin picking is therefore one of the applications in the packaging process that cannot be implemented in practice without AI.”