Indramat servos can be found in a wide range of industries. They’re found in printing, packaging, and many different types of manufacturing. That’s because Indramat servo drives and motors are versatile enough to be used for a number of different applications. And while any industry can see improvements by incorporating industrial motion control, some industries benefit more than others.
When you pop open a can of soda, or bite into a hot dog, you probably don’t consider all of the work involved in getting that food and drink to your picnic blanket. Sure, you had the laborious task of purchasing those items from the store, and loading them into your car, but apart from that, the soda fairy or hot dog genie did all the work, right?
If only it were that simple. There’s actually a lot that goes on in food and beverage manufacturing, and it just so happens that food and beverage manufacturing is the perfect place for automation.
Food and bev manufacturing requires dull, repetitive work. Not only are tedious tasks unenticing for human workers, they’re also easily done by robots. Robots can do the work more consistently, much faster, and much cheaper than humans.
Conversations about industrial robots often focus on efficiency and money saving aspects, but it’s not always just a matter of time and money. There’s also the matter of safety. The work in the food and beverage industries is often dangerous. There’s lots of cutting, chopping, and mixing being done, and harsh chemicals are used for cleaning. While it’s possible to keep these environments relatively safe for humans, it’s much safer to completely remove humans from the equation.
But the food and bev industries aren’t entirely machine-friendly. Cleanliness is a matter of safety for the consumer, and it’s just not practical to safely scrub each and every machine by hand, making sure to avoid the delicate electronics of an industrial robot. That’s why machines used in these industries have protected parts. Indramat components are great for food and beverage manufacturing, because they can be used in spray down environments.
There’s also the fact that industrial robots are expensive, and food and bev manufacturing doesn’t provide a high profit margin in the same way that something like electronics manufacturing does. More often than not, the profit margin in the food and beverage industries is fairly low. Low enough that it’s hard for these companies to make the investment in automation.
Automation does pay for itself in the long run, especially if you take care of your machinery. Indramat servos run for decades with the proper maintenance. If it’s time for maintenance, or you need a repair, contact us today!