KUKA robot brings automation to poultry processing equipment

KUKA was established in 1898 by Johann Josef Keller and Jakob Knappich in Augsburg, and it initially focused on the indoor lighting and urban lighting industries. In 1973, KUKA developed the first industrial robot named FAMULUS in the world, and later KUKA concentrated its business on offering advanced automation solution for industrial producing process. Now it has been one of the leading industrial robots manufacturers worldwide.

KUKA robots can be used for materials handling, processing, stacking, electric soldering and arc welding, and it has been very popular in electrical automation industry, food, plastic and many other industries. It is reported that KUKA robot also brings automation to poultry processing equipment industry today.
KUKA has introduce two six-axis robots: KR30 and KR60. Both of the two robots are equipped with shields to protect them from erosion. The perfect combination of three-dimensional laser measurement system, PC assessment software and the conveyor software forms the core of the automation solution. A hanging conveyor transfors the poultry bodies that have processed by chicken evisceration equipments constantly by the speed of 170mm/s. So the robot must be able to keep up this speed and synchronize with the conveyor. At the same time, the three-dimensional laser measurement system can obtain the date of the whole surface of the poultry body precisely.
Becasue of the different size, weight, and manu other anatomical characteristics of different body, so measurement is very essential. Then the measured date will be transfered to the robot control system by PC assessment software, which can decide the cut date of each poultry body. On the basis of the date, the robot control system can calculate the relevant robot orbit, and then the first KR30 robot, which is equipped with double hook-and-loop will cut off the forehoof at the fixed position, and another KR30 robot was installed on the ceiling, and it will remove the rectum with the rectum cutter. By the remeasurement of the three-dimensional laser measurement system, a hanged KR60 robot equipped with a cleaver will broke the pelvic cavity of each carcass and pre-cut the breast. And then another KR60 robot opens the chest of the carcass, and cut the sternum from the middle precisely.
I believe that with the application of the KUKA robots, meat quality can be fast and accurately controlled and people's health conditions can be well improved.
This article comes from: http://www.slaughter-machinery.com/news/43048.html