First-time exhibitor Ray Bland of Manufacturing Automation Resources (MAR) demonstrated the role industrial robots can play in moving timber around the factory floor.
MAR has been working with French/US manufacturer Joulin, which specialises in wood handling machines and vacuum grippers and Mr Bland is now the sole UK and Ireland representative for the company.
Joulin’s foam vacuum gripper is at the heart of the system and can handle a much wider array of products than conventional vacuum cups. Thanks to an auto-regulated valve system, the vacuum is only applied to the product with which the gripper is actually in contact.
The gripper can handle complete layers, partial layers and individual boards, cants, beams, panels and finished products such as doors and engineered and wrapped timber products. It can also cope with porous, split or twisted wood.
Joulin offers standard products – including component parts of the system – but much of its output is bespoke.
