The evolving demands of food manufacturing, coupled with workforce shortages, are driving companies to seek efficient automation solutions. In response, Brillopak has partnered with OMRON to deliver the UniPAKer P160, a fully automated pick-and-pack machine. This innovation enables manufacturers to pack multiple products across various SKUs and packaging environments, catering specifically to the high precision required by supermarkets.
OMRON’s Solutions Partner programme, which aims to combine its technical expertise with the specialized knowledge of partner companies, plays a central role in this development. Robert Meechan, OMRON’s system integrator manager, emphasized the importance of the partnership: “Our partners take OMRON technology and turn it into real-world solutions for the manufacturing industry. We like to think of it as a very exclusive club. Our partners are all highly credible, highly skilled in our products, and really understand their markets and the issues that affect them.”
Brillopak’s P160 is a testament to this collaboration. The system integrates OMRON’s Hornet Delta robot and Sysmac platform, ensuring seamless synchronization between robot, sensor, and control systems. Andrew Shelley, key account manager at OMRON, explained, “It is a fully-automated pick-and-place machine, capable of picking multiple products in different SKUs and packaging environments, and packing them into IFCO trays or boxes, helping manufacturers meet the exacting packing requirements of their supermarket customers.”
A key feature of the UniPAKer P160 is its advanced vision system, which detects the center and angle of each product, ensuring precise placement even when items arrive randomly on the line. “Our customers like it because it can do the different patterns, or recipes, that supermarkets request,” said Peter Newman, founder and technical director at Brillopak. “It provides remote access, meaning we can change patterns from the factory, and we can also teach the customers how to do their own recipes.”
The collaboration between Brillopak and OMRON represents a broader trend in the packaging industry, where manufacturers are increasingly turning to automation to address operational challenges. Both companies are optimistic about future projects, with Xavier Barraud, Brillopak’s engineering director, expressing confidence in the relationship: “We are looking forward to developing our relationship with OMRON further. It’s very exciting, and we hope the partnership will contribute to the continued success of our business.”
By combining Brillopak’s industry knowledge with OMRON’s technology, the UniPAKer P160 is providing food manufacturers with a solution that addresses flexibility, precision, and scalability, ultimately helping them meet the demanding standards of retailers.