NEWS
Adept’s (Livermore, CA) Quattro gantry robot received attention at WestPack in February not only at Adept’s booth, but also integrated in Multivac Inc.’s (Kansas City, MO) display, where the robot was used in conjunction with the company’s R240 thermoform-fill-seal machine.
Multivac displayed the R240, equipped with the Quattro, conveyor tracking, and a vision system to load sample products into the thermoforming machine.
“The reception was great,” says Ed Wood, Multivac director of sales, medical-consumer-industrial division. “We had a crowd around the machine at all times during the show. Customers see the value of automation and rely on Multivac to bring innovative solutions to their operations.”
The R240 attracted attention from customers looking for “high production, high throughput,” says Jeff Winkler, Multivac regional sales manager, medical-consumer-industrial division. “We’ve seen a lot of interest in medical packaging, such as for prefilled syringes.”
“The large work volume of the Quattro robot enables its accelerations of 15 g to be used effectively in moving industrially relevant 2-kg payloads over long distances typically associated with high-speed packaging lines and belt conveyors,” says Matt Bjork, the Quattro’s project manager.
Adept also showcased the Quattro at its annual Global Conference for customers and prospective customers, held April 2–4 at Adept’s world headquarters in Livermore, CA. More than 200 people attended the event, which featured 11 discussions about trends in automation, robotics, and packaging services. The Quattro also took center stage at the conference in the presentation titled “Adept Quattro—World’s Fastest Robot,” led by Bjork.
“The goal of the Quattro presentation was to highlight the features and benefits of the newest robot to Adept’s product portfolio, as well as how it fits with different market needs and application requirements,” says Lauren Bucher, Adept marketing manager.
Adept’s gantry robots have been used in Multivac’s machines since 2003, says Wood. “The robot helps customers eliminate labor cost, increase line capacities, and reduce contamination.”
Multivac’s transition this year from the R240 to its successor, the R245, will include the Adept Quattro, Wood says.
