Key Technology conveying systems aim to minimize hand packing

New vibratory conveying systems from Key Technology are designed to feed pick-and-place robots on packaging lines while minimizing hand packing, reducing labor and improving sanitation.

Each series of integrated conveyors meters, separates, singulates and/or aligns product to provide optimal separation, speed and orientation for ideal presentation to the robotic system for pick-up, according to a news release.

“As a food processor grows, they come to a point when hand packing has to be minimized or is no longer feasible,” Jack Lee, Duravant group president – Food Sorting and Handling Solutions, said in a news release. “Manually packaging, especially 24/7 with several workers at a time, is expensive, inconsistent and can be unsanitary, plus these jobs are physically grueling with high turnover. It’s a huge pain point for many of our customers — automation makes sense.

“The challenge is that lining up products for presentation to a pick-and-place robot requires a degree of precision that’s unusual in conveying. Drawing on our team’s deep expertise, we work closely with each processor to design the perfect solution for their specific application.”

Suitable for primary or secondary packaging, the systems can handle frozen foods such as potato products, meat, poultry and seafood, as well as dry products such as cookies, pet treats, confectionaries and snacks, according to the release.

Key, a member of the Duravant family of operating companies, manufactures conveyors and other equipment in the U.S. and Europe.