At PPMA, ABB will demonstrate how the ‘Factory of the Future’ is characterized by flexibility and enabled by collaboration and digitalization.

Tuesday, 06 August 2019

ABB will bring together the elements of a ‘factory of the future’ at PPMA 2019, at the Birmingham NEC, 1st – 3rd October 2019, demonstrating how its latest automation and robotics technologies can transform performance in food, beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturing processes.

Stand F80 will feature examples from ABB’s extensive automation and digital portfolio, showing how tomorrow’s factory will be able to respond rapidly to changing customer demands, while maintaining profitability, safety and quality.

Among the highlights will be demonstrations of the ACOPOStrak from ABB’s B&R automation business illustrating high speed merging and dividing of product flows. There will also be a robotic solution on display showcasing how the precision, repeatability and rapid cycle time of ABB’s SCARA and FlexPicker robots can help increase productivity and flexibility in pick and place and packing applications.

Other attractions will include examples of digital technology from ABB’s Measurement & Analytics portfolio. The WiMon100 wireless vibration and temperature sensor opens new possibilities for monitoring and maintaining electric motors and other rotating machinery. Enabling operators to remotely access status and performance data, it eliminates the time and cost of dispatching service engineers to conduct manual checks and helps to prolong service life through effective predictive maintenance.

Joining the WiMon100 will be ABB’s award-winning non-invasive temperature sensor. Featuring dual temperature sensors for ambient and process measurements, the device offers high accuracy measurement comparable with traditional invasive devices. Designed to be fitted onto the surface of a pipe, the sensor avoids the need to shut down production processes for installation and service, improving plant availability and reducing system costs, with potential CAPEX savings of at least 30% able to be achieved.

For visitors interested in maximising uptime of motors, pumps and bearings, the stand will provide a chance to discover more about ABB Ability™ Digital Powertrain. Comprising a suite of digital solutions including devices, software and services, the Digital Powertrain enables users to access a wide range of operational variables and health indicators through an integrated, one-stop portal. Using this data, they can make informed decisions that can help optimise equipment performance and availability and improve process safety.

These products will all be on display alongside other examples from ABB’s offering for food and beverage production processes, including its range of emergency lighting, cable ties and service and support offerings.

“Today’s consumers want products that are tailored to their needs faster than ever before. The factory of the future must therefore respond much more dynamically to ever-changing consumer requirements,” says Nigel Platt, LBL Manager, UK and Ireland – ABB Robotics.
“For factories, this means flexible production using autonomous robotic systems that can learn and adapt. At PPMA, ABB will demonstrate how the ‘Factory of the Future’ is characterized by flexibility and enabled by collaboration and digitalization. With its wide range of solutions and services specifically tailored to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, ABB offers a simple route to meeting the demands of today’s continually shifting marketplace.”

To find out more about ABB’s offering for food, beverage and pharmaceutical applications, visit www.bit.ly/ABB_Food.