Iceland is a country of extremes which become immediately apparent to the first time visitor arriving by aircraft. It’s no surprise that Iceland was the practice ground for the Lunar landings of the last century. What is surprising is that even though cattle are not visible to the casual observer, the dairy industry is a contributor to Iceland’s exports.
MJÓLKURSAMSALAN SELFOSS (MS SELFOSS) BASED IN SELFOSS, NEAR TO REYKJAVIK, IS ICELAND’S LARGEST DAIRY PRODUCTS BUSINESS AND IS PART OF THE COUNTRY’S DAIRY COLLECTIVE. IT IS ALSO ICELAND’S MOST AUTOMATED DAIRY.
Packaging cartons of Skyr into trays has now been fully automated at MS Selfoss by the integration of three FANUC Robotics LRMate 100iB – one on the end of each production line. Guðjón Einarsson, Technical Manager, MS Selfoss, explains, “Skyr is a traditional product unique to Iceland. It is similar to thick yoghurt with a soft and creamy consistency however, and one reason why export sales are so strong, it is totally fat free and is in fact a very soft cheese made from skimmed milk. Three main factors have made us automate the tray packing process. Firstly the need to increase output, high turnover of staff in the packing area and the repetitive nature of the job leading to potential strain injuries.”
With only 300,000 Icelanders, 200,000 of which are employed in Reykjavik, there is close to zero unemployment levels. As filled and sealed product cartons travel down the end of line conveyor they are collated within two locating channels. At this point the robot picks up two cartons at a time and positions them into preformed locations within a packing tray. Each tray holds six cartons and when all locations are full the robot signals the system to remove the tray and a new tray is positioned into the robot area for the cycle to continue.
“Before the robots were installed the workers on each line, four of them at that time, would take it in turns to transfer the cartons from conveyor to tray. This was a very repetitive task and couldn’t be undertaken for too long without missing cartons or becoming tired. The labour savings that have been made by implementing the robot systems are 1½ operators per line,” continued Guðjón.
THE FLEXIBILITY OFFERED BY ROBOTS WAS A KEY DECISION POINT FOR MS SELFOSS IN THE DECISION TO SELECT ROBOTS OVER CONVENTIONAL ‘DEDICATED’ AUTOMATION. MANY SMALL ‘CALL OFF’ ORDERS ARE REQUIRED DEMANDING TOTAL FLEXIBILITY. WITH 30 DIFFERENT PRODUCTS AND UP TO 10 PRODUCT CHANGES PER LINE PER DAY THE ABILITY TO CHANGE PROGRAMMES QUICKLY IS ESSENTIAL. THE FANUC ROBOTICS LR MATE INTELLIGENT CONTROL HAS THE ABILITY TO HOLD ALL THE PROGRAMMES REQUIRED FOR THE SKYR PRODUCT AND ONLY TWO DIFFERENT GRIPPERS ARE REQUIRED FOR EACH SYSTEM.
“Like any dairy environment there’s plenty of water used in the area for washdown purposes. This hasn’t been a problem at all as the robots are positioned within clear enclosures and are regularly wiped down with detergent.“ THORKELL JONSSON, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SAMEY
“Before the robots were installed the workers on each line, four of them at that time, would take it in turns to transfer the cartons from conveyor to tray. This was a very repetitive task and couldn’t be undertaken for too long without missing cartons or becoming tired. The labour savings that have been made by implementing the robot systems are 1½ operators per line” Guðjón Einarsson, Technical Manager, MS Selfoss
The robot cells were engineered by Samey, an Icelandic based FANUC Robotics systems integrator. Samey engineered each system including control and conveyor, provided training on-site and support when needed.
Thorkell Jonsson, Managing Director, Samey, comments, “These robots were installed over a three year period as required by production demand at MS and they have proved to be totally reliable. Like any dairy environment there’s plenty of water used in the area for washdown purposes. This hasn’t been a problem at all as the robots are positioned within clear enclosures and are regularly wiped down with detergent.”
The future for MS Selfoss is looking very positive with the quality and increasing popularity of its Skyr product reflected in year on year growth. Guðjón explains that the company is expanding and will continue to automate the plant. Palletising and further packing systems are proposed to maximise efficiency wherever possible.
And finally for anyone wondering where the cattle are – they’re kept happily indoors for 8 to 9 months of the year and enjoy the Summer sunshine and grazing from June to August.