Industrial blower for pick-and-place robotic systems
Hygienic handling and sorting of food products
Some cookies you accept without hesitation. That was also the case with the request from Royal Houdijk, a specialist in processing and packaging systems for bakery products. Their flagship is the so-called Cookiebot: an advanced pick-and-place robot system for dynamic cookie and cracker production lines. With these innovative machines, the Vlaardingen-based manufacturer has grown into a market leader in the automation of baking oven lines and the turnkey realization of complex production lines—from oven to packaging.
Looking at part of the underlying technology, pressure and vacuum play an important role in the hygienic handling and sorting of food products. In many food processing industries, airflow has a crucial role within the production line, including in machines such as the Cookiebot.
Batenburg Applied Technologies contributed to optimizing the use of airflow, vacuum, and air pressure, with blowers individually controlled per robot. Both the component selection and connection method were developed with the goal of minimizing failures and shifting maintenance from corrective to preventive. In addition, Batenburg also supplies the final blower solution.
Market knowledge
Hygiene is crucial in the food processing industry. Components that come into direct or indirect contact with food must meet strict requirements. Our experience with similar and medical applications provided practical knowledge, enabling us to optimally advise Royal Houdijk on the selection and implementation of blowers.
Because their machines operate almost continuously, the focus quickly shifted to variants that share similarities with medical blower technology. In this way, we guarantee reliable solutions that meet the highest standards in the food industry.
Industrial powerhouse
After careful analysis, we selected a robust, IP67-rated 24 VDC blower for pressure and vacuum applications in demanding industrial environments. This solution features a standardized screw connection and an integrated brushless driver. The driver ensures a fixed speed, while the tachometer output provides a reliable feedback signal to the control panel.
For the cable connection, we supply pre-assembled cables in the required length and pin configuration, making the assembly of the blowers at Royal Houdijk simple and error-proof.
Locally generated vacuum
Where previously a central compressor supplied multiple robots simultaneously with vacuum, a local blower is now used per robot to create the underpressure required to pick up and sort food products. This switch to locally controlled fans offers significant advantages. For example, the impact of a failure in a local solution is limited, as the other robots remain operational until maintenance can be performed. Individual control also ensures optimal suction power and minimal pressure loss.
Jonathan Muszynski
Sales Manager Thermal Management
Raising the bar together
Projects like this show that Batenburg Applied Technologies is more than just a component supplier for OEMs. Drawing on expertise from multiple disciplines, we proactively collaborate at the design stage with machine manufacturers. We combine component- and system-level knowledge with practical market experience to create reliable solutions together with the manufacturing industry — solutions that elevate mechatronic performance to a higher level, from design to commissioning.