How Robotics and AI Are Changing Bakery Manufacturing
Machine learning lets bakery robots adjust their movements to product size, shape, and weight in real time. That reduces handling errors and product waste, and it shortens cobot programming time.
How does AI improve product handling in bakeries?
To improve product handling, machine learning algorithms enable robots to optimize their movements and tasks based on real-time data, said Jamie Bobyk, marketing manager, Apex Motion Control. AI is also being used to enhance predictive maintenance.
“These algorithms can analyze product size, shape and weight to ensure precise handling and packaging,” he explained. “The result is a decrease in errors which in turn reduces product waste and improves overall quality control.”
Which bakery tasks are easiest to automate first?
Some tasks are simpler to implement than others. In fact, once a robot or cobot learns a certain function, it’s easier to build upon an existing program to install other automated systems to handle additional workloads.
“When talking about strictly repeatable tasks, such as stacking boxes on pallets or moving trays from conveyors to racks or racks to conveyors, much of the standard programming that goes into machine learning can be used in many of these applications,” Bobyk said. “The more that robotics are implemented into production facilities, everyday repeatable tasks will become part of the programming norm.”
How is AI shortening robot and cobot programming time?
Machine learning, along with similar tools, now offers shorter programming times for cobots and robots. Used properly, they can simplify what were once complex, often expensive and even frustrating processes a few years ago.
How widely are bakeries adopting AI?
The March 2024 ABA/NDP Analytics pulse survey of 80 commercial bakeries and suppliers reveals that nearly 70% have adopted or plan to adopt artificial intelligence within 12 months. Companies utilize machine learning to optimize robotics for repeatable tasks and real-time data analysis, helping to mitigate labor shortages and reduce product waste.
Source: https://americanbakers.org/research-and-data/workforce-impact
Where does Apex use vision and AI?
The Baker-Bot Quad uses vision to detect inconsistencies in baked cakes and can ice and decorate 10 cakes per minute. It then learns these movements and variations to quickly adapt to these inconsistencies in real time.
The Baker-Bot Quad is a multi-bot cake decorating system from Apex Motion Control that uses vision to detect the inconsistenies in baked cakes. It is capable of producing 10 fully iced and decorated cakes in 1 minute.