Collaborative Robots and the Future of Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing
Overview
Increasing the use of collaborative robots (cobots) in ice cream and frozen desserts manufacturing is on the rise due to increased production efficiencies and safety benefits. By 2025, the cobot market is projected to reach $12.3 billion and the global ice cream market size is expected to reach $91.2 billion by 2024. Through advancements by companies like 3Laws, cobots are expected to revolutionize the future of the food industry particularly in ice cream and frozen dessert segment.
The Rise of Cobots in Manufacturing
The global cobot market is poised to grow significantly, projected to reach $12.3 billion by 2025, from its valuation of $649 million in 2018. This increased use of cobots, especially in the manufacturing industry, is driven by their numerous benefits including cost-efficiency, adaptability, and a high level of safety. These collaborative robots, designed to assist human workers, not replace them, are making a significant impact in industries like food, and particularly in ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturing.
Cobots in Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing
With technological advancements, the ice cream and frozen dessert industry is adopting the use of cobots at an increasing pace. The global ice cream market size was valued at $57.7 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach $91.2 billion by 2024. By introducing cobots into this industry, manufacturers are able to increase efficiency and improve the safety of their operations. Cobots allow for precise, repetitive motions necessary in the manufacturing process, eliminating errors and reducing production downtime.
Benefits of Cobots in the Industry
Cobots bring several significant benefits to the ice cream and frozen dessert industry. They increase productivity by performing tasks faster and more efficiently than humans, reduce labor costs, and markedly decrease the risk of workplace injuries. Cobots can also work around-the-clock, leading to a 24% increase in productivity. Significantly, cobots also ensure product consistency, a key factor in the ice cream and dessert manufacturing realm.
Challenges to the Adoption of Cobots
While there are numerous benefits to using cobots in the ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturing industry, there are potential challenges to their adoption. Some of these include the high initial investment costs, the need for advanced programming and maintenance skills, and the challenge of certification. Companies like 3Laws Robotics are developing solutions to these challenges, enabling a smoother transition to cobot technology.
Key Takeaways
- The global collaborative robot market is projected to reach $12.3 billion by 2025.
- The global ice cream market size is expected to reach $91.2 billion by 2024.
- Adoption of cobots in the industry can lead to a 24% increase in productivity.
- Benefits of cobots include increased efficiency, improved safety, reduced labor cost and increased product consistency.
- Adoption challenges include high initial investment, need for advanced skills and certification challenges.
How 3Laws Robotics Can Help
3Laws Robotics is working to usher in the future of ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturing. They are developing innovative software to enhance safety and reliability for robotic systems. 3Laws Supervisor aims to simplify the process of certification by providing robust safety features and proving system robustness.
The software's built-on Control Barrier Functions (CBFs) ensures mathematically provable safety. 3Laws' software is compatible with a wide range of platforms, including mobile robots, drones, and manipulators. Additionally, it's suitable with popular robotics middleware like ROS and ROS2.
The company aims to minimize downtime caused by unnecessary e-stops or collisions and allows robots to operate closer to their peak capabilities while maintaining safety. Essentially, 3Laws Robotics provides a proactive approach to safety, unlocking the full potential of robotics with dynamic, predictive safety, and can be safety certified for ISO 3691-4 and ISO 26262. Through companies like 3Laws, the future of the ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturing industry looks promising.