Design and Implementation of a Robotic Cell for the Handling and Coating of Natural-Fiber Products

In recent years, the adoption of natural-fiber packaging has increased significantly, driven by European regulations on sustainable materials. PROTESA works with these products and op- erates several machines for different operations, but its current coating machine lacks in terms of operational flexibility and modularity. This thesis presents the design and implementation of a robotic cell for spray coating and pick-and-place of natural-fibre products, such as caps and capsules. The new solution offers high flexibility when changing product format and process parameters. The robotic cell is built around a NACHI MZ07L-01, a six-axis robot equipped with a spray gun and a gripper mounted on its wrist. The system includes an aluminium struc- ture with safety protections, an exit conveyor and a suction hood. The robot programming was first developed in simulation with FD on Desk and then validated on the physical robot, where several tests were also carried out to define the optimal tray position and the admissible spray- ing distances and inclinations. A Beckhoff industrial PC running TwinCAT coordinates robot, tools and conveyor through EtherCAT and digital I/O signals, while an HMI gives the operator full control over tasks, product parameters, conveyor speeds and recipe management. The final system executes the full coating and pick-and-place task autonomously, delivering all the fin- ished products of the tray onto the exit conveyor. Future developments include the integration of a drying oven, the installation of safety sensors on the access doors, and the execution of new tasks.