Robotic assembly systems and methods of assembling products using planar robots. Planar movers cooperate magnetically with stators to pick products provided on an infeed and place them in a pattern on an outfeed system, wherein the movers having a clamp having at least two opposing clamping surfaces whose relative positions are continuously adjustable by a force from an object external to the mover and the stator. Sensors and controllers cooperate to precisely move the movers on the stator, particularly as a group, for the movers to pick respective products at respective picking locations. Some systems permit packaging of multiple products.

A tray sealing machine comprises a gripper device including first and second tray grippers that operate together to take up trays provided by a feed unit and transport them to a sealing station that is downstream in a production direction. A speed of the first and second tray grippers in the production direction when respectively performing a closing motion from a respective initial position toward a respective closing position can be accelerated such that the speed of the first and second tray grippers in the production direction relative to a belt speed of the feed unit during a predetermined first time interval is slower than the belt speed, and during a subsequent predetermined second time interval until the respective closing position has been reached is greater than the belt speed, so that gripper fingers on the first and second tray grippers immerse into respective position windows located between the trays.

A tray sealing machine comprises a gripper device including first and second tray grippers that operate together to take up trays provided by a feed unit and transport them to a sealing station that is downstream in a production direction. A speed of the first and second tray grippers in the production direction when respectively performing a closing motion from a respective initial position toward a respective closing position can be accelerated such that the speed of the first and second tray grippers in the production direction relative to a belt speed of the feed unit during a predetermined first time interval is slower than the belt speed, and during a subsequent predetermined second time interval until the respective closing position has been reached is greater than the belt speed, so that gripper fingers on the first and second tray grippers immerse into respective position windows located between the trays.

A method of arranging articles can comprise moving a first article and a second article along a respective first lane and second lane toward a respective first output end of the first lane and second output end of the second lane, and guiding the first article from the first output end onto a stacking conveyor. The guiding the first article can comprise engaging the first article with first guide features. The method further can comprise moving the first article on the stacking conveyor past the second output end, and forming a stack by guiding the second article from the second output end onto the first article on the stacking conveyor as the stacking conveyor moves the first article past the second output end. The guiding the second article can comprise engaging the second article with second guide features. The method also can comprise moving the stack on the stacking conveyor.

A robot gripper that takes stacked patties from a conveyor and moves then to a packaging device.

A method and a feeding apparatus for feeding spacers for cigarette packs are disclosed, in which each spacer comprises a substantially rectangular flat body, the spacers being insertable in cartons for cigarette packs to space out packs with dimensions smaller than the standard dimensions; the spacers are stacked on a pallet that is positioned in a withdrawal station; the stacks of spacers are withdrawn from the withdrawal station and transferred to a respective hopper by passing each stack of spacers through an upper opening of the hopper, to then unload the spacers one by one through a lower opening of the hopper.

A method and a feeding apparatus for feeding spacers for cigarette packs are disclosed, in which each spacer comprises a substantially rectangular flat body, the spacers being insertable in cartons for cigarette packs to space out packs with dimensions smaller than the standard dimensions; the spacers are stacked on a pallet that is positioned in a withdrawal station; the stacks of spacers are withdrawn from the withdrawal station and transferred to a respective hopper by passing each stack of spacers through an upper opening of the hopper, to then unload the spacers one by one through a lower opening of the hopper.

A method for transporting spacers for cigarette packs is disclosed, each spacer comprising a substantially rectangular flat body, the spacers being insertable in cartons for cigarette packs to space out packs with dimensions smaller than the standard dimensions, said method comprising the step of arranging the spacers, stacked on one another, on a transport pallet, on each spacer being provided at least two through holes, the through holes of the spacers of a stack being vertically aligned with each other so that a vertical element of the transport pallet is inside the through holes of the spacers of the stack.

A method for transporting spacers for cigarette packs is disclosed, each spacer comprising a substantially rectangular flat body, the spacers being insertable in cartons for cigarette packs to space out packs with dimensions smaller than the standard dimensions, said method comprising the step of arranging the spacers, stacked on one another, on a transport pallet, on each spacer being provided at least two through holes, the through holes of the spacers of a stack being vertically aligned with each other so that a vertical element of the transport pallet is inside the through holes of the spacers of the stack.

A robot system has a manipulator that conveys a conveying object to a conveyance destination having a bottom surface and a wall surface connected to the bottom surface. The system includes: a first process in which the manipulator puts a first conveying object on the bottom surface of the conveyance destination; a second process in which the manipulator conveys a second conveying object to a position that does not come into contact with the first conveying object on the bottom surface of the conveyance destination; and a third process in which the manipulator moves the second conveying object in the direction of the first conveying object from the position that does not come into contact with the first conveying object, and moves the first conveying object by further moving the second conveying object after coming into contact with the first conveying object.