Chef Robotics and ILPRA unveil AI-powered packaging automation for ready meals
Key takeaways
- Chef Robotics and ILPRA have partnered to integrate AI-enabled robotics with packaging systems.
- The collaboration targets fresh and frozen ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat meals, streamlining meal assembly and packaging.
- The joint solution will be showcased at the EATS trade show in Chicago (Oct 28–30), US.
Chef Robotics has partnered with Industria Lavorazione Prodotti Resine e Affini (ILPRA), an innovator in packaging technology, to deliver an automation solution for food manufacturers. The collaboration combines Chef Robotics’ AI-enabled technology with ILPRA’s packaging systems, including tray sealers and form-fill-seal technology.
The partnership aims to offer a flexible, end-to-end solution that streamlines meal assembly and packaging. ILPRA will be presenting the solution at the Equipment, Automation and Technology Show (EATS) in Chicago, US, October 28–30.
Rajat Bhageria, founder and CEO at Chef Robotics, says: “This partnership combines Chef’s AI focus and flexibility with ILPRA’s packaging expertise to help food manufacturers automate more of their production process. Together, we can help our customers increase worker productivity, maximize throughput, and reduce giveaway — all while maintaining the consistency consumers expect.”
Mike Cheatle, vice president at ILPRA America, comments: “We’re excited to collaborate with Chef Robotics and offer a truly end-to-end automation solution. Our shared vision is to make food production more efficient, reliable, and scalable without compromising quality.”
Addressing labor shortage
The partnership aims to allow food manufacturers to automate more of their production process for fresh and frozen ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat meals.
Chef robots automate meal assembly by portioning and placing food ingredients into trays, while ILPRA tray sealers package the meals. According to the companies, the packaging systems can be adapted to “hundreds of stock-keeping units and high-mix production lines with frequent changeovers.”
The joint solution is available to food manufacturers in the US and Canada.
Robotic solutions are addressing the specialized labor shortage facing the packaging industry. At the Empack 2025 trade show, Packaging Insights spoke to Netherlands-based Smart Robotics, which presented a solution targeting the food packaging industry.
Meanwhile, ABB Robotics launched a robot designed for reorienting packaged lightweight products, such as confectionery.
