On the basis of many years’ experience in the food industry, Stäubli Robotics knows exactly what producers want: high-performance hygienic design solutions that also score top marks for versatility and operator safety. Dynamics and precision are characteristic of all robots in the current Stäubli range, but this is only one key factor. What counts at least as much is compliance with the food industry’s stringent hygiene specifications, especially in the handling of unwrapped food products.

Dirk Burhenne, Business Development Manager Food at Stäubli Robotics, is very familiar with the special requirements placed on robotics: “Ultra-fast robots in wash-down hygienic design with minimal particle emissions are in great demand. Because the machines must not cause any contamination of the food, they also need to be lubricated with Class NSF H1 food-compatible oil, but without compromising their dynamic values.”

HE robots for low-germ production

At Interpack 2023, Stäubli will be demonstrating how its robots meet this requirement profile with its HE robot series. HE stands for “humid environment” and identifies robots that are specially modified for use when exposed to liquids, which of course includes wash-down cleaning processes.

All HE robots are fully encapsulated and IP67 protection compliant when connected to a positive pressure pump. The wrist gaiter is waterproof. One especially helpful feature is the splash-proof internal cabling, which enters the machine under the pedestal.

The good news is that all Stäubli robots are now available in HE design. This includes the SCARAs of the TS2 series, whose impressive dynamics make them ideally suited for packaging processes. They operate at a constant high level of performance while maintaining maximum precision, and with their compact design, they rival even delta kinematics.

Demo cell shows robot capabilities

At Interpack 2023 (Hall 15, Stand C37), Stäubli will demonstrate what its robots are capable of achieving in practice, with a realistic demo cell in which a four-axis and a six-axis machine work in tandem. The compact six-axis TX2-60 robot performs cutting processes for portioning meat and cheese products, highlighting its performance in both ultrasonic and waterjet cutting.

The meat and cheese portions are then picked up by an ultra-fast TS2-60 SCARA, which handles the primary packaging. What really catches the eye here is the impressive dynamics achieved by the four-axis HE robot, despite being restricted to lubrication with NSF H1 food-grade oil.

At this year’s tradeshow, Stäubli will be underlining its expertise in the realization of hygienic design solutions for scenarios where high performance, flexibility and operator safety are paramount.