Process Expo, the global food equipment and technology show, offers a window into the latest innovations in food processing and packaging. Live production lines are always a highlight. At the expo, Stäubli Robotics will feature robots specialized for use in food production with live demonstrations at Booth 2918, South Hall, during the Oct. 23–25 event at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

Stäubli makes robots for sensitive environments. In the food industry, Stäubli sets a standard for robot-based automation with its food-grade HE (humid environment) robots. These robots are capable of withstanding regular washdowns and control contamination with hygienic design features such as retention-free, fully encapsulated, detergent- and corrosion-resistant surfaces.

At Process Expo, Stäubli will present two demonstrations of production lines for protein processing and packaging, showcasing its TS2-60 HE and TX2-90 HE six-axis robots. These models are part of its comprehensive portfolio of HE robots suitable for meat processing tasks such as cutting, deboning, portioning, and handling of frozen food boxes and unpackaged products.

The TS2-60 HE will perform a chicken breast handling and thermoform packaging operation. It is quick and precise as it identifies and aligns randomly placed products on a high-speed conveyor, easily picking up the floppy pieces and placing them into their packages neatly and uniformly.

The larger TX2-90 HE will display its flexibility in handling and cutting meat, as well as cleaning both the products and itself. The robot starts by cleaning its own tooling. It then moves to a chicken breast, picks up its cutting tool and simulates waterjet cutting in precise rows on the raw product. Quickly rotating to a third station, it picks up a burger, places it onto a conveyor and washes the product. After each cycle, it returns to a self-cleaning station to clean its tools, having proven its ability to handle different products in the same process, which saves valuable production space.

All robots in Stäubli’s HE series are designed for hygienic and humid environments and suitable for a wide range of primary and secondary processing and packaging applications. Features include:

• Fully enclosed and pressurized structure prevents microorganism penetration and condensation.
• Smooth, rounded and tilted surfaces prohibit liquid retention.
• Fully compatible with NSF H1 food-grade lubricant without loss of performance.
• Protected against pressure jets of water (IP65) and immersion (IP67).
• Crucial components in stainless steel with special coating for extreme conditions.
• No external cables: all connections run through the arm and base.
• Unique, cylindrical envelope and small footprint.
• Patented Stäubli proprietary JCS gearbox for accuracy, repeatability and durability.

Stäubli’s HE series ranges in size and format (four- and six-axis), and in payload from 1 kilogram to 150 kilogram. All have the flexibility of multiple mounting options, allowing easy integration into production lines.

Source: Stäubli Robotics