Tens of thousands of decision makers from across the poultry, meat and animal food industry will gather for the world’s biggest trade show of its kind, the International Production & Processing Expo, on Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, 2024, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Stäubli Robotics, an innovator in safe, hygienic automation solutions for the food industry, will demonstrate robots that bring efficiency and safety to demanding food processing tasks at booth #16127, C Hall.

Food industry specialists from Stäubli will present live demonstrations with the company’s TS2-60 HE Scara and TX2-90 HE six-axis robots. They will also offer expertise on how food producers can update their operations and be more competitive despite ongoing labor shortages, logistical constraints, food safety issues and market pressures.

Challenges like these have been especially acute in the poultry industry. “IPPE is the key event in North America for poultry processing,” said Mathias Konne, North America business head - food. “It is fascinating to see the innovative use of our hygienic robots combined with other technology partners to tackle some of those issues.”

On the tradeshow floor, a TS2-60 HE robot will carry out protein processing tasks as part of a chicken breast handling and thermoform loading operation. This consists of picking the product up from a conveyor and placing it into its packaging. The raw parts can be slippery and delicate, but the robot handles them with precision. Eliminating human intervention also minimizes contamination risks, while the speed and reliability of the robot ensures productivity gains.

In a second demo highlighting the hygienic features, washdown capabilities and flexibility of Stäubli’s HE (humid environment) robots, the TX2-90 HE robot will perform a series of actions with two different products: initial self cleaning, picking up a cutting tool and simulating waterjet cutting of a chicken breast. Next the robot moves to a separate station to pick up a meat patty, place it on a conveyor and wash the meat. The robot then returns to the self-cleaning station.

Stäubli’s HE robots are designed for use in wet/humid environments and washdown applications, featuring:

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

Stäubli works with food industry partners worldwide to develop custom robotic systems that automate a wide range of tasks in primary and secondary processing and packaging, such as pick and place, cutting, deboning, portioning, packaging and palletizing. The HE series of robots ranges in size and format (4- and 6-axis), and in payload from 1kg to 150kg. Flexible mounting options and personalized service enable easy integration into semi- and fully automated production lines.

Food industry professionals and system integrators are encouraged to speak with specialists from Stäubli Robotics face to face in Atlanta at IPPE Booth #16127, C Hall to find out how robotic automation can help them surmount the most pressing challenges facing their business.

Source: Stäubli Robotics