Intelligent Food Robot performs high-speed picking.

Press Release Summary:



Designed for food washdown environments, M-430iA/2F can continuously pick products at speeds to 120 cycles/min while using visual line tracking. Compact design allows mounting position flexibility, including floor, wall, or inverted, and has no food particle retention areas. Capable of working with primary (unpackaged) and secondary (packaged) food products, 5-axis robot carries IP67 rating and features hollow arm to avoid air line and electric cable exposure.



Original Press Release:



FANUC Robotics Introduces New M-430iA/2F High-Speed Intelligent Food Robot at Pack Expo 2006



ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich., Oct. 30, 2006 - FANUC Robotics America, Inc. will demonstrate its new M-430iA/2F high-speed, intelligent picking robot designed to handle primary food and packaged products, and the LR Mate 200iB/5WP food robot during Pack Expo, at McCormick Center, Chicago, Oct. 29-Nov. 2, booth #N4643.

Designed specifically for food washdown environments, the M-430iA/2F food robot is capable of picking products at speeds up to 120 cycles per minute on a continuous basis while using visual line tracking. In addition, the new robot is compact, and can be mounted in a variety of positions including floor, wall or invert, which maximizes flexibility for tight workspaces.

"Our food customers came to us with specific needs for high-speed operation, increased flexibility, and cleanliness standards, and the M-430iA/2F robot meets those needs and more," said Sumeet Vispute, product manager, picking, packing, and palletizing, FANUC Robotics America, Inc.

The M-430iA food robot offers a wide range of benefits, including:
o A clean design with no food particle retention areas to resist bacteria growth and rust.
o Hollow arm to avoid air line and electric cable exposure.
o Capable of working with primary (unpackaged) and secondary (packaged) food products.
o Manufactured with food-grade grease, and USDA-certifiable parts.
o Designed with special coating, materials and seals to withstand caustic food industry cleaners used in food plant washdown operations.
o IP67 rating for the entire robot allows it to withstand the rinsing process after the caustic washdown.

"The five-axis M-430iA/2F is the fastest robot ever designed by FANUC Robotics, and sets a new speed record for articulated robots of 120 cycles per minute at a 1 kg payload, and 100 cycles per minute at a 2 kg payload," added Vispute.

"As global competition increases, companies are looking for solutions that will help them minimize costs, maximize production efficiency, and reduce labor requirements. FANUC Robotics' complete line of robots for picking, packing and palletizing provide our customers with solutions that help them achieve their production goals and increase their competitive position," added Vispute.

At the show, the M-430iA/2F equipped with FANUC's V-500iA/2DV visual line tracking software picks randomly oriented food products at 120 cycles per minute from a pick conveyor. The M-430iA/2F then drops product onto an outbound conveyor where product is collated into groups of four. A FANUC LR Mate 200iB/5WP food robot, positioned downstream of the drop conveyor, picks all four products at once and places them back on the pick conveyor.

In addition to food, the M-430iA/2F intelligent robot is ideal for handling beverages, candy, medical devices, cosmetics, household products, office supplies, and many other consumer products.

LR Mate 200iB/5WP Food Robot
The LR Mate 200iB/5WP food robot is a member of FANUC Robotics' popular LR Mate series of intelligent mini robots designed to handle small products in a wide range of industries and working environments, including machine shops, and medical device, food, plastics, and cleanroom manufacturing. The LR Mate series is ideal for applications such as machine tending, assembly, picking and packing, part washing, material removal, cleanroom operations, and testing and sampling. Its small size allows the robot to work in very tight workspaces.

The LR Mate 200iB has a slimmer arm than previous versions, which has further enhanced its reach and minimized interference. Though the arm size is smaller, the six-axis robot has enhanced payload capabilities. Brakes on all axes provide enhanced motion control. The wrist moment capability has increased 33%, and maximum allowable payload has increased 67% (from 3 to 5 kg). A long-arm version, the LR Mate 200iB/3L, which has a 3 kg payload, and an additional six inches of reach, is also available.

In addition to the LR Mate 200iB/5WP food robot, the series includes the LR Mate 200iB, LR Mate 100iB, the LR Mate 200iB/5P for high-precision applications, the LR Mate 200iB/5WP waterproof robot for washing spraying and CNC grinder tending, and the LR Mate 200iB/5C cleanroom robot.

FANUC Robotics America, Inc. designs, engineers and manufactures industrial robots and robotic systems for a wide range of applications including arc and spot welding, material handling (machine tending, picking, packing, palletizing), material removal, assembly, paint finishing and dispensing. The company also provides application-specific software, controls, vision products, and complete support services. After 24 years of success, FANUC Robotics maintains its position as the leading robotics company in the Americas. A subsidiary of FANUC LTD in Japan, the company has facilities in Chicago; Los Angeles; Charlotte, N.C.; Cincinnati and Toledo, Ohio; Toronto; Montreal; Aguascalientes, Mexico; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Over 160,000 FANUC robots are installed worldwide. Contact FANUC Robotics at www.fanucrobotics.com or by calling 800-47-ROBOT.

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