The adoption of robotics in the food industry is a significant trend driven by the need to meet stringent safety and quality standards. Fueled by consumer demand for safe, convenient and high-quality foods, the industry is expected to grow at an annual rate of more than 12 percent within the next decade, according to Global Market Insights. In these often-complex food industry facilities, robots can help reduce the risk of contamination—ensuring that food products are safer for consumers—while enhancing efficiency and consistency in food processing, packaging, and handling that further supports compliance with regulatory requirements.
Introducing the New FANUC CRX-30iA Food-Grade Cobot
To support the industry’s ongoing need for innovative solutions, FANUC America has unveiled the newest food-grade collaborative robot in its CRX lineup, the CRX-30iA Food-Grade Cobot. Engineered specifically for food and beverage handling, wet environments, and operations with stringent hygienic requirements, CRX food-grade cobots offer a wide range of features and benefits applicable across a variety of industry applications, from picking to inspection.
One of the greatest benefits of FANUC’s CRX-30iA is its impressive reach and payload—the best for its class within the industry—positioning CRX to help more food and beverage manufacturers efficiently and safely increase productivity. With its robust 30 kg payload and reach of up to 1,756mm, accompanied by a unique under flip motion, the cobot maximizes flexibility in facilities where space may be tight.
Specialized Food-Grade Features
Like all of FANUC’s food-grade robots and cobots, the new CRX-30iA Food-Grade Cobot is equipped with special food-grade grease, finishes and features:
- Smooth surface and fully enclosed design with internal cable routing for easier cleaning
- Dust-tight and waterproof, allowing operation in harsh food production environments without compromising performance, with an IP67 rating
- Corrosion-resistant finishing on the cobot wrist
- White epoxy coating compliant with USDA Incidental Food Contact Requirements
- NSF H1 food-grade grease, safe for incidental food contact
Intuitive Design and Advanced Integration
This is all in addition to the features that CRX-30iA shares with every other FANUC cobot: ease of use, affordability and the ability to work safely alongside humans.
Customers with little to no robotic experience will appreciate the Tablet Teach Pendant that uses intuitive drag-and-drop programming. Additional advanced technology assistance can be provided by FANUC’s available PalletTool® 3 software, a user-friendly approach to palletizing in food and beverage plants, and FANUC’s integrated iRVision, including 2D, 3D, bin pick and area scanners.
If your production involves food handling wet or damp environments, or has rigorous hygiene requirements, a CRX Food-Grade Cobot may be an ideal way to begin automating inside your plant. Whether picking, sorting, inspecting or packaging food, FANUC offers an option to meet your unique needs.
See what cobots can do for your operation. Talk to our collaborative robotics specialists today.