Fanuc Robotics America Inc. has developed a robot that meets USDA AMS hygiene requirements for meat and poultry handling. Intended specifically for food washdown environments, the five-axis M-430iA is capable of picking, packing and palletizing. The company says speeds up to 120 cycles per second are possible on a continuous basis. The model is the fastest robot ever designed by Fanuc Robotics, says Sumeet Vispute, product manager.
Intelligent software and sensors integrated into the robot simplify setup of high-speed multi-robot picking systems. The PickTool software divides incoming product so that each robot in the system picks an equal number. It can also assign a certain percentage of products for each robot to pick. "If more than one type of product is on the conveyor, the programmer simply assigns a percentage value and a part ID to distribute each robot's picking assignment," says Vispute.
In addition to food, the M-430iA/2F intelligent robot can handle beverages, medical devices, cosmetics, household products, office supplies and other consumer products, says Vispute.
