FANUC robot pairs hygiene with high performance
To meet the growing demand for food and cleanroom applications, FANUC has unveiled the latest model in its LR Mate industrial robot range. The compact and powerful LR Mate 10-11A Food/Clean has a 10kg payload and is compliant with ISO 4 Class cleanrooms.
This makes it ideal for use in highly controlled environments across sectors such as medical device manufacture, pharmaceutical, biotech, semiconductor, electronics, optics and laser. Its use of food-grade lubricant means it also meets strict food environment requirements, minimising the risk of contamination in the event of accidental contact with food to aid public safety and prevent costly product recalls.
The LR Mate 10-11A Food/Clean robot can withstand harsh and frequent washdown procedures thanks to IP67 ingress protection rating across its entire body, upper arm and wrist. Further benefits include a stainless steel flange, anti-rust bolts and a special corrosion-resistant white epoxy coating. Optimised for high-speed operation, it boasts speeds of up to 340deg/s in the J3 axis (upper arm) and 800deg/s in the J6 axis (wrist rotation).
Designed to save space in busy production environments, the new FANUC model features universal mounting capability (floor, angle, upside down), while the electrical harness is completely integrated within the arm to minimise interference with peripheral devices and allow the construction of smaller automated cells. This design also supports easier cleaning and maintenance, underpinned by FANUC’s renowned lifetime spare parts availability.
Fully integrated solenoid valves to open and close the gripper means no additional installation is necessary, saving time and supporting plug-and-play operation – simply connect the robot to a standard single-phase electricity supply and a compressed air source to start using it instantly via the FANUC Teach Pendant.
“The LR Mate 10-11A Food/Clean with its 10kg payload bridges the gap between our small 7 kg payload version and larger models starting at 25kg payload,” explains Paul Ribus, FANUC’s head of sales coordination for Europe. “It’s a powerful performer with a small footprint, making it perfect for expensive floor space facilities such as cleanrooms. In addition, our new robot is ideal for buildings with a low ceiling height, while a 13kg high-payload mode is optionally available, with a reduction in reach.”
Offering a new era of powerful performance, the LR Mate 10-11A Food/Clean comes with FANUC’s new R-50iA controller as standard, along with intelligent features, advanced cybersecurity and the potential to provide energy savings. In addition, the robot provides vision-ready precision, ideal for high-speed, vision-based pick-and-place tasks, for example.
Visit the FANUC website for more information
