FANUC’s New Food/Cleanroom Robot pairs Hygiene with High Performance

To meet growing market demand for food and cleanroom applications, FANUC is releasing its high-specification LR Mate/10-11A Food/Clean, a compact yet powerful industrial robot with features that add value in these challenging tasks. Of particular note is the suitability of the robot for ISO 4 Class cleanrooms and its use of food-grade lubricant to meet food environment requirements. ISO Class 4 cleanroom compliance means the robot is ideal for use in highly controlled environments in sector such as medical device, pharmaceutical, biotech, semiconductor, electronics, optics and laser. 

For the food industry, this durable robot offers a hygienic design. Its food-grade grease meets stringent regulations and standards, minimising the risk of contamination in the event of accidental contact with food, aiding public safety and preventing costly product recalls. The robot withstands harsh and frequent washdown procedures. Its entire body, upper arm and wrist carries IP67 ingress protection rating, while further design attributes include a stainless steel flange, anti-rust bolts and a special white epoxy coating that is resistant to corrosion. 

Alongside these important characteristics, the LR Mate/10-11A Food/Clean is optimised for high-speed operation. Speeds up to 340°/s in the J3 axis (upper arm) and 800°/s in the J6 axis (wrist rotation), make the robot a fast performer compared with others offering this reach (1101 mm).

In addition to its universal mounting capability (floor, angle, upside down), a sleek and slim space-saving design provides a further benefit. 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 by the system integrator, saving time and supporting plug and play operation. Simply connecting the robot to a standard single-phase electricity supply and a compressed air source allows users to commence control via the FANUC Teach Pendant.

“The LR Mate/10-11A Food/Clean with its 10 kg payload bridges the gap between our small 7 kg payload version and larger models starting at 25 kg payload,” explains Paul Ribus, FANUC’s Head of Sales Coordination 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 13 kg 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 as standard with FANUC’s new R-50𝑖A controller and its intelligent features, advanced cybersecurity and potential to provide energy savings. In addition, the robot provides vision-ready precision, ensuring its suitability for high-speed, vision-based pick-and-place tasks, for example.