Fit for food, pharmaceuticals, photovoltaics, and more
Robots for sensitive environments
Robotic solutions for hygienic and cleanroom environments are in great demand. Life sciences, food, laboratories, electronics, semiconductors – the niche markets of the past have evolved into growth drivers. However, the requirements placed on robots to be deployed in these areas are very, very demanding. Read on to learn about the key factors.
Peter Pühringer is someone who ought to know all about it. He is the Managing Director of Stäubli Robotics, one of the leading companies for robotics solutions in hygiene-sensitive environments, and he is deeply familiar with the requirements of this sector: “The profile of requirements placed on robots deployed in these areas varies greatly, but is extremely demanding in any case. While particle emission is a pivotal factor in semiconductor applications, the life sciences sector requires robot deployment under aseptic conditions. Another example are food applications, where robots are required to use food-grade lubricants and need to be compatible with the washdown cleaning processes commonly used in this sector.”
In a nutshell: Standard robots are just not suitable for these markets. Rather, they require special designs—sophisticated robots capable of working under aseptic conditions, waterproof six-axis robots that tolerate spraying with a cleaning lance, cleanroom robots complying with even the most exacting cleanroom classifications. Such sophisticated robots are clearly distinguishable from conventional standard designs at first glance due to their hygienic design—and are vividly showcased at automatica.
The Japanese provider Yaskawa has some particularly striking examples of this. While the proven blue standard robots exude a slightly rustic charm and serve as reliable workhorses, the all-white high-performance robots of the Motoman HD series, developed in cooperation with Fraunhofer-IPA, seemingly come from an entirely different world: Their purpose-designed surfaces, internal media routing, resistant materials and numerous hygienically engineered details make them perfectly suitable for deployment in hygienic and cleanroom environments.
Almost all renowned manufacturers now supply hygienically engineered robots. However, the lengths these providers go to in their efforts to achieve varying degrees of compliance with hygiene guidelines such as those published by the EHEDG (European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group) can vary significantly. automatica is the perfect opportunity to thoroughly inspect robots, gripping systems, cable and hose carrier systems, etc. in this context and to analyze their suitability for specific applications.
Semiconductor production: the great automation challenge
The reason why manufacturers need to take these efforts becomes apparent when looking at a sector with particularly stringent cleanroom requirements: semiconductor production. This is because of the latest chip generation featuring transistors (of which there are billions on every chip) with a structure size between 3 and 10 nanometers. To put this in perspective: A human hair is 40,000 to 60,000 nanometers thick. That explains how even the tiniest particle can do damage and render an entire chip unserviceable. What this means: Super Cleanroom design for automation is an established standard in such environments.
The same applies to other products from the electronics domain such as displays, touch screens, LEDs, OLEDs...
Pharma factory of the future
A captivating project currently being implemented by the plant engineering company Harro Höfliger outlines the possibilities that can be unlocked when cleanroom-compatible AGVs and mobile robots work alongside conventional cleanroom robots. This project is about unattended pharmaceutical production under cleanroom conditions with maximized cycle times between recharges. Achieving this requires interlinking of various plant components with cleanroom-compatible mobile robots and AGVs.
Harro Höfliger has successfully implemented this in their pharma factory of the future. Stäubli’s solution expertise has made a significant contribution to facilitating this quantum leap as the company was able to supply cleanroom robots, and both suitable AGVs and mobile robots. With its “Pharma factory of the future”, Harro Höfliger is starting an entirely new chapter in plant engineering history as it supplies the pharmaceutical industry with complete, fully automated turnkey systems that will set benchmarks in terms of both autonomy and efficiency.
Foodstuffs industry—a growth market
Food production is another major automation growth market. The use of robots is no longer limited to secondary packaging applications here, but is also gaining ground in primary processes involving direct contact with food. This requires the use of food grade lubricants that will not pose any health hazards in the event of leaks. Dieter Rothenfußer, KUKA Key Technology Manager Consumergoods/Food, comments: “We take these requirements very seriously, especially since our robots are increasingly being deployed in these areas. Therefore, all axes of our HO robots and the robot tool energy supply are equipped with food grade lubricants.”
The robots’ compatibility with wash-down cleaning processes widely used in the industry is particularly important to their users. These processes are performed multiple times a day and involve aggressive cleaning media in some cases. The robots must be waterproof and have the corresponding ingress protection rating in order to withstand them. The number of available machines suitable for such purposes is still relatively small.
Fanuc also considers the ‘primary food’ segment a promising market. Nils Tersteegen, Marketing Manager, FANUC Germany, states that this will be all about collaborative solution development by manufacturers, integrators, and plant engineering companies. He continues: “automatica is a very important platform for exchange in this context.”
Fanuc also considers simple graphic programming via tablet an important factor that will increase acceptance of the technology – even beyond robotics-savvy sectors. For example, the use of robots in the Bakisto system, which was introduced at the last automatica, significantly reduces the workload of bakery staff or personnel working in the baked goods department of discount supermarkets. This is an approach to addressing skill shortages in the craft and retail sectors using robotics.
Beyond meat and milk
Any attentive supermarket visitor can see that the foodstuffs sector is undergoing major changes. And a quick glance at global demographics – 9.7 billion people will inhabit the earth by 2050—shows: We need to explore new sources of protein. This is just what the ENORM Biofactory in Denmark does—using KUKA robots.
These robots handle thousands of containers holding black soldier flies here in Scandinavia's largest commercial insect farm. 25 kg of this fly’s eggs turn into 100 metric tons of larvae within twelve days. And since these larvae can feed on waste material from ‘regular’ food production, they also solve a waste issue while their growth has a very low CO2 footprint. The Hygienic Oil design robots fill, empty, and stack the boxes weighing up to 60 kg—a new automation market with a promising future that contributes to sustainable food production.
Bottom line: The continuous further development of robotics and all relevant system components keeps pushing the limits of automation in hygiene-sensitive or aseptic areas. Automation projects that were considered impossible just yesterday may become the standard implementations of tomorrow. The best place to witness this impressive development is the next automatica held from June 24 to 27, 2025.
Text: Ralf Högel on behalf of Messe München