Yaskawa is expanding its range of solutions in the field of hygiene-sensitive robot applications with the addition of a new series developed in Europe: the manufacturer now presents the first two Motoman HD models with a payload of 7 kg and 8 kg respectively.
The robots in the new Motoman HD series (HD stands for “Hygienic Design”) are able to carry out a wide range of handling tasks in hygiene-sensitive areas including laboratory automation, the pharmaceutical sector and the food industry.
They fulfil the stringent requirements of sterile and cleanroom environments: in addition to being suitable for use in hygienic areas up to the highest cleanliness level of GMP Class A in accordance with EHEDG, EN 1672-2 and ISO 14159, they also comply with cleanroom class in accordance with ISO 14644-1, cleanroom class 5 in the case of the HD7 and cleanroom class 4 in the case of the HD8, according to the measurement and evaluation procedure defined in ISO 14644-14.
Hygienic design
The prerequisite for this is a hygienic design: this is where the expertise of the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA was incorporated. The Motoman HD7 recently won one of the world’s biggest design competitions – the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2024. The Red Dot label is internationally recognised as being one of the most coveted seals of quality for excellent design.
The new manipulator features specific details to ensure easy cleaning, including a special axle seal and a rounded design that is free of dead space and does entirely without external screws, gaps or recesses. What is more, surfaces and materials are used that are mechanically and chemically resistant to the kind of substances and cleaning agents which typically occur in the life sciences, chemical and food industries.
The highest protection class IP69K and a particularly smooth surface (surface roughness < 0.8 Ra) minimise the adhesion of dirt particles and microorganisms. Cleaning is further facilitated by the fact that the application cables and media lines (e.g. for compressed air) run inside the robot arm, while the cables can be routed through the base of the robot. Other benefits include a low level of particle emissions (ISO class 5 for the HD7 and ISO class 4 for the HD8) and the use of food-grade grease (FGG).