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. Now, the manufacturer presents the first two Motoman HD models with a payload of 7kg and 8kg respectively.

The new 6-axis high-performance robots are created in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA. They are specially designed for use in the life sciences.

The robots in the new Motoman HD series (HD stands for “Hygienic Design”) can carry out a wide range of handling tasks in hygiene-sensitive areas. Among them are laboratory automation, pharmaceutical sector, and food industry.

Moreover, they fulfill the stringent requirements of sterile and cleanroom environments. Particularly, they are 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. Also, they 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 comes in. Recently, the Motoman HD7 won one of the world’s biggest design competitions – the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2024. The Red Dot label is internationally recognized as being one of the most coveted seals of quality for excellent design.

Mainly, the new manipulator features specific details to ensure easy cleaning. This includes a special axle seal and a rounded design that is free of dead space and does entirely without external screws, gaps or recesses. Moreover, surfaces and used materials are mechanically and chemically resistant to the kind of substances and cleaning agent. Typically, they occur in the life sciences, chemical and food industries.

Additionally, the highest protection class IP69K and a particularly smooth surface (surface roughness < 0.8Ra) minimize the adhesion of dirt particles and microorganisms. Further, the application cables and media lines (e.g. for compressed air) run inside the robot arm facilitate cleaning. Meanwhile, routing of cables is possible 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).

High-performance Laboratory Robots for the European Market

Mainly, the new series comprises the Motoman HD7 and HD8 models. They offer a payload of 7kg and 8kg respectively. Yaskawa manufactures the robot at the Yaskawa plant in Kočevje, Slovenia. Particularly, the Motoman HD series is based on the 6-axis high-performance robots of the well-established Motoman GP portfolio.

Like the Motoman industrial robots, they utilize Yaskawa’s latest Sigma 7 servo drive technology. Thus, they achieve an extremely high level of performance in terms of movement, acceleration and precision. Also, the movement range of axis 1 is ±180°. Their combination with the universal YRC1000 robot controller or the YRC1000micro compact controller is possible. Both of which offer a wide range of modern options in terms of control, communication, safety, and software.

-13 May 2024-