Samey Robotics and
Rbot9 have chosen the Fanuc CRX-10iA/L collaborative robot (cobot) to power a ‘game-changing’ cleaning system they have jointly developed for food factories. Named VOTTA, inspired by the Icelandic word for ‘certify’ and echoing the sound of ‘Þvotta’ (‘washing’), the system offers overhead, automated cleaning of large-scale areas without bulky structures or layout changes.
At a time when labour shortages have reached critical levels, this represents a welcome breakthrough, eliminating the need for human intervention and delivering efficiency gains of up to 30%. Labour-intensive, repetitive and hard to staff, cleaning is a growing headache for food processors, and the options for automation are limited; CIP systems and gantry style units are expensive, disruptive and too rigid for agile operations, and floor-mounted robots occupy valuable floor space.
Recognising the need for a different type of system for its seafood industry customers, Icelandic automation provider Samey Robotics approached Rbot9 about engineering a solution based on the Canadian innovator’s trail-blazing ROCAP industrial cable robot platform. A total of 12 high-strength cables, steered by proprietary kinematic algorithms, suspend a mobile arial robot platform that can sweep through up to 900m2 of workspace in a matter of minutes, with no requirement for rails, gantries or structural overhaul.
Frédéric Vachon, Rbot9’s founder, said: “The original idea for the ROCAP cable robot came from a visit to an overcrowded welding workshop in which the ceiling was the only available space for automation. We knew that it had potential for many other industries too, and we were keen to work with Samey to explore its application in food factories for addressing one of the industry’s largest pain points.”
Operating in a shared environmentThe success of the project hinged on having a robust, dexterous and hygienically-designed cobot that could be configured with safety zones, speed limits and stop conditions to operate safely in a shared environment. Having partnered with Fanuc for 25 years, Samey Robotics was keen to continue this partnership and knew that the CRX-10iA/L model offered the ideal blend of attributes for this demanding application.
Kristján Karl Aðalsteinsson, Samey Robotics’ chief sales and marketing officer, said: “Our customers already run on the Fanuc ecosystem, and for us, the CRX is indisputably the best cobot series on the market. Who else offers eight years zero maintenance and up to five years warranty? Who else offers an IP67 rating on such a robust yet flexible machine?”
Rbot9 was equally convinced that Fanuc was the right robotics partner for the project. Mr Vachon said: “We needed a robotics partner who would share our vision of bringing safe, flexible and hygienic automation to the food industry. Fanuc’s CRX series stood out, not only because of its reliability and ease-of-use, but also because of its lightweight design that fits into suspended systems like ours. It gave us the freedom and precision we needed to bring VOTTA to life.”
He continued “Beyond the hardware, Fanuc’s global reputation aligned perfectly with our ambition to scale VOTTA across international markets. Partnering with a name that food manufacturers already trust gave us an added layer of confidence.”
Local dexterityRbot9 continues to lead engineering and deployment efforts for the robotic platform that powers VOTTA, ensuring its adaptability and scalability across food processing environments. Besides its IP67 grade robustness, the CRX-10iA/L was selected for its optimal balance of reach, payload and precision. The ROCAP provides mobility and reach across large zones, while the CRX delivers local dexterity, a 10kg payload and a 1.4m span.
This synergy means the VOTTA can be positioned dynamically at almost any angle and height, enabling it to navigate conveyors, machinery and obstacles to clean all areas of the plant. The robot’s lightweight design and ability to operate in reverse gravity mode also contribute to its suitability for integration in a suspended system.
The outcome is a flexible, rapidly deployed, automated cleaning system that quite literally rises above conventional constraints. Mounted on ceilings or columns, it operates entirely overhead, washing equipment without any disruption to production. Cleaning paths and routines can be adapted quickly to new production setups and layouts, and every cleaning task is logged automatically for traceability purposes. By replacing manual cleaning operations with the VOTTA, food processors can shave 30 per cent off washdown times, resulting in a very favourable ROI for the system.
Paul Richards, partner sales manager for
Fanuc UK, said: “We were honoured to be chosen as the robot provider for this project, which represents a food industry first. From the start, we were inspired by Samey’s vision of using a completely novel approach to factory cleaning, and now that the VOTTA is market-ready, we cannot wait to see how it will be adopted by the industry.”
While the VOTTA’s first customers are in the Icelandic seafood industry, the solution is available throughout Europe and is suitable for any food processing operation looking to upgrade to a fully automated cleaning system. Meat, poultry, bakery, salad and cheese producers all stand to benefit from its consistent and rigorous cleaning performance.