Robots for Food Processing: Washdown, Food-Grade, and Packaging Robots

Primary, secondary, and end-of-line: where the robot works decides what you need

Your food safety plan sets the rules for each zone. Tell us the zone and the cleaning chemicals and pressures you use, and we'll match the robot to them.

Washdown and food-grade robots: what the ratings mean

Hygienic models built for this work include the FANUC M-430iA, Yaskawa Motoman MPK2, Stäubli HE series, and the wash-down versions of the ABB IRB 360 FlexPicker. Standard robots can also be fitted with a protective jacket for splash zones; check with your food safety lead whether a cover is acceptable in your zone.

• IP67 means the robot is dust-tight and protected against temporary immersion in water. It suits rinse-down and splash areas.
• IP69K means protection against high-pressure, high-temperature water jets — the rating to look for in areas cleaned with hot pressure washing.
• Food-grade lubricant (NSF H1) is approved for incidental food contact. Robots working over exposed food should run H1 grease and oil in the joints.
• Body and finish. Stainless steel or food-safe coatings, smooth surfaces without pockets where residue collects, and seals that stand up to your sanitizers.
• Cold and wet conditions. Freezers, chillers, and wet rooms affect lubricant, cabling, and condensation. Tell us the temperature range the robot will see.

Where food and beverage plants use robots

• Pick and place of portions, baked goods, and packaged items onto conveyors and into trays, often with vision.
• Case packing of bottles, cans, pouches, and cartons.
• Palletizing and depalletizing at the end of the line — the most common first robot in food plants, because the product is sealed and the payloads are heavy.
• Primary processing such as cutting, deboning, and portioning, which needs hygienic robots and specialized tooling.

End-of-line palletizing: where used robots fit best

Palletizing robots handle closed cases and bags, so a standard used robot does the job at a fraction of the cost of a hygienic one. Heavy-payload robots such as the FANUC R-2000iB (typically $8,000–$21,500 with controller), FANUC M-410 series palletizers (run with FANUC's PalletTool software), and ABB IRB 6640 / IRB 6700 ($8,000–$35,000) cover most case and bag weights. Typical asking prices on the used market (October 2026), robot with controller. See the used FANUC robot price guide for every series.

What to send us for a food processing robot

• The product, its packaging, and the weight per pick (or per layer for palletizing).
• Which zone the robot works in, your cleaning method (wipe-down, rinse, or high-pressure hot wash), and the chemicals you use.
• The room temperature range, especially for coolers and freezers.
• Line speed in picks, cases, or bags per minute.
• A layout, CAD file, or photos of the line where the robot will go.

How Robots Trading helps food processors

We have supplied used industrial robots from Mississauga, Ontario since 2004. For a food or beverage line we:

• Review your application — product, zone, cleaning routine, and line speed — and tell you which robot class fits.
• Source washdown and food-grade robots for primary zones, and standard robots for secondary packaging and palletizing, from our inventory or from the market.
• Match the package: arm, controller, teach pendant, and cables, with the controller generation your team runs.
• Ship across Canada and the United States, or you pick up from our warehouse.

Frequently asked questions