End To End Food Industry Automation And Robotics

CIBUS TEC 2026 took place in Parma from October 27 to 30, 2026, focusing on technologies for food processing, packaging, and logistics. Comau, Automha, and Invent showcased turnkey architectures for the continuous automation of production and intralogistics flows within the food and beverage industry.

Core Technology And System Architecture
The technological exhibition featured the new Hygienic Oil robot family from Comau, developed for rapid handling and processing tasks. These systems utilize NSF H1 food-grade lubricants, thereby minimizing contamination risks without the need for protective covers. The hardware was complemented by the four-axis articulated robot S-18-1.7 HO, wearable MATE exoskeletons for ergonomic support, and a Racer-5 SE cell for food handling. In the field of warehouse automation, Automha presented the omnidirectional Quaterways shuttle and the AutosatGTR for multi-deep pallet storage. The system architecture is controlled by the Automha Warehouse Management System, which coordinates movements in four directions along the rack aisles and enables fully automated storage and retrieval processes.

Deployment And Integration
The implementation of these end to end automation solutions requires the seamless integration of robotics, intralogistics, and control software into existing production environments. At the trade fair, technical specialists in Hall 2, Booth K038 analyzed specific integration strategies for goods receipt, product handling, and palletizing. Partner companies such as Progea Leonardo, Camozzi, and Innovision supported the deployment of specialized pick and place cells featuring collaborative robots like the MyCo. By combining the digital and software expertise of Invent with the hardware from Comau and Automha, manufacturers receive turnkey architectures from a single source to commission automated facilities in a structured manner.

Industrial Applications
The showcased automation and robotics systems are specifically aimed at the food and beverage industry as well as the growing e-commerce sector. Concrete technical use cases include the precise portioning and packaging of food under strict hygiene requirements, alongside the use of collaborative robot cells for packaged products. The utilization of FCM certified handling systems in combination with automated shuttles ensures high process stability, optimizes material flows from goods receipt to goods issue, and increases overall efficiency in data driven logistics centers.

Operational Impacts And Performance Metrics
The deployment of highly automated shuttle systems and dedicated robotics increases throughput in intralogistics and reduces long-term operating costs. The use of NSF H1 lubricants reduces maintenance intervals for protective covers and enhances system safety during direct product processing. With the global intralogistics market expected to grow by nearly 10 percent annually until 2030, this combined automation expertise enables plant operators to achieve the necessary scaling to handle larger production volumes more efficiently and improve the maintainability of complex storage structures.

Edited by Maria Brueva, Induportals editor - adapted by AI.

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