JANUARY 22, 2009–GLENVILLE, NY–Applied Robotics Inc., a manufacturer of robotic end-of-arm tooling and connectivity solutions, has announced its newest gripper product designed specifically for handling meat and other fresh and frozen food products has been approved and certified by USDA. The new Meat Gripper is reportedly the only gripper certified by USDA and is manufactured from materials approved by both the FDA and USDA administrations. The gripper adheres to all production cleaning guidelines and allows sanitization to be performed quickly and easily.

“We are very excited to have the meat gripper certified as this approval acknowledges and confirms the grippers’ qualifications to be used in the most stringent environments,” says Jim Fitzgerald, vice president of Applied Robotics. “Its design using low-weight materials and its ability to handle non-uniform products make it ideal for any industry looking for high-speed, high-performance automation.”

The Meat Gripper was specifically designed to handle all types of meat, fish, and cheese in various fresh, cooked, frozen, and sliced forms. The hygienic wash-down safe gripper features a unique pick-up head that enables portions or groups of portions of product to be loaded gently, accurately, and quickly into any packaging system or production process. More information and video of the new gripper can be found on the company’s web site at www.appliedrobotics.com.

Source: Applied Robotics

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