Modern agriculture faces a challenge: producing more with fewer personnel and ever-increasing costs. Automation has become a necessity, not a luxury. However, many producers—especially medium and small ones—believe that bringing robotics to the field is beyond their reach. The reality is different: refurbished industrial robots are opening a new era for precision agriculture, offering advanced, reliable, and economically viable technology.
Robotics in the agricultural sector is no longer limited to large corporations or experimental projects. Today, refurbished robots from brands such as ABB, KUKA, FANUC, and Yaskawa are being used to automate tasks like sorting, fruit selection, cutting, packaging, palletizing, and even greenhouse maintenance. These units, refurbished to industrial standards, deliver the same precision and durability as a new robot but require up to 60% less investment.
In post-harvest processing, for example, automation is transforming the way fruits and vegetables are handled. At a citrus packing plant in southern Spain, a refurbished FANUC M-20iA robot was equipped with a soft gripper and a vision system to sort oranges by size and color. Previously, the process was manual and required shifts of more than 12 hours. With the refurbished robot, sorting time was reduced by 40% and human errors due to fatigue were eliminated.
In another case, a vegetable company in Italy integrated two refurbished ABB IRB 4600 robots to palletize boxes of tomatoes on high-speed lines. Each robot handles over 600 boxes per hour, freeing operators for quality control tasks. With a modest initial investment, the plant achieved continuous and safe operation, with fewer stoppages and greater traceability.
Advancements are also being seen in greenhouse and indoor agriculture. Refurbished KUKA KR AGILUS robots equipped with proximity sensors and six-axis arms perform harvesting tasks in hydroponic crops. Thanks to their compact size and low energy consumption, they can work between narrow rows, making precise cuts without damaging the plants.
These solutions are complemented by the ability to easily reprogram refurbished robots for new tasks or seasons. What is used for sorting today can be adapted tomorrow for packaging, spraying, or transporting cultivation trays. This flexibility makes refurbished robots a strategic tool for producers seeking to automate without compromising cash flow or relying on expensive new equipment with long lead times.
The true innovation isn’t having the newest robot, but using technology intelligently. Refurbished robots offer the perfect balance of performance, reliability, and cost. Plus, they promote sustainability: by reusing industrial equipment, the environmental footprint of the production process is reduced and the machinery’s lifecycle is extended.
In a market where labor is increasingly scarce and quality demands are higher, refurbished robotics represent a real opportunity to modernize agriculture without going into debt.
At URT, we refurbish and certify ABB, KUKA, FANUC, and Yaskawa robots ready for agricultural, packaging, or post-harvest tasks. If your agri-business wants to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and stay competitive, accessible automation is already within reach.
Learn more at www.eurobots.net and transform your field with real, efficient, and sustainable technology.