FANUC America to invest $90M in U.S. robot manufacturing

FANUC robots ready to ship. FANUC America plans to build a new facility to expand U.S. robot manufacturing capability.

FANUC plans to build a new facility to expand U.S. robot manufacturing capability. Source: FANUC America

While the U.S. is a major market for robotics, none of the major industrial automation providers are headquartered in the U.S. However, production is shifting. FANUC America Corp. yesterday said it plans to invest $90 million to acquire property and construct a new 840,000 sq. ft. (78,038.5 sq. m) facility in Pontiac, Mich.

The Rochester Hills, Minn.-based subsidiary of Japan-based FANUC Corp. noted that the “production-ready space” could expand its U.S.-based robot manufacturing capabilities.

“This investment builds on FANUC America’s Michigan manufacturing footprint, which has included producing robots for paint application domestically for more than four decades,” stated Mike Cicco, president and CEO of FANUC America. “By expanding its U.S. presence, FANUC America will strengthen domestic manufacturing, improve responsiveness to customer needs, and support industries that rely on automation to stay competitive.”

FANUC America expects to add jobs

Targeted for completion in late 2027, FANUC said it expects this strategic project to add 225 jobs. The company also said it is expanding its engineering and manufacturing capacity to meet growing demand for automation across North America, including physical AI, virtual commissioning, and digital-twin technologies.

Since 2019, FANUC America asserted that it will have invested nearly $300 million in multiple new facilities, increased its footprint to 3 million sq. ft. (278,709 sq. m), and created more than 700 jobs in the U.S. It recently received its 14th Top Workplace Award from The Detroit Free Press and Chicago Sun Times.

“FANUC America is committed to supporting U.S. reindustrialization by delivering state-of-the-art automation technologies to customers and broadening access to advanced manufacturing workplace training services,” said Cicco.

“The newly expanded FANUC Academy—opening in Auburn Hills, MI, later this year—will become the largest robotics and automation skills-development center in the United States, helping address the national manufacturing skills gap, rising demand for automation talent, the shift toward AI-enabled robotics and the country’s overall competitiveness,” he added.

In December, FANUC was among the exhibitors at a Congressional Robotics Caucus meeting that recommended a national robotics strategy. Last month, end-effector company OnRobot and FANUC shared implementation advice at an event in Dallas.

Industrial automation leader moves into physical AI

FANUC America is a leading provider of industrial, collaborative, and mobile robots, as well as CNC systems and ROBOMACHINEs. The company said it helps manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics customers maximize efficiency and competitiveness.

At GTC last week, FANUC announced that it will use NVIDIA’s AI infrastructure, including Jetson edge modules, cloud/edge AI infrastructure, the Isaac Sim open robotic simulation framework and Omniverse libraries, within its robot portfolio and ROBOGUIDE simulation software. As part of this physical AI strategy, the company has released a ROS 2 driver and support for high-speed streaming motion for its robots.

“By integrating NVIDIA’s AI and simulation platforms with FANUC’s robotics expertise, we are providing developers with the tools to build and deploy intelligent, adaptable automation at scale,” said Murali Gopalakrishna, general manager of robotics at NVIDIA.

FANUC America will show its products at Booth B8923 at supply chain event MODEX in Atlanta next month. It received a 2024 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award for producing its one-millionth industrial robot.