FANUC’s CRX-10iA/L Paint collaborative robot is programmed with the company’s CRX Tablet Teach Pendant. | Credit: FANUC America
FANUC America unveiled its CRX-10iA/L painting collaborative robot this week. The company is positioning the robot as its first explosion-proof (ex-proof) collaborative paint robot for use and sale globally.
Companies that paint, powder coat, or gel coat can benefit from the ex-proof robots, FANUC said. The robot is designed to comply with the stringent explosion-proof safety standards required in the United States and other areas, including IECEx, ATEX, Canada, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan and Brazil.
FANUC has engineered a broad range of CRX cobots for applications where humans need to work within the cobots’ work envelope. FANUC said its cobots are designed to be easy to teach and simple to use, which reduces the skill set necessary to set up and maintain the solution.
As with other CRX models, the CRX-10iA/L Paint collaborative robot can be programmed with the FANUC CRX Tablet Teach Pendant. Via graphical icons, users can create paint path programs using the drag-and-drop interface. Paint-specific icon commands have also been added for paint applications.
“FANUC paint robots have been designed and manufactured continuously in Michigan since 1982. Now with the new CRX-10iA/L Paint collaborative robot, more operations will be able to reap the benefits of paint and coating automation,” says Ed Minch, sales director for auto component & general industry paint at FANUC America. “We know our customers are struggling to increase their production and efficiency to keep up with rising demand while staying profitable. Cobots that paint will be a game-changer for companies that might have very little or no prior experience with robots to help them cost-effectively automate within a short period. This is the first collaborative paint robot available for sale and use in North and South America.”
CRX-10iA/L specifications
The new CRX-10iA/L paint cobot has a payload of 10 kg (22 lbs) and a reach of 1,418mm (55.8 inches), allowing the cobot to access large workpieces. Featuring the same smooth and rounded design of the CRX series, the CRX-10iA/L Paint cobot is lightweight at 45 kg (99 lbs) and has a small footprint, which can be further enhanced by stacking the control unit onto a light and compact R-30iB Mini Plus controller.
Along with the other CRX cobots, the CRX-10iA/L Paint is maintenance-free for 8 years adding to ownership savings and boosting operations.
Additionally, the CRX-10iA/L Paint cobot has full optimization capabilities with path editing and ROBOGUIDE software. It can easily be integrated with other equipment used in painting, powder, liquid, coating and fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP CHOP/GEL) applications.
FANUC wins RBR50 Award
FANUC recently won a 2024 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award for the production of its one millionth industrial robot. FANUC reached the milestone in August 2023 when it produced a FANUC R-2000iC/210F, an industrial robot designed to lift heavy payloads up to 210 kg (462.9 lb.) in a variety of applications.
FANUC developed its first robot in 1974, called “FANUC ROBOT MODEL 1.” FANUC used the robot on its own production line.
Today, FANUC offers more than 200 industrial and cobot models that are used in production facilities worldwide to assemble, handle, package, paint, and weld products of every shape and size.
You can read about all the RBR50 award winners here.
Great article. I’m on the Board of Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City and want to expand our robotics’ program.