Best FANUC Robots for Material Handling

Material handling applications are some of the most common for automation with industrial robots outside of welding applications. Material handling covers a broad range of processes including palletizing, pick and place, part transfer, assembly, packaging, and machine tending. Material handling robots are incredibly versatile and can make excellent general purpose robots.

FANUC has been one of the premier robotic manufacturers for years. FANUC manufactures several industrial robots capable of material handling automation. Below is a list of their best articulated robots for such applications.

• LR Mate Robots - FANUC’s LR Mate robots are perfect for automating lightweight material handling applications. These mostly six axis robots feature a compact footprint which allows for easier integration along production lines as they do not require as much space and can be mounted in a variety of ways. The FANUC LR Mate 200ic is one of the most popular LR Mate robots and is commonly deployed for material handling automation. The FANUC Lr Mate 200id is another excellent LR Mate robot for material handling. Its compact arm allows it to operate in confined spaces or easily access machines for automated machine tending tasks.

• M Series Robots - The FANUC M series is FANUC’s largest series of material handling robots. The line features robots for extremely lightweight handling to those designed for heavy duty handling to everything else in between. This series features delta, articulated, and gantry robot types. The FANUC M-900ia/600 is one of FANUC’s highest payload robots, making it ideal for lifting and moving heavy parts. The FANUC M-410ic/315 is another high payload material handling robot in the M series. Those needing a medium payload material handling robot could consider the FANUC M-20ia or the M-710ic/50. Both of these industrial robots are commonly deployed along factory floors for material handling automation. While the FANUC M-10ia is the light payload material handling specialist of the series.

• R Series Robots - Of course we cannot forget about FANUC’s R robots when it comes to material handling. FANUC’s R series is their most successful line of industrial robots. This line features several generations of multipurpose robots capable of automating material handling processes. These robots can handle medium to heavy payloads. What makes them standout from others in their class, is their compact footprint for their payload capacities, making them easier to integrate along production floors. The FANUC R-2000ib/165F is the most well-known form the series, especially for material handling automation. Its predecessor the FANUC R-2000ia/165F and long reach version R-2000ib/125L are also just as popular for automating handling applications.

• CR Robots - Some material handling processes cannot be completely automated by robots or a robot may be needed to assist workers to speed up productions. Either of these scenarios can be solved with the implementation of one of FANUC’s CR robots. FANUC’s CR series features several collaborative robots. These robots are capable of directly assisting workers with material handling applications. Specialty sensors, rounder edges, the elimination of pinch points, and softer exteriors make these robots safe to operate alongside workers without barriers. The FANUC CR-15ia can automate all the lifting of parts for workers, saving them from repetitive and strenuous movements.