FANUC Palletizing Robots vs Yaskawa Motoman Palletizing Robots

FANUC M-410ib/160 Motoman EPL160
Palletizing in manufacturing consists of loading items onto a pallet to prepare for shipping. Conventional palletizing methods involved a mix of manual labor and heavy machinery. However, conventional methods lacked flexibility and were hazardous to worker safety. Industrial robots began automating palletizing applications in the 1980s and the number of palletizing robots continues to grow today.

Both FANUC and Yaskawa Motoman robots are popular options when it comes to automating palletizing applications. Both manufacturers are considered to be the top two in robotics with each having installed over 500,000 robots around the world. Each manufacturer offers numerous robots capable of automating palletizing. Below is a comparison of how each of their palletizing robots stack up to one another.

FANUC Palletizing Robots

FANUC offers one of the most extensive lines of industrial robots with hundreds of options. It’s no surprise that FANUC has a robot capable of automating just about any palletizing scenario. From light palletizing processes to the extremely heavy lifting ones, FANUC has a robot for it. Some of the FANUC robots capable of automating palletizing are multipurpose. In addition to palletizing, they can be used for other applications such as automated assembly, robotic machine tending, or automated material removal. FANUC has palletizing robots with four, five, or six axes, giving users options when it comes to range of motion needs. Palletizing robots can be found amongst FANUC’s CR, M, and R series robots.





FANUC’s CR series features their collaborative robots capable of automating light palletizing applications. The FANUC CR-35ia can assist workers with loading pallets. Within the FANUC M series, robots from the M-410, M-710, M-420, and M-900 lines are capable of automating palletizing. These robots are ideal for medium to heavy lifting palletizing. The FANUC M-410ib/700 is one of FANUC’s heavy payload robots. FANUC’s R series robots are some of their most successful and are known for their strength. The FANUC R-2000ic/165F is a popular multipurpose robot that is frequently used for palletizing automation.

Yaskawa Motoman Palletizing Robots

Yaskawa Motoman has developed lines of industrial robots specifically dedicated to robotic palletizing. Robots from their EPL and MPL series have been designed and built explicitly for the automation of palletizing applications.

Yaskawa Motoman’s EPL series stands for “Expert Palletizing.” This series features industrial robots designed for automating medium to heavy palletizing applications with payloads ranging from 80 kg to 500 kg. These robots feature four to six axes. The Motoman EPL80 is the five-axis robot from the series, while the EPL300 is one of the four-axis robots. For most palletizing applications four to five axes is sufficient as fewer axes provides greater stability for lifting. However, those needing a full range of motion can benefit from a six-axis model.

Yaskawa Motoman’s MPL series features their “Master Palletizing” robots. These robots are also capable of automating medium to heavy palletizing with payloads starting at 80 kg and going up to 800 kg. The Yaskawa MPL800 is the heaviest lifter of the series. Robots within the MPL line are configured with four or five axes. Many arcticulated robots in this series are built with an additional bar that runs above the robotic arm to provide greater stability for heavy lifting.

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