FANUC America Announces CRX-10iA/L Collaborative Paint Robot

In a public reveal at the Automate 2024 trade show, FANUC unveiled a new paint robot that utilizes the collaborative CRX robot platform to supply an economical automated paint solution to companies big and small.

For the better part of 40 years, FANUC has been producing industrial painting robots, particularly useful for automotive and industrial coating industries. Using robots to apply paint, gel coats, powder coatings, and fiberglass coatings reduces operator risks by not requiring direct human contact with toxic chemicals. The quality of the coating can be tightly controlled, resulting in a measurable reduction in wasted products.

The new FANUC CRX-10iA/L Paint at Automate 2024.

The CRX-10iA/L Paint Cobot

Similar to many other collaborative robots on the market and the CRX product line, the CRX-10iA/L Paint is easily programmed using the FANUC CRX tablet with simple graphical icons and a lead-through teaching method. The interface is designed so that people with zero knowledge of robots or programming can quickly adapt to the power of a robot in a short time.

Due to the toxic (and sometimes explosive) nature of some coatings, the CRX-10iA/L is explosion-proof and safe to use in the global market for virtually any coating manufacturer. With a payload capacity of 10 kg and a reach of 1.418 m, the CRX-10iA/L has the longest reach in its class. This extended reach and payload allows for coating large parts without having to move the robot or the workpiece to a new position.

The CRX-10iA/L can make use of the R-30iB Mini Plus controller and, with a weight of only 45 kg, the CRX-10iA/L is a compact solution.

Graphical programming with the CRX tablet pendant. Image used courtesy of FANUC

Teaching and Programming of CRX Cobots

Cobots (collaborative robots) are known for being easy to teach and program, as well as safe. The CRX product line of cobots uses a special tablet and controller along with drag-and-drop programming to facilitate a short integration time. For users who are more familiar with traditional text-based robot teaching, the CRX-10iA/L is also fully compatible with FANUC’s RoboGuide software, allowing the user to develop optimized robot paths and check for reach capabilities.

End of arm tool changing example for a collaborative or industrial robot. Image used courtesy of FANUC

Robot Tools

A robot with no tooling attached is really just an expensive paperweight. With the CRX-10iA/L Paint, all those tools that are commonly used in painting, powder coating, and fiberglass applications can easily be attached to the faceplate of the robot. Inputs and outputs can be integrated into the controller and the robot software.

Cobots In New Industries

Cobots are being integrated into many new industries every day, for many reasons. The cost of integrating a cobot is significantly cheaper than a traditional 6-axis robot. You don’t need any special training or education to develop a cobot program. You also don’t need any additional safety gates or guarding. These reduced indirect costs allow smaller companies that couldn’t normally afford this technology to automate a small portion of their process.

With most cobots being integrated by companies that may not have access to engineering services to design an end effector, most cobots are compatible with off-the-shelf tools that attach directly to the working end of the robot. The new CRX-10iA/L Paint from FANUC checks all these boxes and can facilitate smaller companies to take a leap of faith into the automation world.