FANUC is one of “The Big 4” robotics companies in the world. Catering to a wide array of industries, these Japanese-made robots are known for their adaptability, power, and ubiquitousness.

The company’s influence is far-reaching, with a notable 15% share of the Chinese industrial robot market. They are dedicated to growing the capabilities of robotic systems, investing in technologies like robotic machine learning and cloud robotics.

In this spotlight on FANUC, we’ll look at how you can program FANUC robots easily for your chosen application.

The FANUC Story: What Sets FANUC Robots Apart

Founded in Japan in 1956 by Dr. Seiuemon Inaba, FANUC has grown to become a global leader in factory automation.

The company started by producing servo motors and computer numerical control (CNC) systems. Throughout his long career, Dr. Inaba receive many honors for his pioneering achievements in creating CNC tools and factory automation.

As one of the few companies in the industry to develop and manufacture all its major components in house, FANUC robots are known for their reliability, predictability, and ease of repair. Customers benefit from lifetime product support for as long as they use their FANUC products in production.

What Industries are FANUC Robots Used In?

FANUC robots are a common sight in many industries, showing the versatility and range of their products.

The automotive manufacturing industry is a notable industry, where FANUC robots help to streamline assembly lines, improve quality control, and increase productivity. It also remains a worldwide leader in automation for CNC control systems, with solutions like its ROBODRILL and ROBOCUT.

Other industries where FANUC robots are common include electronics manufacturing, food manufacturing, and the pharmaceutical industry.

In 2021, FANUC cemented its place as a worldwide leader in robotics when it celebrated the production of its 750,000th robot.

3 Example Applications for KUKA Robots

There are FANUC robots available for almost any almost every application you can think of.

Here are 3 example applications from different industries that people are already achieving with FANUC robots:

1. Complex CNC Machining

With the company’s long history in CNC solutions, it’s unsurprising that FANUC robots are now involved CNC machining.

Robot machining is an ideal application for robots, helping you to machine intricate shapes that would be impossible with conventional CNC tools. With FANUC robots, you can achieve precise tolerances even to the nanometer level.

2. Painting Solutions

FANUC claims to offer the largest selection of painting robots in the robotics industry.

Robot painting is a hazardous task, requiring special explosion-proof robots that can handle the complex task of painting. By using a robot to paint, you can achieve a more consistent paint application, reduce waste, and increase your uptime for painting operations.

3. Laser Cutting

FANUC is pioneering in the industry with their application of laser cutting using robots. These involve using a robot to operate a laser cutting tool.

Models like the versatile six-axis FANUC M-20iB/25 robot and the 0i-LF Plus offer high cutting performance in a simple to use system.

Options for Programming FANUC Robots

Whatever application you choose for your FANUC robot, it’s important to find a method of programming that helps you to deploy the robot easily and efficiently.

There are 3 main options for programming a FANUC robot:

1. Brand Programming Langauges: Karel and TP— the primary language for programming is called Karel, a Pascal-derived programming language that requires a high level of robotics expertise. There is also TP, the language that is used in FANUC teach pendants.
2. Teach Pendant — Possibly the most common method for programming FANUC robots is to “jog” the robot using the teach pendant. This time-consuming approach involves manually guiding the robot through movements. As well as being complex to program, it also takes a lot of work to make changes.
3. RoboDK — For a more intuitive and graphical approach to programming, supported by a powerful API if you need it, you can also program your KUKA robots offline using RoboDK.

With RoboDK, you program FANUC robots even without the physical robot present. You just load your chosen FANUC model from the integrated robot library. This streamlines the programming process and reduces unnecessary downtime.

Spotlight on 3 Models in the RoboDK Library

The RoboDK robot library includes an extensive collection of FANUC robots models.

At the time of writing, it includes over 100 FANUC models of various types, including 5 and 6 DoF arms, Delta, SCARA, and palletizing robots, as well as hexapod robots.

Here are 3 models that you can find in the library:

Robot 1: FANUC LR Mate 100iB

The LR Mate 100iBz is a compact tabletop 5-axis robot that is often used for material handling tasks. It offers a 5 kg payload, 620 mm of reach, and a repeatability of 0.04 mm.

LR Mate robots come in various models, for specific target application areas. This includes food and beverage, clean room, and washproof versions.

Robot 2: FANUC SR-12iA

The SR-12iA is a 4-axis SCARA robot arm used in assembly and material handling applications. It has a 12 kg payload, 900 mm of reach, and repeatability of 0.015 mm.

This model offers high wrist inertia of up to 0.45 kgm2. This makes it particularly suitable for some assembly applications, such as battery and solar panel installations. It also comes in a 20 kg payload version.

Robot 3: Fanuc F-200iB

The F-200iB is a 6 Degrees of Freedom hexapod platform. It can handle payloads of up to 100 kg, offers 437 mm of reach and has a repeatability of 0.1 mm.

This platform is a parallel link robot and is designed for a range of manufacturing and automotive assembly processes.

How to Program FANUC Robots Easily with RoboDK

If you want to streamline the deployment process for your FANUC industrial robot, it’s worth looking at using RoboDK for your programming.

RoboDK’s rich simulation environment makes it easy to quickly design robot programs and test them before you put the robot into production. The intuitive graphical interface allows you to quickly create robust programs while the API allows you to incorporate any advanced features you want.

To get started, download a trial copy of RoboDK from our download page and load up your favorite robot model.

Which FANUC model do you use and for which applications? Join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum.. Also, check out our extensive video collection and subscribe to the RoboDK YouTube Channel

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Perhaps you’re confused because many industrial robots can be used for painting?

Here are 5 of the top painting robots specifically designed for professional-grade surface finishing.

Painting robots were in the news last year when a robot artist, name Ai-Da, became the first to stage an exhibition. This follows on from the controversial $432,500 sale of a robot-produced artwork titled “Edmond de Belamy” in 2018.

But, most of us are not looking for artistic merit when we are looking for a painting robot. We just want a reliable robot that is easy to program and gives us the surface finish that we need for our product.

Many industrial robots can be used for painting. However, the task is sometimes difficult to achieve due to the slightly complex interaction between the different components and the safety requirements of the robot.

A few robot manufacturers have tackled this problem head-on with their integrated painting solutions. Below, we list some of the top robots for painting.

What Features Does a Painting Robot Need?

There are a few features that are necessary for good quality robot painting. These enable the robot to quickly and flexibly paint any object with the minimum of waste.

1. Enough Degrees of Freedom — The more DoF that a robot has, the more able it is to approach a particular point from multiple angles. This is important as the painting tool must retain an exact distance from the surface to ensure a consistent paint job wherever it is in the robot’s workspace.
2. Atomizer — The business end of any paint tool. This turns the liquid paint into a spray or fine mist for application on the work surface.
3. Paint Pump — This pumps the paint from its storage receptacle into the paint tool.
4. Color Changer — Some painting robots allow you to switch between different paint colors quickly by using a color changer. The switching process can produce some wastage as the old color needs to be flushed out of the atomizer.
5. Hollow wrists — A defining feature of dedicated painting robots is that they have a hollow wrist. This means that the cables and paint tubes can run through the wrist, rather than outside it, and avoids them getting covered in paint.
6. Explosion-proof — Working with flammable liquids like paint presents a real danger of explosions. Dedicated painting robots are often built to be “explosion-proof” to ensure that, if an explosion does happen, the robot is able to withstand it.
7. Paint Programming Software — Any robot application needs a good system for programming. Ideally, you want a software which makes it easy to program complex painting trajectories with the minimum of programming. RoboDK includes a tool that can produce a painting path automatically from any curve on the 3D model of your workpiece.

Various systems for robot painting will require other extras and accessories. But, these are the core features you will probably need.

7 Top Painting Robots for Professional Surface Finishing

Thankfully, you don’t need to buy all of the extras individually! Some robot manufacturers have created ready-built painting solutions which include all of the extras you will need for your painting application.

1. KUKA and Dürr’s ready2_spray

German company Dürr has long been a market leader in the automotive industry, providing assembly and painting solutions. A couple of years ago they teamed up with robot manufacturer KUKA to produce the ready2_spray solution.

The solution is based around KUKA’s AGILUS KR 10 R1100 robot and provides all of the necessary components for a painting robot. They even created a cutesy animation on the ready2_spray webpage which demonstrates the difference between this and a normal KUKA painting robot.

2. FANUC’s PaintMate

Another big name in the robotics world, FANUC’s dedicated painting solution is the PaintMate series. Like the previously mentioned solutions, it is explosion-proof via compliance to the ATEX directive for equipment working in an explosive environment.

PaintMate comes in a variety of different sizes, each based around one of FANUC’s robot models.

3. B+M Surface Systems

Although a lesser-known robot manufacturer than the previous options, German company B+M Surface Systems specializes in surface finishing technologies, ranging from dipping technologies to robotic painting solutions.

4. ABB’s FlexPainter

ABB was the pioneer of painting robots way back in the late 1960s. Their newest painting robot, the FlexPainter, continues to innovate with their new ABB Ability Connected Atomizer — the “world’s first digital automotive robotic painting system.”

Like other painting robots, the Flexpainter (based around the IRB 5500) has a large work envelope, allowing it to reach across even large workpieces to paint the other side.

5. Kawasaki’s Robotic Painting

Kawasaki provides its own robotic painting solution based on its K-Series robots. Like all the robots on this list, they come with a range of peripherals which improve the painting experience and, importantly, are suited to the pressurized environment of a painting booth.

6. Yaskawa’s MPX/MPO Series

Yaskawa provides its Motoman MPX/MPO Series robots which are designed for painting tasks.

Like the other robots listed here, these Motoman’s can be mounted in a variety of configurations (e.g. from the ceiling, wall or floor) allowing for greater flexibility in the painting task.

7. Stäubli Paint Robots

Stäubli’s paint solutions are based around some of its TX and RX robots. Process parameters are controlled via the company’s PaintiXen software, which controls the parameters like flow rate, atomization, and electrostatic charge. Stäubli claims that this software reduces solvent and paint by 30%.

How to Program a Painting Robot

With all of the robots listed, the default programming options are through the teach pendant or the manufacturer’s programming language. Both can be an arduous way to program a robot.

However, with offline programming, you can program paint trajectories in minutes. Many of the robots on this list are compatible with offline programming by using the appropriate post-processors.

Many of the models listed are available in our Robot Library and RoboDK allows you to control them winthin minutes. This allows you to quickly and easily program painting paths using only your 3D model as an input.

What features do you require from a painting robot? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or in the RoboDK Forum.

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3D Concrete Printing is opening up a world of almost endless possibilities for architects. Robots allow for structures to be printed in almost any shape with a very efficient use of materials.

But, just like any new technology there are challenges. Concrete is a difficult and fickle material to work with, especially when you need the resulting product to have good structural properties.

A group of researchers from the Danish Technological Institute are working to overcome the challenges of concrete printing and push the boundaries of what is possible with 3D printed concrete.

Introducing… the high-technology concrete laboratory

This latest research comes from the high-technology concrete laboratory, which opened at the Danish Technological Institute back in 2007.

This laboratory is devoted to exploring the possibilities of digital fabrication with concrete, including new production methods and forms. Their research uses a variety of tools, but is centered around two pieces of equipment:

1. A robot cell using a Fanuc R-2000iC/165F. This is a 6-axis industrial robot with 165kg payload and 2.6m reach, and one of many Fanuc models available in the RoboDK Robot Library.
2. A full-scale automated concrete mixing station, which the team uses to experiment with different mixes of concrete.

This type of research is necessary for 3D printed architecture to really reach the mainstream. As a review paper from 2016 found: “[Although] a few isolated products and projects have been preliminarily tested […] it should be noted that such tests and developments on the use of 3-D printing in the construction industry are very fragmented at the time of the study.”

The Danish Technological Institute works closely with industry to bring 3D printing technology into the construction industry. We first introduced the team’s work back in 2017, but they have been making progress since then.

The 5 Challenges of 3D Concrete Printing

The big challenge with 3D printed architecture is the material itself: concrete. If you’ve ever worked with concrete before, you’ll know that it can be a complex material. Its setting time is affected by a whole host of changeable factors, including temperature, humidity, and components. If the concrete mix is not perfect, the structure will not be as strong as it needs to be and it could fail.

Here are 5 challenges that the researchers are trying to overcome, as they explained in a 2018 paper:

1. Balancing Stability and Flow

3D Concrete Printing needs to exist in two different states, which have completely opposite properties.

Before it is extruded, the concrete needs to be easy to pump and achieve a consistent flow. After extrusion, the concrete needs to be stable and strong enough to support further layers of material.

2. Maintaining Workability

The workability of the wet concrete is the key to good printing. Although concrete takes a long time to harden, it quickly loses workability as soon as it is mixed. Additives like water reducing admixtures need to be added to the mix to maintain the required workability.

3. Little or No Deformation After Extrusion

3D printing involves building up layers of material one by one. Each layer is supported by the strength of the previous layer. This is a problem with wet concrete, which tends to “slump” when weight is put on top of it. The team uses a special no-slump concrete mix which can withstand the weight of the layers above, but this introduces more challenges as no-slump concrete can be difficult to pump and prone to cracking.

4. Finely Controlled Setting Times

It is vital that the team are able to precisely match the speed of the robotic 3D printer with the setting time of the concrete, reaching a “set of demand state”. The robot needs to move the printing nozzle at a precise speed. It needs to move fast enough that the layer below does not set too much — which would jeopardize the structure’s stability — but slow enough that the lower levels can hold the new concrete’s weight without collapsing.

5. Avoid Filament Cracking Around Corners

The travel speed of the nozzle is particularly important when the robot is moving around a corner. The movement around corners needs to be quick, which can cause cracking in the print “filament” (the layer of concrete). For this reason, the team’s latest development is a special nozzle which can be turned in tandem with the robot arm. 

How the Team Used RoboDK for 3D Printing Concrete

The team’s special printing nozzle is the focus of their latest research. RoboDK was instrumental in programming this new end-effector.

Researcher Wilson Ricardo Leal da Silva explained the setup to us:

“We made a 5-axis print late last year, using code generated in Grasshopper. The goal was to test the nozzle. RoboDK was quite handy to simulate and adjust the robot path.

“We made a simple structure design so we could test the tool-path generated using Rhino — with the RoboDK plugin — and the custom python script we use to control the nozzle via a PLC controller.”

The Key to Success: An Incorporated Workflow

The key to success in the team’s application was their integration with Rhino and its algorithmic modeler Grasshopper.

RoboDK has a dedicated plugin for Rhino which makes it easy to integrate both of these into a combined workflow. We introduced the plugin last year in the article How to Use Rhino + RoboDK for Robot Programming.

Grasshopper is a very popular tool in 3D printing as it makes it easy to create complex shapes via an intuitive visual programming language. With the integrated workflow, the team were able to create their architectural forms using the best tool for the job, then easily export the path to RoboDK and download it to their robot cell.

With the power of advanced concrete mixing and RoboDK, the options for future 3D printed concrete projects are almost limitless. We look forward to seeing what the team at the Danish Technological Institute come up with next!

How could you use Grasshopper/Rhino in your applications? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or in the RoboDK Forum.

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