Machine Tending/Part Transfer
Lights-Out Manufacturing Operations with Machine Tending Cobots
Automating machine tending with cobots optimizes manufacturing operations, increasing overall equipment effectiveness as well as smart labor utilization. In addition to automated part loading and unloading, cobot machine tending can be used to support secondary operations, such as deburring, quality control, connecting and disconnecting hoses and/or cables, as well as cleaning and lubricating machines.
FANUC’s CRX and CR Series cobots are safe, flexible, quick to implement and easy to program. Our machine tending cobots are perfect to improve throughput, boost profitability and solve labor challenges for more operations.
Cobots for Automating Machine Tending
FANUC offers a wide variety of highly reliable machine tending cobots and robots that offer maximized speed, reliability, and performance.
Cobot & Go Solutions for Machine Tending
SmartLoad 1500
Cobot Combo
Mill Automation System w/ZPS
ROBOTEND Lite
MITI MAXX
Acieta FastLOAD® CR2000
FastLOAD CX Series Mobile Cobots
Cobot Machine Tending Application Videos
FANUC’s CRX and CR cobots are perfect for flexible machine tending automation solutions. Because collaborative robots for automated CNC machine tending are not fixed in position and can be quickly and easily repurposed for other tasks, this helps to future-proof your investment and keep your operation agile.
Bright IA’s multi‑machine tending cell uses a FANUC CRX cobot to automate cartridge handling with safe, fast operation.
Watch the CRX-10iA/L robot tend a lathe, programmed via G-code on the FANUC CNC 0i-F Plus, seamlessly running both lathe and robot operations.
FANUC America showcases an automated production system producing laser-marked parts every 90 seconds using collaborative robots, AMRs, and advanced machining centers.
Vickers Engineering, a leader in precision machining, uses FANUC robots to enhance efficiency and reliability, recently integrating a FANUC CRX with a ROBODRILL.
Athena's automated 3D printing system, featuring a FANUC CRX robot, doubled part production and boosted machine utilization by 40%.
Why Use FANUC Cobots for Machine Tending?
Simplified CNC and Cobot Integration
Solving Labor Shortages
Increased Productivity and OEE
Lights-Out Manufacturing
Automating Post Processes
Cobot Machine Tending/Part Transfer Articles
ATHENA Achieves Lights-Out Production
Have You Considered Mobile Cobots for Machine Tending?
Device Partners for Machine Tending
Looking to configure your own machine tending solution? Take a look at authorized FANUC device partners to get a jump start on your new system!
FAQs
Lights-out manufacturing is the ability to have fully autonomous operations by leveraging automation, software, AI technology and cybersecurity. Lights-out manufacturing utilizes new methods and equipment to enable more flexible production. Machine tending cobots offer an important tool for achieving lights-out manufacturing.
Agile manufacturing enables rapid response to changes in customer demand. This requires a manufacturing facility to quickly adapt its production process to meet shifting customer needs. This might mean designing and prototyping new products that could lead to reconfiguring existing production lines to produce different types of parts.
The implementation of automated machine tending tools can help create an agile manufacturing environment because the machines can be quickly reprogrammed to handle different parts, and they do not require skilled labor to operate. As a result, machine tending cobots can help manufacturing facilities rapidly respond to changes in customer demand.