With a view to tackling global skills shortages and the need to increase production flexibility, Coventry-based Fanuc UK Ltd (www.fanuc.eu uk/en) has launched its first-ever lightweight collaborative robot (cobot), the CRX-10iA.

While all six models in Fanuc’s current ‘green’ CR series of cobots are closely based on the company’s proven and widely used industrial robots, the new CRX-10iA is a completely new category intended to broaden the scope of collaborative work that can be undertaken by robots and manufacturing employees.

Unlike Fanuc’s existing CR series of cobots, the CRX-10iA is significantly lighter, weighing just 39kg, allowing it to be easily installed in a broad range of applications, such as driverless transport systems and automated guided vehicles.

It is also available in two variants: a standard-arm version with a reach of 1,200mm; and a long-arm version with a maximum reach of 1,400mm. Both have a maximum payload of 10kg.

The CRX-10iA also offers the ability to replace its teach pendant with a tablet computer, which increases its ease of use thanks to a new user interface.

The associated intuitive operation will not only be of use to new users (such as the growing number of small and medium-size companies looking to scale up their automation) but also allow more-experienced users to cut set-up times.

As with all models in the existing CR series, the CRX-10iA can be equipped with a vision system to enable autonomous loading and unloading of containers or shelving systems.

This cobot will be available to European customers from mid-2020.