Recently we integrated a FANUC CR-7iA collaborative robot into a machine tending application. While a cobot isn’t always the best solution for an automated process, (https://www.primetest.com/collaborative-vs-industrial) for this application it was perfect, and we chose to utilize the Fanuc collaborative versus other brands due to some of the following features and benefits.
The FANUC cobot offers the .25A draw at the digital outputs, not at the power supply, and has 12-pin Digital I/O at the wrist. It has two double-acting 2 position solenoid valves built into the arm, with through-arm force sensor cables for force guided applications and through-arm Ethernet for comms to Ethernet servo grippers. It also has 28 points of digital I/O inside the controller in addition to the 12 points at the wrist.
The FANUC cobot has better repeatability in motion performance than most of the competition and can achieve 0.01mm tolerance. It offers better reach in every category of size than most of the competition, and better payload as they have 4kg, 7kg, 14kg, 15kg, and 35kg collaborative models.
The FANUC cobot offers better collaborative technology: using a force sensor to detect human touch vs other models that rely on overcurrent spikes at joints to detect collisions.
The FANUC cobot offers LIFETIME guaranteed parts and support on all products, and never obsoletes models or components of their robots, and models are rated at 100,000 working hours mean time before failure. They also has 24/7/365 support with 27 facilities in America and over 500 dispatch technicians for onsite support and repairs.
And even with all these features the FANUC cobot actually costs less than many of the competitors models, making it easy to see why it is our go to cobot when designing a collaborative automation system.
If you have a project that you are considering, please reach out to PrimeTest Automation for more information on all robotic technologies and how best to utilize them.
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