FANUC CRX-10iA

What it's for

The FANUC CRX-10iA is a cobot with six axes, a 10 kg payload and an electric drive that takes over feeding parts to machine tools and simpler assembly. The point is to let people focus on quality control and changeovers while the robot handles the monotonous cycle. The manufacturer lists machine tending and assembly as the main tasks in the model's data. The robot has internal force sensors in all axes, so it detects contact with a person and stops its motion, which in many applications allows work without a safety cage - provided a risk assessment confirms it, see “Robot Safety Standards”. The arm's reach is 1,249 mm.

Beyond machine tending, a cobot like this works well for moving parts between stations, dispensing, and feeding components to visual inspection. In smaller plants that have had no automation so far, it is often a first step, because it can be moved between tasks factories. The basics of this class of equipment are explained in “What Is a Cobot and How Does It Differ from an Industrial Robot”, and the whole family in the article “FANUC CRX: The Cobot Series with 8 Years of Zero Maintenance”.

Who it's for

Yes: for plants that have repetitive tasks with parts up to 10 kg and want to start with a single workstation. Yes for companies that value a renowned manufacturer with a service network and a long warranty (8 years according to our catalog on the CRX series). Yes for integrators looking for a proven arm that needs no safety cage.

No: for tasks where you have to lift more than 10 kg together with the gripper, and for heavy palletizing - a larger model in the series is better there. Not for ultra-fast cycles where fractions of a second count: a cobot's speed is dictated by safety requirements. Not for those who want to find the price in a price list, because FANUC does not publish one. Not for users looking for an arm for learning - you will find cheaper designs in the educational robots category.

Deployments

The model is offered by the Polish distributor spawalnictwo.pl, so it is available on the market; the manufacturer publishes no list of actual installations.

What is in the category: the number of cobots in Polish factories is growing, and typical applications are machine tending, palletizing, assembly and welding. The overall market picture and competing brands are covered in “Doosan Robotics: Cobots from the Korean Maker in Poland” and “Universal Robots UR5e, UR10e and UR20 Compared”.

The closest competitor is the UR12e from Universal Robots - we compare the two models in a separate roundup as a clash between the Japanese classic and a new generation from the Danish brand. UR has a broader ecosystem of accessories and programmers, while FANUC more often goes to customers who already have machine tools and controllers from that company. The second option is the Doosan M1013 in the same payload class, that is 10 kg.

If you need greater reach at the same payload, go for the extended variant FANUC CRX-10iA/L. If lower weight and ease of relocation matter more and 5 kg is enough, consider the UR5e. The article “How to Buy a Cobot Step by Step” helps with the choice. The decision between these models usually comes down to three questions: what reach you need, who services the equipment in your region, and which controller the rest of your machine park works with. Before you decide, ask for a demo on your own parts.

FANUC is a Japanese company from Oshino in Yamanashi Prefecture, founded in 1972, one of the largest industrial robot manufacturers in the world. The CRX cobot line, to which the CRX-10iA belongs, was presented and introduced in 2019 - in our catalog both the unveiling date and the start of sales are 2019. The series today has six models and is sold with an 8-year warranty. The CRX-10iA is the base model for the 10 kg class; its extended variant is the FANUC CRX-10iA/L, and its smaller sisters are the FANUC CRX-5iA and the FANUC CRX-3iA. You will find the company profile under FANUC.