FANUC cobots are great at showing off in big factories — lifting heavy things and repeating the same job endlessly.
They’re reliable, sure, but their price tag screams, “Only if you have cash to burn.”
Read on if you’re wondering if FANUC is the real deal or if you’re better off with a cobot that works just as hard without draining your budget.
We’ll cover:
- Overview
- Types of FANUC cobots
- Top models and what they bring to the table
- Advantages and limitations
- How they stack up against other robots
- The smarter move for your business
What do FANUC cobots do?
FANUC cobots step in for the jobs no one wants — lifting heavy stuff, welding the same seam 5,000 times, or repeating jobs that would make your human workers lose their minds.
But here’s the deal: FANUC cobots stick to their lane. They’re fantastic at what they’re programmed to do but don’t expect them to switch gears easily.
If you’re looking for a robot that can weld today, assemble tomorrow, and maybe handle a little material testing on the side, you might feel like you’re asking too much.
FANUC cobots thrive in environments where reliability and repetition rule — and they do it better than most of the bots out there.
Types of FANUC cobots
FANUC doesn’t do “one-and-done.” Their cobots come in different flavors for specific jobs. Whether you need a heavy-lifting or lightweight bot, there’s a model for you.
Let’s break it down:
CR series: The heavy lifters
- These cobots take on the jobs that would crush a human (literally). Think of them as the powerlifters of the bunch handling big loads like boxes, pallets, and heavy machinery.
- Perfect for industries like manufacturing and logistics, where the “lift with your legs” rule just doesn’t cut it — even if you’re a competitive powerlifter.
CRX series: The flexible helpers
- Smaller, nimbler, and easier to use. These cobots focus on precision jobs like welding, assembly, and inspection. They fit into tighter spaces and don’t typically need that much expertise to program.
- Great for teams that want to dip their toes into automation without the entire headache of training.
Specialized cobots: The wildcards
- Got a niche job that other cobots can’t handle? FANUC’s specialized models can be customized for something more specific — whether it’s lab automation or ultra-specific manufacturing jobs, these cobots adapt to your needs.
- Perfect for businesses with complex operations that need outside-the-box solutions.
Top models of FANUC cobots
FANUC loves offering options — lots of them. Whether you need a cobot for welding, assembly, or just moving heavy stuff, they’ve got a model ready to roll. Let’s look at their lineup and see where these cobots shine (and where they don’t).
The main players:
FANUC CRX-10iA/L
- Payload: 10 kg
- Applications: Welding, assembly, and inspection. Great for jobs where you need lots of precision and you don’t want humans crawling under machines.
- Features: Lightweight and easy to program. Compatible with FANUC’s welding tools, which means it’ll make your welds look cleaner than your lunch break leftovers.
- More Info: FANUC CRX-10iA/L Cobot
FANUC CR-15iA
- Payload: 15 kg
- Applications: Material handling and machine tending. Think of this as the cobot that never takes a coffee break, even when the job’s monotonous.
- Features: High precision and safety-focused, so you can trust it to work alongside your team without breaking anything—or anyone.
- More Info: FANUC CR-15iA Collaborative Robot
FANUC CR-35iB
- Payload: 35 kg
- Applications: Heavy-duty jobs like palletizing, packaging, and anything else that screams “manual labor.”
- Features: The largest payload in the lineup with solid safety systems to keep your team safe while this beast moves mountains.
- More Info: FANUC CR-35iB Collaborative Robot
FANUC CRX-20iA/L
- Payload: 20 kg
- Applications: Large-scale assembly, machine loading, and unloading. It thrives in workflows where reach and precision make or break the job.
- Features: Long reach with low-maintenance operation, so you can spend more time automating and less time troubleshooting.
- More Info: FANUC CRX-20iA/L Collaborative Robot
FANUC CRX-5iA
- Payload: 5 kg
- Applications: Small component assembly and testing. If your team’s tired of squinting at tiny parts, this cobot handles them easily.
- Features: Compact design with energy-efficient operation makes it a good fit for labs or small manufacturing setups.
- More Info: FANUC CRX-5iA Cobot
FANUC CRX-25iA
- Payload: 25 kg
- Applications: Industrial assembly and packaging. It handles repetitive jobs in high-volume environments.
- Features: Extended reach and robust construction make it a solid choice for manufacturing heavyweights.
- More Info: FANUC CRX-25iA Cobot
FANUC CR-4iA
- Payload: 4 kg
- Applications: Lightweight jobs like lab automation and small-scale assembly. It’s small but strong, tackling intricate jobs without hogging space.
- Features: Sleek design with high accuracy and workspace efficiency.
- More Info: FANUC CR-4iA Collaborative Robot
Applications of FANUC cobots
FANUC cobots thrive in environments where precision, endurance, and speed drive the bottom line — and today, what industry doesn’t need these things?
Some places where they’re making waves:
- Automotive assembly: FANUC cobots handle everything from welding chassis to aligning car panels with millimeter precision. They’re a favorite in this industry because mistakes aren’t just expensive — they’re dangerous.
- Electronics manufacturing: The FANUC lineup helps assemble delicate components like circuit boards or camera sensors, keeping accuracy high even in tiny, intricate operations. They’re a big deal where small errors can short-circuit an entire batch.
- Food and beverage packaging: These bots adapt to jobs like sorting, boxing, or palletizing in high-speed production lines. They’re also a good choice for delicate jobs like handling raw dough or stacking fragile products.
- Medical devices and pharmaceuticals: From assembling prosthetics to packing syringes, FANUC cobots help maintain sterile operations and keep up with the precision demands of medical-grade manufacturing.
- Warehouse logistics: In e-commerce and fulfillment centers, these babies manage the heavy lifting — sorting, stacking, and transporting packages faster than a forklift and with less drama.
Advantages of FANUC cobots
FANUC cobots aren’t just there to look pretty — they’re stepping in where your team would face delays, fatigue, or even danger.
Here’s what they bring to the table:
- Fanuc cobots last forever (almost): The CRX series boasts eight years of zero maintenance for motors, reducers, and cables. That’s eight years of doing its job without whining or breaking down.
- Ridiculous precision: Fanuc cobots deliver repeatability as tight as ±0.01 mm. Whether it’s welding or electronics assembly, of course, most models hover around 0.03 mm.
- Handles anything from tiny screws to giant pallets: The lineup offers payload capacities ranging from 4 kg to 50 kg. Fanuc doesn’t leave small jobs or heavy lifting to chance.
- Long reach, small footprint: Models come with reaches from 550 mm to 1889 mm, letting them operate in tight spaces or cover sprawling work areas.
- Safety built-in: Fanuc cobots work right next to humans, relying on advanced sensors to avoid collisions and injuries. Your team is safe, and production stays fast.
Limitations of FANUC cobots
FANUC cobots deliver on performance, but not without trade-offs.
Here’s where they can fall short:
- FANUC cobot price is a serious hurdle: Models like the CRX series start around $40,000 and go up to $65,000 or more with advanced configurations. That’s before factoring in installation, training, or system integration — making the upfront cost steep for smaller businesses.
Even used FANUC cobots often come with scary prices, and offer a pretty limited relief for budget-conscious buyers. And it’s not just the purchase price — long-term maintenance and spare parts for FANUC systems can sneak up on you, adding to the total cost over time.
- Rigid specialization: While FANUC cobots are great in specific roles, they may not be the best fit for industries that need something a bit more adaptable — if you need to do frequent task switching, then you may want to look elsewhere.
- Not exactly plug-and-play: While FANUC promotes user-friendly interfaces like the Tablet TP, programming still requires technical expertise — slowing down deployment for teams without robotics experience. For companies without in-house robotics talent, setup can result in additional outsourcing costs.
Plus, FANUC’s proprietary tools often don’t have the broader support ecosystem that’s found with more open-source cobot platforms, leaving you with customer support pretty much on speed dial.
- Locked into the FANUC ecosystem: FANUC cobots shine brightest when paired with FANUC welding systems or compatible software. But this reliance on their ecosystem can mean eye-popping costs and fewer options if you want to mix and match.
For businesses that prefer third-party tools or software, this dependency might feel restrictive. Plus, if FANUC doesn’t offer the specific tooling or integration you need, you’re out of luck — or stuck paying extra for custom solutions.
- Maintenance costs for heavy-duty models: While FANUC cobots have a rep for durability, high-duty cycle applications like welding and material handling can lead to accelerated wear on parts.
Replacing components like reducers or motors can cost you more money — especially for models like the CR-35iB.
How do FANUC cobots compare with other collaborative robots?
FANUC cobots hold their ground in industrial automation, but when stacked against competitors, the differences start to show.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Costs from $5/hour: With a purchase price starting at half the price of similar-payload bots or leasing as low as $5/hour, RO1 offers automation without draining budgets.
- Code-free programming: No engineering know-how needed — its intuitive, no-code interface gets RO1 running faster than your first coffee break. No extra training either, thanks to its advanced AI smarts.
- More than a cobot: Welding, material handling, machine tending, painting — RO1 isn’t locked into one specialty, making it a true budget-friendly multitasker.
- Compact and straightforward: Their UR series is easy to deploy and is good in smaller workspaces.
- Limited for heavy jobs: Models like the UR10e max out at 12.5 kg, which won’t cut it for heavy-duty jobs. Even the UR20, which has a 20kg payload, still has limitations in terms of price (RO1 is much more cost-effective, for example).
- Top-notch safety features: With precise collision detection, GoFa is a very good choice for close human-robot collaboration.
- Priced for premium buyers: GoFa delivers performance but at a higher price point, limiting accessibility for smaller operations. We’re talking about nearly $35k for a model with a 5kg payload.
Summing up
FANUC cobots are solid, reliable workhorses with strong industrial applications, but they lack the versatility and affordability of newer options like RO1.
If you’re looking for a cobot that adapts to different operations, costs less, and doesn’t need a team of experts to run, RO1 might just be the smarter pick.
Next steps with RO1 by Standard Bots
If you’re ready to explore automation that’s accessible and powerful, RO1 is the six-axis cobot arm designed to really your business operations:
- Affordable and versatile: RO1 offers best-in-class capabilities at half the purchase price of comparable robots. Not ready to buy? Leasing starts at just $5/hour.
- Precision and strength: With a repeatability of ±0.025 mm and an 18 kg payload, RO1 handles everything from assembly and welding to material handling effortlessly.
- AI-driven and user-friendly: Featuring AI capabilities comparable to GPT-4 — RO1’s intuitive, no-code setup makes it easy to program and scale.
- Safety-first design: Equipped with machine vision and collision detection, RO1 operates confidently alongside your team without barriers.
Schedule your risk-free, 30-day onsite trial today and experience how RO1 levels up your shop floor with cutting-edge automation.
