FANUC America Demonstrates Automated Solutions for Welding and Painting at FABTECH 2026
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich., Oct. 5, 2026 /CNW/ -- FANUC America, a global industrial automation leader, will feature advanced automation technologies for the fabrication industry at FABTECH 2026, including advanced welding automation, collaborative robotics, laser processing and paint automation.
- In FANUC's Main Booth #S40006, attendees can experience a variety of robotic welding, plasma cutting and laser processing solutions, from easy-to-program collaborative welding applications to advanced fabrication technologies.
- In FANUC's Paint Booth #S11008, attendees will see advanced robotic painting demonstrations, including collaborative and industrial paint robots designed to improve coating quality, consistency and operational flexibility.
Highlights include the FABTECH debut of FANUC's CRX-3iA collaborative robot and P-55/15-21A paint robot, as well as demonstrations showcasing a coordinated-motion welding application featuring a CRX-10iA/L cobot on an integrated seventh-axis rail and an LR-10iA/10 laser processing cell that combines automated laser welding and marking within a single work cell.
"At FABTECH 2026, FANUC is demonstrating how automation is expanding into applications that were once difficult to automate, from vertical-up welding on large structural steel components to collaborative welding systems that simplify deployment and operation," said Eric Potter, FANUC America Vice President, Product Management and Application Engineering, Robot and ROBODRILL. "These technologies help fabricators improve productivity and quality while bringing automation to a broader range of welding and cutting applications."
Innovations in Welding Automation
FANUC's CRX collaborative robots and industrial robots help manufacturers automate welding operations while maintaining the flexibility, precision and ease of use required in today's fabrication environments. At FABTECH, attendees will find a variety of robotic welding demonstrations, including:
- Automated Portable Welding: The lightweight (11 kg) and portable CRX-3iA collaborative robot can manage 3 kg payloads and be mounted directly to structural steel using a magnetic base, bringing robotic vertical-up welding to applications such as shipbuilding and large structural fabrication where automation has traditionally been difficult to use.
- Easy Programming: An intuitive FANUC interface featuring wrist-mounted controls and Servo Robot Smart Ring technology with a path-planning algorithm that allows operators to create weld programs quickly and accurately through a scan, as demonstrated from this CRX-10iA/L collaborative robot.
- Collaborative Arc Welding with Aux Axes: The FANUC CRX-10iA/L collaborative robot moves along a seventh-axis linear track and a positioner rotates a lawn mower deck 180 degrees to perform seam-track welds on multiple sides.
- One Cell, Multiple Operations: FANUC CRX-30iA and CRX-10iA collaborative robots automate assembly, welding and post-process weld inspection in a single work cell, illustrating how manufacturers can combine multiple fabrication steps into one streamlined operation.
- Built for Bigger Welds: Featuring a 500 kg payload and 2,830 mm reach, the FANUC M-950/500F-28A works alongside two ARC Mate robots to simulate excavator bucket welding for heavy equipment and construction applications.
Advanced Fabrication Technologies
FANUC will demonstrate robotic technologies that help manufacturers automate cutting and welding processes while improving consistency and production efficiency.
- Simplified Plasma Cutting: Shape Generation 3 software and a dedicated Hypertherm plasma cutting equipment interface simplify programming and setup for robotic plasma cutting in a CRX-10iA/L demonstration, helping manufacturers bring automated cutting operations online faster without requiring extensive programming expertise.
- Laser Welding and Marking Automation: FANUC's LR-10iA/10 laser processing cell demonstrates automated laser welding and marking sheet metals. The robot performs precision corner welding of stainless steel before laser marking each finished part, showing how manufacturers can combine multiple value-added processes within a single automated work cell.
- Automated Torque Tightening: Featuring a CRX-30iA collaborative robot with a 30 kg payload, this demonstration tightens bolts on a dozer track using integrated force control and screw-tightening technology. Real-time torque validation and process feedback help manufacturers improve fastening accuracy, verify quality and support critical assembly operations.
AI-Powered Automation:
FANUC will demonstrate an AI-enabled automation solution that combines Google Cloud, Gemini Enterprise, machine vision and robots to simplify material handling and production support tasks.
- AI-Powered Kitting: This demonstration shows how a Gemini Enterprise AI agent can interpret handwritten work orders, determine required parts and quantities, and generate picking instructions for automated kitting tasks. A CRX-20iA collaborative robot equipped with FANUC iRVision technology captures handwritten instructions, which are sent to the Google Cloud computing platform for interpretation by the AI Agent to determine the required parts and quantities. An LR Mate then picks and places the components based on those instructions, helping manufacturers simplify automation adoption while streamlining material preparation for fabrication and assembly operations.
New Automated Robotic Painting Solutions
FANUC's paint automation technologies help manufacturers improve coating quality, consistency and process control while increasing production flexibility.
- Advanced Paint Automation with Line Tracking: The new P-55/15-21A paint robot uses integrated line tracking and its 2,100 mm reach with a VersaBell 3 applicator to paint moving football helmets, demonstrating how manufacturers can maintain consistent coating quality even when parts are continuously in motion.
- Flexible Finishing for Any Operation: As the world's first explosion-proof collaborative paint robot, FANUC's CRX-10iA/L Paint model, featuring a 10 kg payload and 1,418 mm reach, uses Scan-to-Path and No Code programming capabilities to simplify automation for high-mix finishing applications that require frequent product changeovers.
Advanced Automation Technologies
Across its exhibits, FANUC will showcase advanced automation technologies including FANUC iRVision®, coordinated motion, integrated force control, laser processing, collaborative robotics, Google Cloud, Gemini Enterprise and the latest R-50iA and R-30iB Plus controller platforms. Together, these technologies help manufacturers simplify programming, improve quality and increase flexibility across welding, fabrication, assembly and finishing operations.
About FANUC America Corporation
FANUC America Corporation is a subsidiary of FANUC CORPORATION in Japan and provides industry‑leading CNC systems, robotics, and ROBOMACHINEs. FANUC's innovative technologies help manufacturers maximize productivity, reliability, and profitability. Headquartered in Rochester Hills, Michigan, FANUC America has facilities throughout North and South America. Learn more at www.fanucamerica.com or explore collaborative robots at crx.fanucamerica.com.
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SOURCE Fanuc America Corporation
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