FANUC
FANUC is a Japanese group of companies that provide automation products and services such as robotics and computer numerical control systems. FANUC is the world's largest maker of industrial robots.
FANUC had its beginnings as part of Fujitsu, developing NC and servo systems. FANUC is an acronym for Fuji Automatic Numerical Control.
FANUC is organized into 3 business units: FA, ROBOT, and ROBOMACHINE. These three units are unified with SERVICE as "one FANUC".
History
In 1955, Fujitsu Ltd. approached Seiuemon Inaba, who was then a young engineer, to lead a new subsidiary purposed to make the field of numerical control. This nascent form of automation involved sending instructions encoded into punched cards or magnetic tape to motors that controlled the movement of tools, effectively creating programmable versions of the lathes, presses, and milling machines. Within three years after spending heavily in R&D, he and his team of 500 employees shipped Fujitsu's first numerical-control machine to Makino Milling Machine Co. In 1972, the Computing Control Division became independent and FANUC Ltd. was established. The next phase of expansion would be computer numerical control, which relied on G-code, a standard programming language. At the time, the 10 largest CNC companies in the world were based in the U.S., however by 1982, FANUC had captured half of the world CNC market.FANUC is listed on the first section of Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the TOPIX 100 and Nikkei 225 stock market indices. It is headquartered in Yamanashi Prefecture.
In 1982, FANUC entered into a joint venture with General Motors Corporation, called GMFanuc Robotics Corporation, to produce and market robots in the United States. The new company was 50 percent owned by each partner and was based in Detroit, with GM providing most of the management and FANUC the products.
In 1986, GE Fanuc Automation Corporation was jointly established in the US by FANUC and General Electric. Under the joint venture company, three operating companies, GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc., in the U.S., GE Fanuc Automation Europe S.A. in Luxembourg, and Fanuc GE Automation Asia Ltd. in Japan were established. GE stopped making its own CNC equipment and turned its Charlottesville, Virginia, plant over to the new company which produces FANUC CNC devices. FANUC adopted the German engineering slogan Weniger Teile, which means "fewer parts;" machines with fewer parts are cheaper to produce and easier for automatons to assemble, resulting in higher reliability and lower manufacturing costs.
The company's clients include numerous U.S. and Japanese automobile and electronics manufacturers. Use of industrial robots has allowed companies like Panasonic in Amagasaki to run factories which produce 2 million television sets a month with just 25 people.
FANUC has over 240 joint ventures subsidiaries, and offices in over 46 countries. It is the largest maker of CNC controls by market share with 65% of the global market and is the leading manufacturer of factory automation systems.
Business units
FANUC is organized into three business units: FA, ROBOT, ROBOMACHINE.FA (Factory Automation)
The FA group produces automation equipment and systems that can be implemented into custom industrial automation solutions. Products include servomotors, HMIs, and controls. FA is a foundational FANUC technology with roots back to the 1970's when FANUC was marrying its servomotor product with computers to create the field of computer numerical control technology. Today, FA products continue to be used to create automated systems in over 100 countries around the world. It is common for the FA group to deliver controls and servomotors to machine tool builders who integrate them into a conventional CNC machine. A significant proportion of the world's CNC machines are powered by FANUC controls.ROBOT
The robot group integrates FANUC servomotor and control technology into robotic arms for use in industrial environments.Robomachine
FANUC also produces a range of finished machines included ROBODRILL machining centers, ROBOSHOT injection molding machines, and ROBOCUT EDM machines.Subsidiaries and joint ventures
FANUC Europe Corporation S.A., a sister company, is headquartered in Luxembourg, with customers in Europe, and which provides sales, service and support in Europe and abroad.FANUC America Corporation is responsible for FANUC operations in North and South America. The current incarnation, organized in 2013, unifies FANUC activities in the Americas, including the former FANUC Robotics America Corporation and FANUC CNC America, which succeeded an earlier incarnation of FANUC America Corporation.
FANUC Robotics America Corporation supplied robotic automation in North and South America, with over 240,000 robots installed. It also produced software, controls, and vision products that aid in the development of robotic systems. Headquartered in Rochester Hills, Michigan, the company had 10 regional locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. The company provided these systems for applications including automotive and fabricated metals to medical devices and plastics. It was founded in 1982 as a joint venture between FANUC Ltd and General Motors Corporation, named GMFanuc Robotics Corporation. A staff of 70 began work at the GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. In 1992, the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of FANUC Ltd of Oshino-mura, Japan. The company was a member of the Robotics Industries Association and of the International Federation of Robotics.
In 2010, FANUC America Corporation and the prior CNC business unit from GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms in the US were combined into a new company by the name of FANUC CNC America. This business unit was a wholly owned subsidiary of FANUC Ltd. of Japan and offered CNC systems, lasers, Manufacturing Intelligence software products, field repairs and advanced technical services, expanded training classes, a vast inventory of CNC replacement parts, PCB motor repair and return, field support, and CS-24 after hours support. It was headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates, Illinois. It offered CNC and laser technical services, training, replacement parts, PCB and motor repair and return, field support, and after hours support. It had over 30 locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. The company provides these services to machine tool builders, machine tool dealers, and small mom and pop tool shops across a variety of industries. In 1977, the company was established as a wholly owned subsidiary of FANUC Ltd of Oshino-mura, Japan.
GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms was a joint venture between General Electric and FANUC Ltd. In 2009, GE and FANUC Ltd. agreed to split, with FANUC Ltd. retaining the CNC business. GE renamed its part of the business GE Intelligent Platforms.
FANUC India operations are now led by Yuki Kita, who succeeded Sonali Kulkarni.
FANUC NC controller
Control / device naming conventions
Each generation of the FANUC numerical control system has different levels of device control capabilities, and these are generally referred to by a model or series number.Each controller model is typically available with several device control capabilities, depending on what software functions are licensed for use on that device. Some common control capabilities are:
- M - Milling
- T - Turning
- TT - Twin Turret
- P - Punch press
- G - Grinding
Model 0 is somewhat unusual in that both the number zero and the letter O are used interchangeably to indicate the model.
No specific syntax distinguishes the model from the device type and series, with spaces or dashes or slashes. For example, in the, these are all valid identifications for various types of NC controls and machines:
| Various model names | Type | Series | Notes |
| FANUC-0MA, FANUC 0-MA, FANUC 0M-A, FANUC 0M/A, FANUC 0-M-A, FANUC 0-M/A, FANUC 0 M-A, FANUC 0 M/A, FANUC-0M Model A, FANUC 0-M Model A, FANUC 0/M Model A | Milling | A | number 0 |
| FANUC-OPA, FANUC O-PA, FANUC OP-A, FANUC OP/A, FANUC O-P-A, FANUC O-P/A, FANUC O P-A, FANUC O P/A, FANUC-OP Model A, FANUC O-P Model A, FANUC O/P Model A | Punching | A | letter O |
| FANUC-0TB, FANUC 0-TB, FANUC 0T-B, FANUC 0T/B, FANUC 0-T-B, FANUC 0-T/B, FANUC 0 T-B, FANUC 0 T/B, FANUC-0T Model B, FANUC 0-T Model B, FANUC 0/T Model B | Turning | B | number 0 |
| FANUC-0TTB, FANUC 0-TTB, FANUC 0TT-B, FANUC 0TT/B, FANUC 0-TT-B, FANUC 0-TT/B, FANUC 0 TT-B, FANUC 0 TT/B, FANUC-0TT Model B, FANUC 0-TT Model B, FANUC 0/TT Model B | Twin Turret | B | number 0 |
| FANUC-0GC, FANUC 0-GC, FANUC 0G-C, FANUC 0G/C, FANUC 0-G-C, FANUC 0-G/C, FANUC 0 G-C, FANUC 0 G/C, FANUC-0G Model C, FANUC 0-G Model C, FANUC 0/G Model C | Grinding | C | number 0 |
NC controller capabilities
When separate computer aided manufacturing software is used to control these different systems, the model differences can be used to tell the manufacturing software how to more efficiently use the system programming capabilities. Some FANUC NC controllers include:Robotics
FANUC produces the largest range of in the world, with payloads ranging from 1 to 2,300 kg capacity. Most models are of the 6-axis articulated arm style common in industrial environments but specialty models are also produced with varying axis configurations and application focuses. Some specialty models have fewer or more axes or special characteristics that help them perform in certain environments.Robots
A typical FANUC robot system comprises a robot arm, a controller, and a teach pendant. This equipment comes standard with any FANUC robot and can be customized during the ordering process to suit each application.Arm
The robot arm is what most people think of when they think of a robot: this is the servomotor-articulated machine that performs the work. Robot arms are sold without any attachments, or end effectors, to perform work. Integrators or end users design or purchase custom end effectors suitable for their application and attach these to the robot's faceplate. Through-arm cable sets allow the robot to pass signals or pressurized air from the base of the robot out to the end effector. Signals carry useful information from end effector sensors back to the robot to, for example, confirm when a part is being held by the robot or is missing. Signals can mean basic IO signals or more advanced communication such as Ethernet. The pressurized air is used to actuate grippers or power vacuum cups to grip and move parts.Controller
The controller contains computers that control the arm, power supply and regulation equipment, and sometimes auxiliary hardware specific to an application such as IO or networking equipment. Due to the variety of automation applications being deployed, controllers must contain hardware that enables the robots to be used in many different applications and with other technologies. To that end, all FANUC controllers contain the computers and connections required to use 2D/3D cameras, they can function as PLCs, and even operate as a web server to allow technicians to remotely access the robot from a browser.Teach pendant
The teach pendant is the robot programmer's primary interface with the robot when teaching and maintaining. During normal operation, the teach pendant is usually stowed out of the way so the robot can automatically run through programmed motion. The teach pendant contains a touch screen display and keypad to view and edit program data, as well as a deadman switch that the operator must hold in order to enable the robot to move. This allows the programmer to safely operate the robot while being in close proximity to the arm. During normal operation humans are kept away from the robots for safety reasons.Handling robots
Handling robots move goods, perform assembly tasks, and inspect parts. This class is essentially the standard robot offered and is suitable for most general industry applications. Many robots are produced within this class and are grouped into distinct payload groups and arm families.Robot series included in this designation include the LR Mates, M-10, M-20, M-900, M-1000, and M-2000 series.
Collaborative robots
FANUC produces a range of industrial robots with safety sensors and software to enable limited power and force collaborative operation. This allows the robots to safely work alongside humans in a collaborative fashion.FANUC's collaborative robot series include the CR-Series and the newer CRX-Series.
Palletizing robots
Palletizing applications have no need for 6 axes of articulation common to other industrial robots because boxes are picked, placed, and only rotated along the floor plane. To simplify design and improve rigidity, palletizing robots are produced with 4 axes of articulation. These robots use a "parallel link" design that keeps the wrist at a fixed orientation that is parallel with the floor. This lets the operator program the robot to pick and place boxes without worrying about keeping the box level with the pallet.Delta robots
These robots are sometimes referred to as "spider robots" due to the shape and movements of their arms. These are low-payload high-speed robots commonly used to pick or place objects off fast conveyor belts. It's common to see several of these robots arranged along a conveyor belt, all picking or placing objects at high speed.Delta robots use 3 arms, each controlled by a single axis servo motor. The 3 arms connect underneath the robot and support the faceplate, similar to an inverted camera tripod. By adjusting the position of each arm, the faceplate is moved around underneath the robot. Because of the lower mass and fewer moving parts, delta style robots trade reduced payload and reach for increased speed.