FANUC America Corp. has introduced the M-1000iA robot capable of handling very heavy products. Among them include automotive components, construction materials and battery packs for electric vehicles.

Motion Flexibility, Wider Reach

The M-1000iA’s serial-link construction gives the robot a wider range of motion in every direction.  It can extend its arm upright or rotate it backwards, which is not possible for typical heavy-payload robots with a parallel-link mechanism. 

It features 1,000kg payload, 3,253mm horizontal reach, and 4,297mm vertical reach. These features equip M-1000iA to work for manufacturers looking to increase output and maximize efficiency of their production line.

Largest Serial-Link Robot

“The new M-1000iA is FANUC’s largest serial-link robot to date,” said Eric Potter, general manager of FANUC America’s General Industries and Automotive Segment. 

“Customers that process very heavy parts need more versatility in the workspace. This robot is a great solution for a variety of applications, such as drilling and handling large automotive components,processing and handling battery packs for electric vehicles, fabrication and handling of construction materials, and much more,” according to Potter.

Powered by FANUC R-30iB Plus Controller, M-1000iA offers the same intelligence and reliability that FANUC robots are known for. That includes integrated iRVision®, force sensing and Zero Down Time (ZDT).

Detailed Specs

Particularly, the new FANUC M-1000iA heavy-payload industrial robot features 1,000kg maximum payload with full articulation. It has the biggest serial link FANUC robot without J3 link interference and offers wide J3 axis motion range in vertical and horizontal direction. Its smooth serial-link design allows back-flip operation on the J3 axis for maximum flexibility. The robot has strong wrist with high payload, moment and inertia. It has dual motors on J2/J3 axis to support heavy payload at large offsets from wrist and at full extension. A clean design with internal cables minimizes interference with peripheral devices.

Several common parts with the M-2000iA robot provides proven and reliable performance while minimizing spare parts inventory for existing customers. It has achieved IP67 wrist and J3 arm rating for harsh environments.

FANUC will begin shipping production units of the new M-1000iA in Q1 2022.