FANUC America has expanded its CRX collaborative-robot line with the CRX-3iA, an ultra-lightweight cobot weighing just 11 kg (24 lbs.) that a single operator can carry and redeploy between workstations in minutes. FANUC positions the new arm at small, high-mix manufacturing jobs that never justified a permanent robotic cell.
Portable Automation With Welding Chops
The CRX-3iA has a 3 kg payload, 692 mm reach, magnetic base and effortless wall or ceiling mounting with automatic angle detection. It supports welding, part handling, small assembly, screwdriving, tool positioning and inspection. For welding it can be manually repositioned with touch-sensing eliminating the need for precise robot placement, and pairs with auto weld-point detection and auto-path generation to compress setup time.
Broader CRX Lineup Gets New Capabilities
Alongside the new arm, FANUC rolled out several upgrades across the CRX family: a new "triangle-weave" vertical-up welding profile that counteracts weld-puddle sag; enhanced palletising performance on the CRX-30iA supporting up to 40 kg payloads with a new high-flow air kit for large suction grippers; a high-inertia mode that lets CRX cobots guide extremely heavy loads while a lift-assist device carries the weight; dual nut-runner support to double fastener throughput; and availability on the R-50iA controller with Python scripting, higher-frequency ROS 2 and streaming motion for AI-driven applications, plus advanced cybersecurity.
Cobots Push Deeper Into High-Mix Work
The CRX-3iA lands as manufacturers keep pushing cobots into ergonomically difficult and variable-mix jobs. Related coverage: Basic Semiconductor and UBTech partner on silicon-carbide power for humanoids, Nexcom and ITRI unveil the RoboWiz open AI robotics platform, and Zoomlion's Robot-Ops platform and zBrain industrial humanoids.
Reporting based on coverage from Robotics 24/7, PR Newswire and FANUC America.