FANUC’s new 500kg payload robot brings increased versatility to heavy-lifting tasks

A large and heavy-payload industrial robot, the new M-950iA/500 boasts a wide motion range, thanks to its serial-link configuration. This means there is no interference of the main J3 arm with the J2 arm due to the absence of a supporting mechanism. 

The rotation of the J3 axis is 395° and is supported by a payload of 500kg,
a reach of 2,830mm and an ultra-strong 3-axis wrist with high torque and high inertia. 

The strength and versatility of the FANUC M-950iA/500 make it particularly suited to the automotive industry, for applications such as handling large castings (e.g. engine blocks, EV batteries or car body panels), as well as friction stir welding, drilling and riveting.

Process flexibility
comes courtesy of the robot’s J3 arm, which can stand above and rotate backwards from the robot itself.

The J3 axis rotation of 395° is 75 percent greater than the 224° offered by the comparable M-900iB/360 parallel-link robot. 

A larger operating area therefore means the new robot can be operated in various layout configurations in line with specific customer
requirements. 

In addition, FANUC’s iRVision fully integrated visual detection system and various intelligent features make it easy to diversify between different product lines.

The three main axes (J1-J3) of the M-950iA/500 move at up to 100° per second, thanks to FANUC’s AC servomotor drive system, making it a fast and strong option for heavy part lifting, heavy palletising/packaging
and demanding material handling operations. 

The positioning accuracy is ±0.08mm and a FANUC ‘Accuracy and Stiffness Enhancement’ option is also available for applications that require even higher precision or where external forces are likely to impact the robot. 

In addition to the user-friendly FANUC iPendant as a teaching device, the M-950iA/500 connects to the company’s R-30iB Plus controller with FANUC iHMI set-up guides for programming and large memory capacity.