The machining industry – including capital equipment like lathes, mills, machining centers, forges, presses, and injection molding machines – has been the backbone of manufacturing. It is unlikely that any job shops or manufacturing plants have not invested in this technology.
Automating these machines gives manufacturers clear advantages in terms of utilization, secondary processes, labor resources, and productivity. Anytime a machine sits idle or an operator isn’t available to support it, that equates to lost productivity and profits.
FANUC's robotic machine tending solutions and software make it easy to connect your equipment and improve throughput and overall equipment effectiveness for most machine tending applications.
FANUC Industrial Robots and Industrial COBOTS and machine tending solutions are revolutionizing machine tending by offering a flexible, safe, and efficient solution for automating repetitive tasks like loading and unloading CNC machines and injection molding equipment. Designed subsidize machinists and operators, FANUC Robots enhance productivity and consistency, freeing up human workers for higher-value activities. The following FANUC Robots and COBOTS are ideal for machine tending applications:
FANUC collaborative robots deliver safe, high‑precision automation with flexible payloads and easy integration for any production environment.
With a small footprint, the M-10 Series is the fastest-handling robot in its class, capable of handling small to medium-sized parts.
FANUC M-20 Series robots handle 12–35 kg with leading reach, speed, and strength, delivering flexible, high-performance automation for medium payload tasks.
FANUCs LR Mate Series robots are your best compact robot solution for fast handling and processing parts up to 7 kg across a whole range of industries.
FANUC M-710 Series robots handle 12–70 kg with a slim wrist, fast speeds, and up to 3.1 m reach, delivering flexible, high-performance automation.
FANUC R-2000 robots handle 100–270 kg with high speed, compact design, and precision, making them ideal for heavy payload material handling and spot welding.
FANUC’s CNC machines are reliable and precise; when paired with our robotic solutions, they become even more powerful. Automating your machines with FANUC’s machine tending robots will help improve your throughput and decrease your downtime.
For a truly integrated machining solution, partner your FANUC robot with FANUC CNCs or General Motion Controls. With streamlined communications and the industry's best reliability, nothing beats a truly automated machining system from FANUC.
For a more robotic-centric option, FANUC's Robot ON-SITE enables the robot to control the functionality and actions through robotic programming with the ability to “talk” to the CNC G-code program. This feature enables machine tools, even legacy machines, to be easily connected to robots using just one Ethernet cable.
By automating the process of loading and unloading machines, manufacturers can improve throughput and overall equipment effectiveness. FANUC’s line of machining robots provides many advantages for users to enhance their operations, improve efficiency, and promote increased performance.
Compared to fixed automation solutions, using robotic CNC machining and manufacturing allows for increased flexibility. Rather than being dedicated to a single process or machine, the robots can be quickly and easily repurposed for other tasks as needed. This helps to future-proof your investment and keep your operation agile.
Robots offer maximized speed, reliability, and performance, which leads to increased throughput. Automating these tasks also increases the quality of your output thanks to precise, consistent movements that result in reduced variation in finished products.
Robots can improve injection molding operations by automating part removal, insert loading, sprue cutting, degating, labeling, laser marking, and downstream handling. These capabilities help increase task throughput, reduce the risk of part damage, improve consistency, and keep production moving efficiently.
Machine tending robots can automate tasks that typically require operator intervention, including loading and unloading parts, transferring finished parts to post-processing, and material handling. By servicing machines and supporting secondary operations, robots help increase uptime, productivity, and overall system performance.
Robotic machine tending solutions can help lower operating costs by reducing reliance on manual labor for repetitive loading and unloading tasks. Robots can work continuously and perform with consistent precision and repeatability, helping minimize costly errors and improve production efficiency.
Automating repetitive and strenuous loading and unloading tasks can help reduce the risk of employee injury and create a safer work environment. By shifting employees away from manual handling and toward higher-value tasks, manufacturers can improve job satisfaction, reduce turnover, and limit the need to hire for repetitive manual labor roles.
FANUC has a wide range of robots for manufacturing CNC machines to automate a variety of processes, including:
From collaborative robots to robotic arms, our solutions are designed to help you get the most out of your machines by automating them with little to no downtime.
With a wide range of tool changing station mounting options, including top mounting, some industrial robot types serve as highly efficient tool changers. Capable of working with a huge range of tools, these models can handle any number of tools regardless of their weight.
A FANUC M‑20iA robot changes chuck jaws and tend a multi‑function lathe for high‑mix, low‑volume machining.
Video courtesy of Gosiger Automation
An MT Series robotic cell tends dual‑spindle CNC lathes, loading parts from drawers and transferring finished parts through automated wash and dry cycles.
Video courtesy of Adaptec Solutions
Dramatically Boost Your Uptime
When labor is difficult to obtain, train, and retain, unmanned machine tending solutions are an ideal option. With industrial robots, these systems can operate around the clock, providing you with the productivity you need to stay competitive.
A FANUC LR Mate robot loads and unloads parts between two ROBODRILL machines in a dual‑machine tending cell.
Increase OEE by putting your industrial robots to work on secondary tasks while the machine is in service! Robotically tending a machine tool allows you to increase your overall equipment effectiveness. Robots can quickly change grippers to maximize production time and accommodate jobs involving more than one process.
While the machine is in service, you can utilize your robot for a range of additional cell-related tasks such as:
This application uses a FANUC M‑10iD/12 to load and unload parts for 2D/3D CT X‑ray scans on the NSI X3000, handling varied part sizes in high‑mix environments.
Video courtesy of North Star Imaging
A FANUC M‑20iD robot picks, orients, inspects, and loads automotive parts into integrated ROBODRILL machines for drilling.
Video courtesy of Meredith Machinery
This system uses a FANUC LR Mate robot to tend a machine by loading raw gears and removing finished parts.
Video courtesy of Matrix Design
A washproof FANUC LR Mate robot continuously loads and unloads parts during automated machining operations.
Flexible standalone solutions make automating machine operations a very viable choice for small to medium sized businesses. These cost-effective options are easy to operate and offer considerable benefits even on small production runs.
These robotic machine tending solutions greatly simplify robot deployment, offering a quicker delivery and installation than custom automation solutions might, making them perfect for smaller scale operations.
A FANUC M‑10iA robot loads parts from drawer storage and tends CNC machines in Acieta’s Lean Machine Gen 2 automated cell.
Video courtesy of Acieta
The LOAD and GO robotic system continuously loads and unloads machines, enabling unattended machining with consistent part handling.
Video courtesy of Automation Within Reach
SNAPMate Stations use FANUC collaborative robots in portable workstations to enable flexible, quick‑deploy collaborative automation.
Video courtesy of Motion Controls Robotics Inc.
With a range of rail, floor, wall, and ceiling mounting options to save space and expand your robot's work envelope, our robots are ideally suited to tending multiple machine tools – increasing your throughput and maximizing production time.
A rail‑mounted FANUC R‑2000iB robot loads and unloads camshafts across multiple machines in an automated tending system.
Video courtesy of TranTek Automation Corporation
FANUC robots gauge, laser mark, machine tend, deburr, and shuttle parts through a fully automated inspection and finishing process.
Video courtesy of Matrix Design
Two overhead FANUC R‑2000iB robots load and unload parts across four FANUC ROBODRILL machines in an automated tending system.
The implementation of automated machine tending tools can help create an agile manufacturing environment because the machines can be quickly reprogrammed to handle different parts, and they do not require skilled labor to operate. As a result, machine tending industrial robots can help manufacturing facilities rapidly respond to changes in customer demand.
In order to fully reap the benefits of an agile manufacturing approach, it is important to implement other supporting technologies and processes. An agile manufacturing approach will often make use of lean principles, just-in-time production, and flexible manufacturing systems. When these technologies and processes are combined with CNC machining, they can help create a truly agile manufacturing environment.
An agile manufacturing environment is one that is able to rapidly respond to changes in customer demand. In order to be truly agile, a manufacturing facility must have the ability to quickly adapt its production process to meet changing customer needs. This might mean rapidly designing and prototyping new products, or rapidly reconfiguring existing production lines to produce different types of parts.
Robots equipped with intelligent functions can further improve the efficiency of your machine tending applications and streamline your production process. These functions might include the ability to automatically:
A FANUC LR Mate robot loads and unloads parts and presents them for inspection during an automated CNC machining process.
Video courtesy of Gosiger Automation
A FANUC R‑2000iB robot uses 3D vision to locate, re‑orient, and load heavy cast housings into a boring mill for automated machine tending.
Video courtesy of Weldon Solutions
Discover how manufacturers are using robotic machine tending to overcome labor challenges, increase throughput, extend unattended production, and improve part quality. These real-world examples show how FANUC automation helps shops scale efficiently while supporting operators and creating more reliable production processes.
Discover how Northern Kentucky Machine uses robotic machine tending to extend unattended runs, boost productivity, and scale without adding headcount.
By adopting CNC rotary transfer machines with robotic tending, Mitotec Precision boosted throughput, improved accuracy, and reduced secondary operations on titanium parts.
By integrating a FANUC CRX cobot with ROBODRILL machining centers, Vickers Engineering improved machine tending efficiency, reliability, and operator collaboration — fueling continued growth.
Have questions about robotic machine tending, CNC loading and unloading, or how automation can improve machine utilization? Explore answers to common questions about FANUC machine tending robots, cobots, integration options, and the benefits of automating repetitive machine loading tasks.
Robotic machine tending is the use of industrial robots or collaborative robots to automatically load and unload machines such as CNC lathes, mills, machining centers, presses, forges, and injection molding machines. Robots can also support related tasks including part transfer, inspection, deburring, cleaning, gauging, and downstream handling.
FANUC machine tending robots can support a wide range of equipment, including CNC machines, lathes, mills, machining centers, ROBODRILL machines, presses, forges, inspection systems, and injection molding machines. Depending on the application, robots can tend a single machine, multiple machines, or an entire automated cell.
Automating CNC loading and unloading helps manufacturers increase throughput, improve machine utilization, reduce idle time, and support more consistent production. Robotic machine tending can also reduce the need for manual intervention, improve part handling repeatability, and allow operators to focus on higher-value work.
Yes. Machine tending robots can help improve overall equipment effectiveness by keeping machines running for longer periods of time, reducing downtime between cycles, and performing secondary tasks while the machine is in operation. These tasks may include deburring, cleaning, gauging, inspection, and part transfer.
Yes. Depending on the robot model, reach, payload, mounting position, and cell layout, a single robot can often tend multiple machines. FANUC robots can be configured with floor, wall, ceiling, rail, or overhead mounting options to expand the work envelope and maximize production space.
Collaborative robots can be an effective option for machine tending applications where flexibility, ease of use, and operator accessibility are important. FANUC CRX cobots are well suited for loading and unloading tasks, especially in applications where teams want a compact, easy-to-deploy automation solution.
Yes. Robotic machine tending solutions can be designed for high-mix, low-volume environments as well as longer production runs. Robots can be reprogrammed, equipped with tool changers, or integrated with flexible part presentation systems to accommodate different parts, processes, and production needs.
FANUC Robot ON-SITE helps simplify robot and CNC integration by enabling the robot and machine tool to communicate through the CNC program. This can make it easier to connect robots to machine tools, including some legacy machines, and streamline robotic machine tending deployment.
Common FANUC robot and cobot options for machine tending include the CRX Series, LR Mate Series, M-10 Series, M-20 Series, M-710 Series, and R-2000 Series. The right robot depends on the application’s payload, reach, cycle time, part size, available floor space, and machine layout.
Multi-stage robotic cleaning system combining immersion wash, high-pressure cleaning, drying, and automated part transfer.
Video courtesy of Ecoclean
FANUC LR Mate robot automates loading, unloading, and gauging of rocker arms, enabling continuous, precise, consistent operation.
Video courtesy of Engis Corporation
The FANUC LR Mate with SDLP package operates in harsh washdown environments using sealed motors, coated surfaces, and IP‑rated protection.
A FANUC LR Mate robot loads and unloads parts between two ROBODRILL machines in a dual‑machine tending cell.
A gantry FANUC M‑20 robot gauges, laser marks, and tends a machine tool while an LR Mate robot deburrs and transfers finished parts.
Video courtesy of Matrix Design
Discover how a CNC machine tending robot can transform your shop, and how smart machine tool tending reduces lead times and boosts production 40 – 60%.
Use FANUC CNCs? Your shop could get the FANUC-2-FANUC advantage when automating.
Discover how Athena 3D achieved 24⁄7 lights-out production and doubled output with a FANUC CRX cobot, enhancing efficiency and scalability.
Not sure if robot machine tending automation is right for you? Answering the following questions can clarify whether adding cobots is the right solution.
