FANUC CRX Cobot Powers Lights-Out Production at Athena 3D

Athena increased 3D printing output and utilization by implementing a FANUC CRX collaborative robot for scalable, lights-out production.

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Delta Technology LLC
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Challenges

01

Printers that completed jobs in the middle of the night were forced to sit idle until the next morning when an operator changed out the print bed to start the next job.

02

Manual changeover of multiple 3D Printers was extremely time-consuming, impacted machine utilization and production deadlines

Results

Crx
Production nearly doubled, with a 40% increase in machine utilization
Lightbulb
Lights-out manufacturing environment
Optimization
Scalable solution that can quickly adapt to production changes
Proven technology
Employees are able to focus more on product quality

Story

Athena is an additive manufacturer providing 3D-printed parts for its expanding customer base.   Faced with a variety of challenges, including the desire to run lights-out production, Athena partnered with Delta Technology (a FANUC Authorized System Integrator) to develop an automated solution.

The automated system features a FANUC CRX collaborative robot that has enabled Athena to easily scale production from one to multiple printers, all running at the same time – all night long.  The results have been outstanding!  Part production has nearly doubled, and they've seen a 40% increase in machine utilization.

Jacob moss athena 3d
"

With the automated system, our customers are getting their parts on-demand. This allows us to dedicate more time to customer support rather than back-end processing, and that’s much more valuable for us in the long run.

Jacob Moss Vice President of Operations – Athena 3D

FANUC Products Used

White FANUC CRX CRX-10iA/L-series collaborative robotic arm with green accents on a black base.
Collaborative

CRX-10iA/L

Boost productivity with the user-friendly FANUC CRX-10iA/L cobot featuring a 10kg payload, 1418mm reach, and simple programming.

Max Payload:
10 kg
Reach:
1418 mm
View CRX-10iA/L
FANUC Authorized System Integrator

Delta Technology LLC

Delta Technology is a process automation expert providing automated solutions that help customers lower production costs, increase throughput, enhance safety, improve quality, and lower overall risk.

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End User

Athena 3D Manufacturing

Athena 3D Manufacturing creates high-quality parts through 3D printing.

Since 2019, Athena has expanded its offering to include various additive manufacturing methods (including HP Jet Fusion and Markforged Metal X technology), post-processing services, CNC machining, injection molding, cast urethane, and engineering design services.

Based in the Phoenix area, Athena has a wide reach – providing high-quality 3D printing and engineering services across the country.

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