Rochester Hills, Mich. – October 05, 2026 -- FANUC America will debut its CRX-3iA collaborative robot and P-55/15-21A paint robot at FABTECH 2026, expanding automated welding, laser processing and finishing capabilities for fabricators across two exhibit spaces, Main Booth #S40006 and Paint Booth #S11008.
CRX-3iA brings robotic welding to shipbuilding and structural steel
The 11 kg CRX-3iA collaborative robot handles 3 kg payloads and mounts directly to structural steel via a magnetic base, enabling vertical-up welding in shipbuilding and large structural fabrication applications where automation has historically been difficult to deploy.
Coordinated-motion and laser cells target multi-step fabrication
A CRX-10iA/L cobot operating on an integrated seventh-axis rail performs seam-track welds while a positioner rotates a lawn mower deck 180 degrees. FANUC's LR-10iA/10 laser processing cell combines automated laser welding and marking of stainless steel parts within a single work cell. A separate demonstration pairs the 500 kg-payload, 2,830 mm-reach M-950/500F-28A with two ARC Mate robots to simulate excavator bucket welding for heavy equipment manufacturers.
Gemini Enterprise AI agent interprets handwritten work orders for kitting
FANUC will show an AI-powered kitting system combining Google Cloud, Gemini Enterprise, machine vision and robotics. A CRX-20iA cobot equipped with iRVision captures handwritten work orders, which are processed by a Gemini Enterprise AI agent on Google Cloud to determine required parts and quantities; an LR Mate robot then executes the picking instructions.
P-55/15-21A paint robot tracks moving parts with 2,100 mm reach
In the paint booth, the new P-55/15-21A uses integrated line tracking and a VersaBell 3 applicator to coat moving football helmets, demonstrating consistent finishing on parts in continuous motion. FANUC also displays the CRX-10iA/L Paint model, described as the world's first explosion-proof collaborative paint robot, featuring a 10 kg payload, 1,418 mm reach and Scan-to-Path, No Code programming for high-mix finishing lines requiring frequent changeovers.
Additional demos cover plasma cutting, torque tightening and inspection
A CRX-10iA/L demonstration pairs Shape Generation 3 software with a dedicated Hypertherm interface to simplify robotic plasma cutting setup. A CRX-30iA with 30 kg payload performs automated torque tightening on a dozer track using integrated force control and real-time torque validation. Separately, FANUC CRX-30iA and CRX-10iA cobots combine assembly, welding and post-process weld inspection within one work cell.
"At FABTECH 2026, FANUC is demonstrating how automation is expanding into applications that were once difficult to automate, from vertical-up welding on large structural steel components to collaborative welding systems that simplify deployment and operation," said Eric Potter, FANUC America Vice President, Product Management and Application Engineering, Robot and ROBODRILL.
Across both booths, FANUC is showcasing its R-50iA and R-30iB Plus controller platforms alongside iRVision, coordinated motion and integrated force control technologies spanning welding, fabrication, assembly and finishing operations.