FANUC LR Mate vs FANUC CR Robots | Blog

Each year, around 1.6 million twins are born around the world. Some are identical and some are not. But even identical twins are not completely identical. The same could be stated regarding the FANUC CR robots and the LR Mate series robots. They may look like twins because they share similar physical designs with very little differences, but they are both quite different in many aspects. The major difference can be noted in their working speed, environment, and safety.

To better understand the FANUC LR MATE and CR Robots, we should review their capabilities, similarities and differences.

FANUC LR MATE SERIES

The LR Mate Series is a robot the size of a human arm and has a load bearing capacity of maximum 14kg weight across its range. It is compact and used for quick maneuvers and part processing in various industries ranging from food to automotive.

They can come with different options tailored to the work they do, altered according to the client’s requirements. We will now look at the specifications and major characteristics of the LR Mate Series:

Floor, Ceiling, Wall and angle mounting robots
Can work alongside other robots in close proximity due to its smaller work envelope
Sensors, camera, and other attachment options
Reaches up to 911mm

Internal cable routing
Short cycle times (speed up to 4000 mm/s)
Work envelope remains constant irrespective of mounting
5 and 6 axis robots

The FANUC LR Mate Series is used for applications such as dispensing, pick and place, assembly, machine-tending, welding, painting, and many others depending on its field of application. Due to their high speed and accuracy, they increase the precision and throughput of the production. All these above-mentioned reasons have increased the popularity of the LR Mate Series among various industries. So far, they have shown remarkable usage growth in the metal and food industries as well.

FANUC CR ROBOTS

The name CR itself stands for Collaborative Robots. So, the FANUC CR is basically the LR Mate Series turned collaborative with some modified features. Therefore, the FANUC CR Robot is capable of safely working alongside humans in a production line. The highlight features of the CR Robots are as follow:

From 550 mm to 1813 mm in reach capacity
Maximum speed up to 1000 mm/s
Less floor space occupancy
Devoid of safety fences due to

Customizable settings for speed and safety
Compatible with a wide range of attachments like cameras, sensors, etc.
Highly reliable
Only comes in 6 axis variant for more control

The FANUC CR Series is equipped with a safe contact stop sensor technology which enables it to stop immediately when the robot is in contact with a person or an unidentified object. This makes it highly safe for humans to work around it without any safety fences. Moreover, for extra safety, we can manually regulate the speed and safety settings. The FANUC Teach Pendant gives access to a step by step process to set up CR robots for new and acquainted users.

FANUC CR Robots can safely handle tasks like palletizing, pick and place, applying sealants, painting, lifting/placing heavy components, assembling, quality checks, and machine-tending.

Now that we have seen the features of both the FANUC LR MATE and the FANUC CR robots let’s compare them to see the differences:

FANUC LR MATE	FANUC CR ROBOT
Non-Collaborative robots	Collaborative robots
Come in 5 and 6 axes model	Only come in 6 axes model
±0.01mm repeatability rate	±0.03mm repeatability rate
Cannot work in close proximity with humans	Can work alongside humans without causing any harm
Need safety fences	Do not require safety barriers
Light in weight	Heavy in weight compared to LR Mate
Auto stop option not available	Auto stops when in contact with a person or any fixed object
Speed up to 4000 mm/s	Speed up to 1000 mm/s
Reach up to 911 mm	Reach up to 911 mm

These features and limitations of the FANUC LR MATE and the FANUC CR Robots make things really clear when manufacturers need to select the correct model according to their requirements. The wide range of products provided by FANUC thanks to its LR Mate and CR robots makes it easier to spend exactly on what is required and get customized accessories to cater to their needs. The new trend around collaborative robots tends to make them attractive, but their performances are less effective than traditional robots.

Therefore, before opting for a cobot, take the time to figure out if a collaborative application is really needed or if an industrial robot in one of our pre-secured robotic cells could do the job with a better output. Discover more about our Collaborative Robotic Cells and Modular Robotic Cells on our product pages.