Automate sheet metal production

Higher productivity all along your value chain

Automating your sheet metal fabrication facilities is easier than you might think. FANUC offers a range of smart solutions designed to open up your options and increase your productivity, no matter how big or small your business might be. In a nutshell the benefits of automation are better quality, increased productivity and lower costs. What is more, smart automation provides you with the flexibility to respond quickly to today’s changing and increasingly competitive market place. No matter how challenging you think your application or process might be, you can be sure that FANUC has a solution to improve it and keep you ahead of the game.

Ask us about automating your production processes now!

Front of line automation

Optimised right from the very start

Depalletising, loading or line charging – these and many more front-of-line tasks can easily be automated using FANUC’s smart system applications and tailor-made solutions.

Fast linear handling

Use FANUC’s unique CNC Power Motion i-A to create highly productive 3 axis linear robot systems. Ready to use and easy to customise, it comes with a complete package of software and is ideally to suited to creating fast, precise, reliable and versatile production cells that deliver short cycle times.

Automating delicate processes

Smarter metal forming

Opening up your options, advanced CNC technology provides you with the power to make the most of your metal forming processes. Whether it is bending, roll forming, spinning, deep drawing or stretch forming, reshaping sheet metal is more efficient with a FANUC CNC.

Low cost automated welding

FANUC provides customised products and interfaces to automate MIG/MAG, MIG pulse, TIG and plasma welding processes. To optimise your welding processes these packages come with their own generators. Delivering improved quality and cycle times, this is a particularly attractive option for small to medium-sized businesses that want to automate in order to reduce costs but do not necessarily have the volume to justify installing robots.

Complete solutions

Automating your entire sheet metal manufacturing process using tailored solutions is very simple. In a dedicated fabricating cell containing tending robots, plates can be cut, folded and processed, with workpieces travelling between welding and grinding stations on a conveyor. Once completed the workpiece then moves onto another belt for transportation to a paint spraying cell.

Reliable sheet metal cutting

FANUC CO2 laser featuring 2-D and 3-D cutting technology provides a reliable, precise and cost-effective way to cut sheet metal. Extremely precise, this method cuts metal up to 40 mm thick, leaving surfaces that exhibit superior smoothness.

You don’t need a press machine to press

FANUC’s unique CNC Power Motion i makes an ideal alternative controller for large servo applications such as press machines. In practice, this translates to less power consumption, more control and precision than is possible using hydraulic technology. Cycle times are also reduced thanks to high-speed response features for quick axis start/stop and a high-speed execution cycles. Material stress, on the die cushion for instance, is also reduced. In order to meet specific industry and European standards integrated safety features are also available.

Smart team work

Coordinated motion functionality enables FANUC robots to work together, holding or manipulating workpieces for one another and providing exact work and travel angles.

End of line automation

Increase your flexibility

Automating the end of your production line increases your flexibility, enabling you to react quickly to the trends and challenges involved in providing intelligent and secure good quality packing, storage and logistics to the sheet metal industry. Wrapping, labelling, packing and palletising all involve strenuous and repetitive manual work – something that can easily be done by automated systems for optimised, cost-effective results.

Picking and packing

Equipped with FANUC’s vision system, iRVision, FANUC pick and pack robots maximise productivity on even the most demanding of operations.

Cost-effective line tracking

Save on software development by using FANUC’s cost-effective queue management tracking software iR PickTool for single robot and multi-robot visual line tracking applications. Designed to be easy to use for beginners and experts alike, this tool enables you to create standard as well as custom configurations. Easy to set up via plug & play, it does not require TP programming and can be operated conveniently using iPendant touch.

Solutions for the last row

When packing cans the last row always poses a problem since the robot’s room to manoeuvre is restricted. To get around this issue you need a fast-moving robot capable of tilting the cans as it approaches the box.

Powerful palletisers improve throughput

FANUC’s dedicated palletising robots are designed and built to deliver 100% duty and faster cycle times. Featuring adaptable software that does not need to be reprogrammed and capable of handling very large payloads, they provide the ideal solution to any number of complex mixed or standard palletising operations.

"Reliability has significantly improved since we installed the new FANUC robot. We’re noticing the difference in higher unit quantities."
(Beat Lehnherr, Head of Service and Maintenance at Hoffmann Neopac, Switzerland)

Thinking outside of the box

At FANUC we think creatively - and are experts when it comes to automation solutions. Why not let us inspire you with innovative solutions designed to meet the needs of your industry? No matter what it is, we will show you exactly what we can automate on your sheet metal production line.

We know what's possible, but also think the impossible.

Get your automation started, now!

Smart ideas for automated sheet metal processing

Higher productivity all along your value chain

Thinking outside of the box