FANUC Cobot Brings Flexibility to Vertical Lathe Operations

Fausto Marinello is the CEO of Famar Srl, a company with a long and successful history of building vertical lathes for the automotive sector. For its latest machine, Famar wanted to inject a new spin on vertical lathe operations by introducing flexible automation to the process.

To bring this concept to fruition, the company set about developing a special bin picking system for the Ciao 6, which can turn parts up to 260 mm in diameter. At the heart of the bin picking system, Famar selected a FANUC CRX-10𝑖A collaborative robot (cobot), providing a real innovation in the world of vertical turning.

The Ciao 6 combines high performance, automation and stability in a single solution. It offers end users the optimal Famar balance of productivity and flexibility, which is becoming increasingly important in the automotive sector. The adoption of a FANUC cobot also provides market differentiation, allowing machine operators to work alongside the CRX-10𝑖A without guards or barriers.

Famar selected the FANUC cobot because of its ease of programming. The CRX-10𝑖A recognises, picks and transports components between a tote bin and the machine’s conveyor, making the application adaptable to different parts.

The new machine’s association with FANUC technology does not end with the CRX-10𝑖A, as company CEO Fausto Marinello explains: “Our modern and flexible Ciao 6 evolved from previous models. The machine now has a FANUC CNC to support this flexible, fast and lean vertical lathe. The CNC provides customer satisfaction regarding reliability, productivity and precision.”

Mauro Martin, Technical Director at Famar, adds: “We have been using FANUC CNCs for over 25 years. For the Ciao 6 we opted for the FANUC 0𝑖-TF, a standard CNC for lathes which offers a really good price-to-performance ratio. Moreover, FANUC has an open system that allows us to customise the human-machine interface [HMI].”

Global support is a further aspect of the FANUC offer which Famar and its customers greatly appreciate. The company exports around 80% of its machines.

“The technology demonstrates excellent reliability, but in the rare event of a breakdown, FANUC guarantees us a global service,” explains Martin. “Having that security of FANUC assistance, particularly in countries where we are not present, is very beneficial.”