High-precision and high-rigidity robots for Airbus highlight partnership benefits

Aerospace giant Airbus wanted to grow its in-house robotics capabilities, with particular focus on drilling, and turned to Fanuc for help, resulting in a new six-axis system range.

With the global aerospace order backlog hitting a record 15,800-plus aircraft at the start of the year, the supplier says it has long championed the use of its industrial robots as a way for manufacturers to boost production rates, streamline their operations and cut cycle times. 

 Over the past five years, the company has supported the customer with its in-house robotics strategy, culminating in Airbus developing a robotic drilling system which employs a Fanuc M-800iA/60 six-axis robot. The system has improved drilling accuracy and increased productivity for Airbus, while freeing up personnel to work on more creative and value-added tasks.

“Automation has become crucial in closing the gap on the backlog in aircraft orders as it significantly enhances production efficiency, reducing the time needed for manufacturing complex components,” says Oliver Selby, head of sales at Fanuc UK. “Additionally, automation minimises human error and allows for more consistent quality control, ensuring faster turnaround times and enabling manufacturers to meet demand more effectively.”

With its advanced automation technology and an experienced team of robotics experts, Fanuc says it was the ideal company to support Airbus in the development of its in-house robotics division. With its multiple drilling applications still largely completed manually, automating this process was a priority – but sourcing a robot that was robust enough to meet Airbus’ requirements initially proved a challenge.

“The specific solution that Airbus was looking for did not exist anywhere in the market,” explains Selby. “The robot in question needed to be extremely rigid and stiff but also highly accurate, and with a minimum 60kg payload. We therefore worked together with Airbus to develop a prototype and refined this until it precisely matched their specifications for lower payload/small hole drilling.”

This prototype has gone on to become the M-800iA/60 six-axis model, which is now part of Fanuc’s standard industrial robot range. Also suitable for laser cutting, welding or other applications which require extremely high levels of accuracy, the company says it offers outstanding precision without slowing down the production process.

Fanuc and Airbus have since further developed the technology and implemented it into larger robots in this high accuracy/high-stiffness range, adding 190kg and 270kg payload versions with a reach of 2m and 2.7m respectively. 

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