A view of Mt. Fuji from FANUC Baseball Park
Photo taken November 3, 20172017-ⅢEMO 2017
For six days from September 18(Mon) to September 23(Sat), EMO 2017 was held in Hanover, Germany. It was a very
successful event, with 130,000 visitors from all over the world.

The FANUC booth had a giant yellow airship floating near the ceiling, featuring the themes of "one FANUC" and "Service
First," and showcasing the latest FA, ROBOT, and ROBOMACHINE products and services. In addition, we exhibited FANUC's
approach for IoT, various AI functionalities, and QSSP functionalities that achieve quick and simple robot installation.
At the special exhibit stage, we
introduced FANUC's IoT
solutions, such as the currently
available LINKi and ZDTfeatures, as well as the soonto-be-released FIELD system.
We also introduced our AI
functionalities, which we havebeen focusing most of ourenergy on.
In the FA area, Fine Surface
Technology for achieving highquality machining and thedemonstration of FIBER LASER
processing with highly
synchronized axes control
gathered much attention.
In the ROBOT area, we
exhibited various green
collaborative robots. The green
robot mounted on an AGV wasespecially popular withvisitors. In addition, the large
robot lifting aircraft engine
parts high in the air wasconstantly surrounded byvisitors snapping pictures.
In the ROBOMACHINE area, the advanced processing and molding capabilities of ROBODRILL, ROBOSHOT, and ROBOCUT,
as well as the demonstrations of AI functionalities, QSSP, and LINKi, fascinated visitors. Furthermore, the mold cutting
demonstration by the machining-type ROBONANO drew much attention from European automobile manufacturers andwatch makers.
In the SERVICE area, we introduced the various maintenance tools we have available, as well as our business 259 locationsin 45 countries, and explained how our lifetime maintenance allows customers all over the world to feel secure using our
products.
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The share of the number of our machines exhibited at the EMO venue is as follows. We would like to thank all ourcustomers that kindly exhibited our products at the event.

Other
345 units
23.5%

FANUC
434 units
29.5%

Company C
82 units
5.6%
Company B
173 units
11.8%

Company A
436 units
29.7%

Total number of units: 1,470
CNC shareOther
36 units
16.1%
Company G
13 units
5.8%
Company F
16 units
7.1%
Company E
20 units
8.9%
Company D
31 units
13.8%

FANUC
108 units
48.2%

Total number of units: 224
Robot share (excluding FANUC booth)The share of CNCs and ROBOTs exhibited at EMO. [internal investigation]

We held our customer dinner event on the night of September 18 (Mon), where many customers came not just from Europe
and Japan, but also from the United States and Asia. After our Chairman and CEO, Dr. Y. Inaba's speech and President
Yamaguchi's toast, customers enjoyed the occasion with wine and plates of food in their hands.

AC Party
The 60th AC Party was held on August 21(Mon). The AC Party started as a get-together organized by the AutomaticControl Section, where Honorary Chairman Dr. S. Inaba started the development of NC units. The group has grown larger
every year, now including 1,127 members. This year's AC Party, which marks the 60th year since it started, was attended
by 1,074 people, including 99 new members.
Following Dr. Y. Inaba's opening speech and President Yamaguchi's toast, the AC participants, filling the entire FANUC
Forum, bonded with drinks and plates of food in their hands, with a renewed determination to strive toward further
development, with "one FANUC" as their keyword.

3

FANUC Global Service Conference
We held the Fourth FANUC Global Service Conference (FS Conference) for three days from July 18 (Tue) to July 20 (Thu) at
the FANUC Forum, which is located on the premises of FANUC Headquarters. More than 310 people, including 113
attendees from overseas, gathered together to have enthusiastic discussions on how to provide better services.

Following the opening address by Dr. Y. Inaba, the business division session and the working group session were held.
During the business division session on the first day, participants were divided into three business divisions and had lively
discussions surrounding the main themes of "shortening maintenance operation times" and "preventive maintenance,"
which are efforts aimed at improving equipment operating rates for customers.
During the working group session on the second day, energetic discussions were held with overseas participants serving
as moderators, covering topics such as machine parts, training, technological information, and IT services.
On the final day, the plenary session was held with all participants in attendance, including Dr. Y. Inaba, President Yamaguchi,
and related executives, where the awards for the annual top service people were handed out, and results from thediscussions of each session were reported.

FANUC continues to remain faithful to the fundamental principles of "Walking the Narrow Path" and "Strict Precisenessand Transparency" that were established at the time of the company's founding, while also adhering to the new
fundamental initiatives of "Service First" and "one FANUC" to build strong relationships based on trust with our customers
around the world.

Conforming to the spirit of "Service First,"
FANUC provides lifetime maintenance to its
products for as long as they are used bycustomers, through more than 250 service
locations in 45 countries throughout theworld.

2017.07

4

The three businesses of FA, ROBOT and
ROBOMACHINE are unified with SERVICE
as "one FANUC," to provide innovation andreassurance to manufacturing sites aroundthe world.

Introduction of New Products and New Features (FA)■ Fine Surface Technology"Fine Surface Technology" is a state-of-the-art CNC andSERVO control technology to achieve high quality
machining of high precision molds and parts of mobile
phones.
The CNC system precisely analyzes high-precision
machining program commands created by CAD/CAM togenerate smooth tool paths, and the high precision servo
system accurately drive feed axes of a machine tool toachieve high quality machining.
① For high quality machining, smooth programcommands are required. High precision programcommands enable the use of precise machining
programs accurate to the nearest 0.1 nm.
② AI contour control II+ even allows for high speed
machining by program commands for minute blocks,
while optimally controlling the machine tool according
to the machined geometry.
③ Smooth tolerance+ control performs smoothing within
the specified tolerance to generate smooth tool paths.
④ Nano interpolation that precisely calculates the
position commands to the nearest nanometer
improves the machining accuracy. In addition, it
enables the machine to move smoothly, achieving highquality machining surfaces.
⑤ The servo motor with an optimized rotor design, servo
amplifier with a high resolution current detection,
Pulse coder with fast response and high resolution,and high gain control with SERVO HRV+ Control
achieve highly precise feed of axes.

CAD/CAM

CNC

High precision
machining program

High-speed and smooth
tool paths

Minimum units: 0.1 µm‒1 nm

①
●

Servo

High precision program commands

Machine tool
Higher gains ofservo control② AI contour control II ●●⑤ SERVO HRV Control● Smooth tolerance control③④ Nano interpolation
●
+

+

+

Fine Surface Technology

FANUC's CNC and SERVO control technology that achieves high quality machining

SERVO
HRV+ Control
Servo amplifier
Pulse coder
Servo motor
High precision SERVO system α+-B, β+-B series

Function enabled

Multifaceted machining surface

Smooth tolerance+ control

Smooth machining surface■ Modernized Series 0+-F 10.4" LCD Unit
FANUC has developed the Series 0i-F 10.4" LCD/MDI unit with an all new
design. The unit features compact external dimensions, equipped with a
10.4" LCD.
Due to its compact external dimensions, it can be used as a replacement forthe current 8.4" LCD/MDI unit.
● Flat, thin display for improved design of the operator's panel● Operation screen with modern, flat design● Due to same operability, suitable even for customers accustomed toconventional operations.
● A compact operation panel is realized by reducing the external
dimensions even with a large LCD.
● Icon display that allows the user to see the hierarchy of the displayed soft
keys at a glance

10.4" LCD/MDI unit (vertical)

10.4" LCD/MDI unit (horizontal)

5Introduction of New Products and New Features (ROBOT)■ FANUC Robot R-2000+C/210WE
FANUC has developed and begun selling the washing robot

R-2000iC/210WE, as part of the R-2000iC series, which can be used

for washing applications. The product features much higher

environmental resistance compared to the previous R-2000iB/210WE,
for enhanced reliability.

● Robot for washing environment, with a payload of 210 kg.

● High chemical resistance and rust proof performance that have beenachieved by applying a special coating over the cast surface and byusing stainless steel sheet metal.

● Improved reliability through the adoption of a reducer speciallydesigned for washing robots, which makes the structure as simple
as possible.

● High dust and drip-proof properties that have been realized by

improving the airtightness of the motor cover and purging the air,which enables the robot to withstand use under harsh environments
in which high-pressure jet water is dispersed.

● Monitors the internal purge pressure with the built-in sensor todetect abnormal fluctuations in purge pressure.

● Uses a special oil lubricant that improves exchangeability,
maintainability, and thermal resistance.

● Can easily replace the previous machine, with the same installation
bolt positions and operation range as the R-2000iB/210WE.

Washing robot
R-2000+C/210WE■ Robot Absolute Accuracy Compensation Function: +RCalibration Signature
FANUC has developed the "iRCalibration Signature" function, which

compensates errors in the mechanical unit of the robot and improves
the absolute position accuracy (deviation from specified positions or
curves). This function will be introduced sequentially starting withlarge models.

● Significantly improves the absolute position accuracy by performing
automatic calibration for each robot using high-precision threedimensional measuring equipment.

● Effective in fields in which high absolute accuracy is required,including laser machining and the aerospace industry.

Automatic calibration at FANUC

automotive body manufacturing lines, as it can minimize theISO9283 test

● Contributes to a reduction in man-hours for setup or replacement ofcorrections needed for programs created by the offline teachingsystem when teaching with actual machines.

● Currently supports the R-2000iC series and M-900iB series. The

models of supporting this function will be sequentially expanded.

FANUC will continue to improve the accuracy of our ROBOTs andcontribute to the expansion of the fields to which automation can beapplied.
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iRCalibration Signature disabled 3.57 mm
iRCalibration Signature enabled 0.21 mm
Example of absolute accuracy measurement
results for the R-2000+C/210F

Introduction of New Products and New Features (ROBOMACHINE)■ FANUC ROBOSHOT α-S450+A
FANUC has developed the FANUC ROBOSHOT α-S450iA,
which has realized the largest clamping force for a
ROBOSHOT ever at 450 t.
① Support for large molds● The new model has achieved the largest mold thickness
and tie-bar spacing in its class, and supports large molds,
which are becoming more common in the field ofmolding for automobiles, containers, and medical
components.
Max. clamping force[kN] 4500（450tonf）

Mold thickness (max/min) [mm]

1000/350

Tie-bar spacing (horizontal × vertical) [mm]920×920ROBOSHOT α-S450+A

Genkotsu-Robot
M-1+A② Compact design● The new model features a compact design with its overall
height kept to a minimum by means such as the use of alow-floor base, which has realized excellent workability
for maintenance work including changing molds.

190mm

390mm

③ Screens with superior operability● Intuitive and easy-to-use screen operations have beenrealized by the new iHMI user interface.

Example of a large molded product(Cover of Genkotsu-Robot)■ FANUC ROBOCUT α-C800+B Z500 Specification
FANUC has added the Z500 specification with the Z-axis stroke extended
to 510 mm to the ROBOCUT α-C800iB series wire electrical dischargemachines, which feature high reliability and performance.
① Extended Z-axis stroke● The extended Z-axis stroke has made it possible to support for large
parts and molds, including those for automobile or consumer
electronics.
XY stroke [mm]UV stroke [mm]800 X 600

200 X 200

Z stroke [mm]Standard

310

Option510② Improved discharge control● The straightness accuracy of thick plate machining has been improvedby the new discharge control.
③ Thermal displacement correction function● Displacement of the upper and lower guides due to changes in room
temperature has been reduced by advanced thermal displacement
correction using multiple temperature sensors, realizing stablemachining even for large workpieces with a long machining time.

ROBOCUT α-C800+B Z500 Specification

500mm

Example of high accuracy
machining of a thick plate

7

Introduction to FANUC Factory ROBOCUT Factory
In the ROBOCUT factory, ROBOCUT wire electrical discharge machines with high reliability and performance are
manufactured.

FANUC has a long history of manufacturing wire electrical discharge machines. It started over 40 years ago in 1975, anda total production of 30,000 units was reached in January 2017. Currently, the small α-C400iB model, medium-sized

α-C600iB model, and large α-C800iB model are manufactured in the factory.

This factory has a capacity to manufacture 100 ROBOCUT units each month. Assembly of machine bases, final assembly,
and tests are performed in constant temperature rooms to maintain the high quality of ROBOCUT.

In the manufacturing process, machines, measuring equipment, and host computers are connected via an in-housenetwork to effectively transfer manufacturing data, manage the progress of processes, and provide work instructions. In
addition, machine accuracy is measured automatically, and a large amount of measurement data from the automatic

measurement system is stored in the host computer to be centrally managed as the manufacturing data of each machine.

ROBOCUT final assembly test area

Automatic machine accuracy measurement system(laser length measurement)

In the automatic assembly system using all-around intelligent robots installed in the unit assembly area, two robots

perform detailed assembly work for ROBOCUT, which used to be performed by human workers, by fully utilizing FANUC'svision sensor iRVision and force sensor. The system realizes multi-product production, assembling products including thedielectric fluid draining unit and work-pan seal unit.

In addition, for the assembly of the Automatic Wire Feed (AWF) system for ROBOCUT, the collaborative robot CR-35iA has
been introduced to handle heavy components. This is part of our efforts to create a safe environment which canaccommodate all kinds of workers.

Automatic assembly system that performs multi-product production(Dielectric fluid draining unit, work-pan seal unit, etc.)

8

Collaborative work between a human and a robot(AWF unit assembly)

Cornerstone-laying Ceremony for the New Tsukuba Robot Factory

Mibu Laser Factory Completion Ceremony

On July 12 (Wed), FANUC held the cornerstone-laying
ceremony for the new Tsukuba Robot Factory in Chikusei,
Ibaraki Prefecture.
Present at the ceremony were former Ibaraki governor
Mr. Masaru Hashimoto, Chikusei mayor Mr. Shigeru Suto,and other honored guests. After Dr. Y. Inaba's greetingand former governor Mr. Hashimoto's congratulatory
address, a ground-breaking ceremony was held to wish
for safety during the construction work.

On November 1 (Wed), the completion ceremony for the
Mibu Laser Factory was held at the Mibu-hanyuda
Industrial Park in Mibu, Tochigi Prefecture.
Present at the ceremony were Tochigi governor
Mr. Tomikazu Fukuda, Mibu mayor Mr. Kazuya Kosuge,
as well as other honored guests who participated in the
lively event.

From left: President Yamaguchi, Dr. Y. Inaba, Former Governor
Hashimoto, and Mayor Suto

From left: President Yamaguchi, Chairman Shibata of Furukawa
Electric Co., Ltd., Mayor Kosuge, Governor Fukuda, and Dr. Y. Inaba

Celebration to Commemorate a Cumulative Total of 500,000 Robots Shipped
In November 2017, FANUC reached a cumulative total of 500,000 robots
shipped.
In commemoration, we invited executives from General Motors Company, thecustomer who purchased the 500,000th robot, and held a ceremony on
November 6 (Mon), in front of the FANUC Robot M-2000iA/900L waiting to
be shipped at the corner of the No. 2 Robot Assembly Factory at FANUC
Headquarters, with 100 members of the Robot Business Division inattendance. Dr. Y. Inaba presented Mr. Drouillard, GM Executive Director,
with a commemorative plaque.
From left: President Yamaguchi, Mr. Trusty, GM Managing Director, Mr. Gibbons, GM Executive
Director, Mr. Drouillard, GM Executive Director, Dr. Y. Inaba, and FANUC America President Cicco

13th Japan Student's Indoor Flying Robot Contest
The 13th Japan Student's Indoor Flying Robot Contest was held on
September 2 (Sat) and September 3 (Sun) at the Ota Omori Sports Center.
This contest is planned and held to support students' education in aircraft
design, manufacturing, and test flights. A total of 63 teams fromuniversities, technical colleges, high schools, and vocational schools acrossJapan participated in the contest and competed in exciting games.
Participants manufactured aircraft according to strict rules, and conductedsimulated missions to transport emergency supplies to disaster-stricken
areas, in a competition of their flying performance and operating skills.
FANUC started providing special sponsorship last year, and awarded theFANUC Award to the National Institute of Technology, Akita College, which
won the championship in this category.
13th
Japan
Student's
Indoor Flying
Robot Contest

Main sponsor: The Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences
Co-sponsors: Tokyo Ota Ward Office, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Ohta Business Sozo Kyougikai
Chairperson: Shinji Suzuki, Professor at the Graduate School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the University of Tokyo
Committee Chairperson: Takeshi Tsuchiya, Professor at the Graduate School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, theUniversity of Tokyo

9

Visiting Users FANUC ROBOTNSK Ltd. contributes to the industrial world as one of theworld's leading companies in the fields of industrial
machinery bearings and automotive bearings, which are
indispensable to modern society.
NSK Steering Systems Co., Ltd., which is a wholly owned
subsidiary of NSK Ltd., has greatly contributed to thedevelopment of the automobile industry in Japan, since
its establishment in 1961.
We visited the Soja Plant of NSK Steering Systems Co.,
Ltd. located in Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture, tointerview Mr. Iritani, President, and Mr. Kamamoto,General Manager.

(Left) Keisuke Fujii, (middle) Mr. Iritani, President,(right) Mr. Kamamoto, General Manager

Could you tell us about the features of thecompany?

What made you decide to use FANUC
products in your plant?

Mr. Iritani, President: NSK Ltd., the parent company of
NSK Steering Systems Co., Ltd, mainly engages in threelines of business, which are industrial machinery
bearings, automotive bearings, and steering systems andactuators. Among these, we handle the domestic
production of the steering system business.
Fifty-five years ago, when the bearing and automotive
industries were experiencing their growth anddevelopment period, the production of steering systems
using ball screws started in the Soja Plant in Gunma
Prefecture. This was the start of our steering business.
Since then, with the changing trends in automotive
technologies, we have been engaging in thecomprehensive production of steering systems, from ballscrew columns to manual columns, as well as witenessing
increased production of electric power steering systems
and rack and pinion steering systems, due to benefits
from low-fuel consumption in recent years.
Our company is designated as a "model domestic plant"
for the global steering system business. Whiledomestically constructing optimal production lines, we
expanded these lines to nine overseas plants in the
United States, China, Poland, India and Thailand. In
addition, we are also responsible for the education andtraining of local engineers. Currently, we are hosting
trainees from countries such as Poland and India, and weare striving each day to transfer and establish thetechnologies of Japan.

Mr. Iritani, President: From around 1990, we started
introducing FANUC robots to handle heavy or repetitive
work. In 2010, we started to use robots for the supply ofparts related to pre-machining processes. Since then, awider variety of robots have become available, and theirprices are also reasonable now, which made it easier for
us to introduce your robots into many processes.
We are gradually introducing robots into other processes,
including the assembly process where robot usage had
been difficult until now. This has mostly been madepossible by bin picking using cameras or other vision
sensors that are getting better and better each year, andforce sensors.

10

External view of Soja Plant.

How do you evaluate FANUC?

Do you have any requests for FANUC?

Mr. Iritani, President: I think that, compared to therapidly growing demand for automobiles overseas, thedomestic demand for automobiles cannot be expected to
grow as rapidly. Therefore, the number of units of robots
used in our domestic plants will probably not increase
dramatically.
However, I believe that, when we consider introducing
robots in overseas plants, the biggest advantage would be
if the robots can be used in an environment similar tothat in Japan.
Since FANUC has a strong support system overseas,
including for services, we feel reassured in using FANUC
products.

Mr. Iritani, President: We would like you to deepen
your ROBOT technologies, including an increase in speed
and space conservation through further weight reduction,
expansion of the robot application range through thepromotion of AI and deep learning technologies, and areduction of introduction work through simplification of
the teaching process. In addition, we will continue to
strive to maintain a good partnership with you, as you
are also our customer that uses NSK products. So, we
would like to ask for your continued support.
(Interviewer: Keisuke Fujii, Public Relations Department
Manager, FANUC CORPORATION)

Many bin-picking robots are used in the plant.

NSK Steering Systems Co., Ltd.

（http://www.nsk.com/jp/company/plants/nssh/index.html#tab3）
President: Kazunori Iritani

Capital: 7,500 million yen

Soja Plant, Soja Manufacturing Department
Soja Plant, Akagi Manufacturing Department

Number of employees: 947 (as of March 31, 2017)

Address: 1-8-1 Soja-machi, Maebashi City, Gunma, Japan
Phone: (81) 027-253-1331
Address: 1240-1, Idoimachi, Maebashi City, Gunma, Japan Phone: (81) 027-268-1000

Four Seasons of FANUC
Fall is in full swing, and the forest
around FANUC is beginning to yieldits fruits.
The plants that were in full bloomin early summer are now bearing
fruit, adorning the forest as itprepares for winter.
Zumi crabapple

Chigo-yuri

11

F IELD system< Intelligent Edge Link & Drive system

FIELD system is a platform open to everyone, and was developed foredge-heavy computing by bringing together the latest
IoT and cutting-edge AI technologies.
By using this system,
FANUC aims to work with partners around the world toinnovate manufacturing.

FANUC News 2017-Ⅲ
Oshino-mura, Minamitsuru-gun, Yamanashi 401-0597 Japan
http://www.fanuc.co.jp/
Phone: (81) 0555-84-5555
Fax: (81) 0555-84-5512
Person in charge of publishing:
Kyoko Takatsugi
Reprint or reproduction is not permitted without permission. All rights reserved.
©FANUC CORPORATION March 6, 2018, Printed in Japan