FANUC IS ONE OF THE LEADING JAPANESE PLAYERS IN AUTOMATION

The global move to electric cars presents enormous prospects for Japanese industrial robot manufacturer Fanuc. Compared to petrol cars, electric vehicles are quite different in design: they need fewer parts, for example. However, Yamaguchi pointed out that production lines for electric vehicles employ more robots than those for petrol vehicles.
Recently, most of our major contracts have focused on electric vehicle batteries and vehicle electrification, he said.
He said that because motors are physically complicated, assembling them with robots was a challenge. However, batteries are more suitable for robots because of their simpler structure and the greater need for repetitive operations during assembly.
Given their designs, Yamaguchi believes that the construction of motors and inverters could also be fairly easily mechanised. He said new welding robots will also be needed. We will also need new welding robots, as they require robust bodies and solid welds. To assemble batteries and other components in tight spaces, his team has created robotic arms with greater range of motion.

Automation reduced labour costs and standardised product quality, which contributed to the acceptance of petrol vehicles. Battery production costs, which account for a considerable amount of the costs of electric vehicles, can be reduced through automation. According to Yamaguchi, automakers around the world are focusing their attention on electrification. According to him, automation will also lead to mass production and economies of scale.
In addition to the automotive sector, Yamaguchi was enthusiastic about the need for robots in logistics and construction. According to him, these sectors are lagging behind the automotive sector in terms of automation. I think the need for collaborative robots, which help human workers, will increase. According to him, collaborative robots do not need to be caged because they operate alongside humans and take up less space. He states.
ABB and China’s domestic start-ups are among the foreign competitors Yamaguchi Fanuc faces. Even in sectors with supposedly declining sales, such as construction machinery, there is a significant need for automation, according to Yamaguchi. Fanuc intends to focus on models with unique features, such as simple controls and the ability to work safely close to people, to better compete.