Japanese robot maker sets sights high
Keywords: Japan, Robots, Fanuc
Fanuc Ltd, claimed to be the world's top maker of numerically-controlled equipment, aims to produce robots clever enough to capture 50 per cent of the global market. This was disclosed amid sluggish sales of factory automation equipment; Fanuc being aware, it says that an expanding share may be the best cure for sector growth. Some analysts have estimated that the global machine-tool market will not grow appreciably beyond about $8.5 billion.
However, sales of the robotic products, including moulding machines, rose by 7.7 per cent to over $252 million in the most recent fiscal 1999-2000 year due to a gain in exports to the European auto industry, though sales of FA products,including computer NC control equipment (CNC) dropped by 27.8 per cent to $385.5 million because the machine-tool industry had not recovered to the level of the boom years, 1997 and 1998.
Of Fanuc's total sales in the first half of the financial year 1999-2000,robotics accounted for 35 per cent and FA products for 56 per cent and it plans to bring robotics up to 50 per cent of its total sales. Its present share in the industrial robot market is around 20 per cent, says chairman Seiuemon Inaba,noting "we face a tough fight from both domestic and foreign competitors in achieving our goal".
Fanuc seeks to create a new market for intelligent robots and to boost the added value using information technology – "Our two key objectives",says managing director Yoshiharu Inaba. He defines such a robot as "one that can carry out delicate operations using sensors".
Such Fanuc robots are equipped with a 3D sensor that recognises two sides of machine parts, and a power sensor that recognises the optimal condition for assembling parts. These sensors enable complex assembly of parts that cannot be done with conventional robots. One of Fanuc's strengths is that it can develop and produce everything including control equipment and sensors on its own. In addition, Fanuc has developed computer software called "RobotLink" that lets several robots operate without colliding with each other.
