Japanese Cutting-Edge
Solutions for Metalworking
Japanese Cutting-Edge
Solutions for Metalworking
News
July 11, 2025
Edited by: Yuya Sone
Staff Editor of SEISANZAI Japan; Editorial Desk of robot digest
Fanuc held its 34th FANUC New Products Open House Show from May 19 to 21 at its headquarters in Oshino Village, Yamanashi Prefecture. The company unveiled a wide range of new technologies and products, including updates to its CNC system “500i-A” and new robotic solutions. One of the main highlights was a demonstration of iron cutting using a high-rigidity robot, drawing strong interest from attendees.
The 500i-A CNC unit was one of the highlights of the show
Fanuc’s open house is an annual event showcasing its latest developments in CNC systems, robots, servo motors, and machine tools. This year, the upgraded CNC system “500i-A” was a major focus—particularly the new functions aimed at multitasking lathes.
A key goal of the upgrades is to reduce cycle time by expanding what the CNC can control directly. Traditionally, CNC systems manage cutting axes, while auxiliary operations such as loaders were controlled via the internal PMC (Programmable Machine Controller) using ladder logic. With the new features, many of these tasks can now be handled directly by the CNC, minimizing communication delays.
For example, the new “Motion Script” function enables direct CNC control of non-cutting axes like loaders, allowing easier parallel operation with cutting axes. Another feature, “CNC direct spindle control,” eliminates the need for PMC mediation, reducing the forward rotation command time by 16 milliseconds.
Fanuc also introduced a refreshed “feedforward control” that anticipates position errors to apply real-time corrections, further improving cycle times.
Beyond speed, the new tool management function improves usability. Previously, transferred tool data were registered only as simple numbers. Now, tool types such as drills or end mills can be registered by name, reducing the risk of incorrect tool selection during operations.
“The 500i-A isn’t just faster—it reflects a completely new design philosophy,” said Hiroshi Noda, Executive Managing Officer and General Manager of the FA Research & Development Division. “We’ve now implemented nearly all functions from the previous 30i series and are ready to accelerate market expansion.”
Iron cutting with robots is now possible
Fanuc also debuted several new robots, with the machining robot “M-810” drawing particular attention. Featuring a more rigid arm and proprietary motion-control technology, the M-810 can handle cutting loads 3.4 times higher than previous models.
Traditionally, robotic cutting was limited to lighter materials like aluminum. The M-810 breaks this barrier by enabling processing of ferrous materials, such as cast iron, demonstrated live at the event. It also supports wet machining using coolant.
“While it can’t match the precision of a machine tool, it’s highly cost-effective for rough machining of large parts,” said Kenichiro Abe, Senior Managing Officer and General Manager of the Robot Research & Development Division.
Other exhibits included remote-control robot systems and robots designed for food and cleanroom environments. Fanuc also showcased several new models from its compact “ROBODRILL” machining center series. Notable machines included the “D54CS,” ideal for steel parts, and the “D75CS,” optimized for high-efficiency aluminum processing.
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