K 2025: FANUC’s new ROBOSHOT delivers unique injection moulding results

FANUC is introducing a new series of injection moulding machines to the market, as visitors to booth A50 in hall 14 at the K 2025 exhibition (Düsseldorf, 8-15 October) will discover. The flexible, fast and cost-saving ROBOSHOT SC series retains the compact footprint of its predecessor while accommodating larger and deeper moulds. Mould shops and general manufacturers of plastic products also stand to gain from faster operating speeds, more injection unit combinations, new energy-saving features, and new AI functionality.  FANUC’s all electric injection moulding machines are known for having the lowest Total Cost of Ownership in the market. On top of this, FANUC is now offering “FANUC Care”, a special service package that covers maintenance and repairs of machines for up to eight years. Developing all-electric injection moulding machines for more than 40 years, FANUC is fulfilling customer requests for more production flexibility by introducing a wider range of screw diameters, increased clamping force, extended clamp open/close stroke, a significantly expanded platen size and extended tie-bar spacing. There is also more space around the ejector, making it easier to install and remove the mould.  Despite these upgrades, the new machine model remains as compact as before. This is crucial as the cost of floor space is at a premium. A highly flexible and powerful machine with compact dimensions helps manufacturers who want to maximise their production while minimising costs. 

Visitors to the booth will see the ROBOSHOT S180C injection moulding machine in action as part of a demonstration cell producing components from a biopolymer material, reinforcing FANUC’s commitment to sustainability. The company is actively contributing to the worldwide drive for a circular economy with initiatives that have earned several sustainability accolades. This year, FANUC Corporation was awarded the highest Platinum rating from globally recognised sustainability experts, EcoVadis. The company has also received the highest MSCI ESG rating of ‘AAA’ and achieved recognition as a CDP ‘A List’ company.

Plastic injection moulders are constantly seeking next-level productivity, which is why the new ROBOSHOT SC series offers improved mould close/open speed for faster cycle times and more product throughput per hour.  In particular, the larger ROBOSHOT S350C (350T clamping force), which is ideal for the productivity demands of sectors such as packaging, offers a reduction in open/close time of almost 1 second in comparison with the previous model. Although application dependent, this represents an impressive 40% gain. Support comes from improved ejector performance.

Meanwhile, new energy management features facilitate lower power consumption. For example, a new plasticising energy monitor contributes to savings through better energy balance in ‘heat transfer’, ‘shear’ and ‘energy loss’. An eco-temperature adjustment function further supports reduced energy use.  Visitors to K 2025 will also get to see live demonstrations of new artificial intelligence (AI) software to improve energy efficiency and support troubleshooting. Further innovations in the spotlight will include the ROBOSHOT LINKi2 IoT quality information management tool, new interfaces for connection to third-party systems, and FANUC’s FIELD system Basic Package, an all-in-one platform designed to facilitate the digital transformation of manufacturing processes.