Answered Robot Choice

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Hi Fanuc Jedi,
Thanks for joining DIY-Robotics community! This is a very good question! Machining with a robot is a big subject of discussion. There is a lot of things to consider... I will try to make a long story short... (I take a deep breath... I also invite anyone to share and discuss!!)

First: It is important to understand the difference between repeatability and accuracy. The FANUC repeatability is excellent on some models. So if you want to do machining on complex parts for high volume you can expect to get good repeatable parts with tunning. If you are expecting to get good parts at first shot, a robot is not the solution.

Second: The robot rigidity is not comparable to a CNC, but a robot is much more cheaper than a five-axis CNC. It depends if you are expecting to work hard and take rough passes or working with light multi-pass. There is good FANUC model to consider if you are looking for multi-pass machining. All depending of the workload, FANUC LRMate 200iD, FANUC M20 iB and FANUC M710 are good models to consider.

Third: Robot programming is generally based on teach point programming. This means that you move the robot and record a point. Move again and teach again... You can imagine the work if you try to teach each points manually for a 3D shape... It is just impossible! Fortunately, there is some software solution to create a robot path for you. Our expert team at DIY-Robotics benchmarked different solutions and we strongly recommend WWW.RoboDK.com one of our strategic partners specialized for this type of application. This is the most affordable, effective and easy soft to do the job!

You can have a look at our RoboDK tutorial section for an over view!

https://forum.diy-robotics.com/hc/en-us/sections/360007164232-RoboDK

Well.. I think I covered the basics of the question...

In conclusion, Fanuc LRMate, M20iB and M710 are to consider for machining aluminum!!

Dear Fanuc Jedi!

You have come up with good idea to automate your aluminium milling through FANUC robot as it will enhance the efficiency of your work, improve handling of processes, expensive manual laboring, and boosting production.

However, here are some important factors that you must consider before choosing a FANUC robot for milling aluminium.

1. You must know what work you want to get from the robot you will have.
2. You must have an idea of the PAYLOAD that the robot may require.
3. You must have an idea of the end-of-arm-tooling (EOAT). EOAT comprises of drills, welders, vacuum grips, and grippers etc.
4. Space required by robot to work should also be known.
5. The idea of the moment of robot must be known.

Whereas you can have a detailed idea of the FANUC milling robots from following link.

https://www.robots.com/applications/milling/brands/fanuc

In my opinion  M-900iA is the best FANUC that you may select for your purpose of milling aluminium. 

If you need more information, please feel free to ask.

Thank You