FANUC Releases New Portable Cobot for High-Mix, Low-Volume Tasks
The CRX-3ia weighs only 24 pounds and is designed specifically for portable applications. Several improvements to FANUC’s broader CRX line also released.
Published May 11, 2026
The CRX-3ia is a new foray into portable cobots. weighing 24 pounds and setting up quickly and easily, it’s designed for temporary and tight work spaces.
FANUC America has introduced a new model for their CRX cobot line. The CRX‑3iA is a lightweight cobot designed for fast redeployment across high-mix, low-volume jobs. The 3iA is built to perform welding, part handling, small assembly, screwdriving, tool positioning and inspection jobs on the go.
The big selling point is its portability. It’s only 24 pounds and is mere inches away from fitting in your backpack. The CRX-3ia was designed specifically to achieve this portability, with an eye towards applications in tight spaces and temporary work areas where heavier, more permanent cobots are not feasible. It also comes with a magnetic base that allows you to quickly set it up not just on the floor, but the walls and ceiling.
As with all things, the 3ia makes a few compromises to achieve its goals. With a max payload of only 6.6 pounds and a reach of 28 inches, you are paying for the portability. Most importantly, you’ll want to double check the weight of the tools you’re planning on using with it, particularly your welders.
While it won’t fit every application, the 3ia marks a genuinely new core competency within FANUC’s cobot lineup. It’s particularly interesting to compare it to the next-largest entry in the CRX line, the CRX-5ia. At under half the weight, you still get almost two-thirds the max payload and reach.
CRX-Line Updates
Speaking of the broader CRX line, FANUC is also taking this opportunity to introduce improvements to the full suite of cobots designed to broaden their potential use cases.
The largest change is the introduction of a new “triangle weave” vertical up welding profile for out-of-position welding. FANUC is using it to improve performance in vertical up welding, a particularly difficult process to replicate, and prevent weld-puddle sag.
FANUC also introduced a few tweaks to expand the line’s ability to work with heavy weights. The 30ia saw improvements that allow it to support heavier payloads up to 88 pounds, as well as a high-flow air kit designed to work with large suction grippers. More broadly, they’ve introduced a high inertia mode that allows cobots to collaborate with other tools by guiding extremely heavy loads while a lift-assist device does the carrying.
Lastly, the line can now work with additional equipment. CRX cobots now support auxiliary axis part positioners for coordinated welding and laser applications; dual nut runners for increased throughput, complete with an optional internal wiring harness for clean cable routing; and FANUC’s R-50ia controller, which in turn introduces Python support, higher frequency ROS 2 and streaming motion support for AI-driven applications and advanced cybersecurity protection.
"The CRX‑3iA puts collaborative automation in the hands of operators — literally," Eric Potter, general manager, robot application engineering segment, FANUC America, said. "Its lightweight design makes it easy to redeploy in minutes, helping manufacturers automate jobs that were once too small, too scattered or too costly to justify. Combined with new capabilities across the CRX lineup, we're giving our customers more ways to apply collaborative robots safely and productively across their entire operation."
