Regal Rexnord Corporation, a global designer and manufacturer of motion control and automation technologies, has announced a strategic collaboration with FANUC to provide an integrated external linear axis solution for FANUC CRX collaborative robots. The new configuration combines the Thomson Movotrak Cobot Transfer Unit with motion technologies from Boston Gear, Huco and Kollmorgen to extend cobot travel, support multi-station applications and provide integrators with a more unified approach to adding linear motion to the CRX platform.

Regal Rexnord Thomson Movotrak Cobot Transfer Unit for FANUC CRX collaborative robots | Robotics Industry Monthly

The Thomson Movotrak Cobot Transfer Unit provides an external linear axis for FANUC CRX collaborative robot applications.

Following compatibility testing with the FANUC CRX Series, the Movotrak CTU has been added to the FANUC Cobot Device network through a co-developed plug-in interface. Certified FANUC integrators can access Thomson configuration tools directly through the FANUC teach pendant, allowing for configuration of the external axis within the existing engineering environment rather than as a separate motion system. The CTU adds a horizontal operating range of up to 10 meters by moving the cobot along a linear rail, which can be floor-, wall- or ceiling-mounted depending on the application. This allows the cobot to move between multiple workstations, machines or processing locations while remaining within a common automation platform.

“Adding an external axis transport layer to a 6-axis cobot opens new avenues for productivity, innovation and profitability for our customers,” said Emily Kern, President of Regal Rexnord’s Linear Motion Division. “We’ve worked closely with FANUC to deliver this capability for their CRX cobot line, and it is now ready for deployment. The Thomson Movotrak CTU brings together robotic innovations from across Regal Rexnord, including Thomson linear systems, Boston Gear gearheads, Huco couplings, and Kollmorgen motors and software, allowing integrators to configure a fully integrated system directly within the FANUC engineering environment.”

The system also incorporates collision detection designed to stop both the external axis and cobot if an obstacle is encountered, while an external-axis Freedrive mode is intended to simplify training and installation. Integration within the FANUC control environment also reduces the need to coordinate separate programming interfaces for the robot and linear motion system. Regal Rexnord has combined Thomson linear motion technology with Boston Gear gearheads, Huco couplings and Kollmorgen motors and software into the integrated assembly, providing a single-source motion solution intended to simplify specification, installation and deployment for FANUC CRX applications.

The external axis supports the FANUC CRX cobot range, including the CRX-30iA, and expands the available working area for applications requiring movement between multiple workstations or process points. By combining FANUC’s collaborative robot platform with Regal Rexnord technologies spanning linear motion, gearing, couplings, motors and control software, the collaboration provides integrators with a pre-integrated approach to adding a seventh linear axis while retaining configuration and control within the FANUC CRX environment.

About Regal Rexnord

Regal Rexnord Corporation is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-headquartered manufacturer of automation, motion control and industrial power transmission technologies. Its portfolio includes controls, actuators, drives, precision motors, linear systems, gearing, couplings and other engineered components used across factory automation, aerospace, medical, data center, energy and industrial applications. The company operates through Automation & Motion Control, Industrial Powertrain Solutions and Power Efficiency Solutions and includes brands such as Thomson, Kollmorgen, Boston Gear and Huco within its broader motion technology portfolio. Regal Rexnord generated approximately $5.9 billion in sales in 2025 and has approximately 30,000 associates worldwide. The company is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RRX. For more information, please click here.

About FANUC America

FANUC America Corporation is the North and South American subsidiary of FANUC Corporation and provides CNC systems, industrial robots, collaborative robots and ROBOMACHINE technologies for manufacturing automation. Headquartered in Rochester Hills, Michigan, FANUC America supports applications spanning assembly, material handling, machine tending, welding, painting, packaging and other automated manufacturing processes. FANUC reports more than 40 million products installed worldwide, including more than one million robots, and offers a broad robot and cobot portfolio ranging from compact automation systems to high-payload industrial applications. To learn more, please click here.

Source/Photo Credit: Thomson Linear, a Regal Rexnord brand

(Editor’s Note: All trademarks mentioned in this article, including company names, product names, and logos, are the property of their respective owners. Use of these trademarks is for informational purposes only and does not imply any endorsement.)

Molly Bakewell Chamberlin
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