CRX CERT Cart | Collaborative Robot Education Training BY FANUC
Collaborative robots are one of the fastest-growing segments of industrial automation. Companies across manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, food processing, and electronics production are deploying cobots alongside human workers to handle tasks that are too repetitive, physically demanding, or inconsistent for manual labor alone. As collaborative automation expands, the demand for workers who can program, deploy, and troubleshoot cobot systems is growing just as rapidly. The question for education programs is how to prepare students for this technology in a format that is safe, accessible, and directly relevant to the collaborative robots they will encounter in industry.
The FANUC CRX CERT Cart is the answer. Designed specifically for the FANUC CRX Series collaborative robot, it is a purpose-built mobile training platform that gives students hands-on collaborative robot programming experience in a safe, classroom-appropriate environment using the same FANUC CRX cobots deployed in production facilities worldwide. With FANUC's renowned reliability, up to eight years of maintenance-free operation, drag-and-drop tablet programming, and a cart designed to pass through a standard doorway and run on 110V power, the CRX CERT Cart is one of the most accessible entry points into genuine industrial collaborative robotics education available.
Klein Educational supplies the FANUC CRX CERT Cart to high schools, community colleges, universities, and advanced manufacturing programs across California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and Alaska. We help programs select the right CRX model, accessories, and certification pathway for their curriculum.
What is the FANUC CRX CERT Cart?
The CRX CERT Cart is a mobile training platform built around the FANUC CRX Series collaborative robot, designed specifically to support the FANUC Certified Education Robot Training program for collaborative robotics. It provides a convenient, organized workspace for teaching collaborative robot operations in a format that can be taken to the classroom, the lab, or a remote training site.
Two CRX robot models are available for the CERT Cart package. The CRX-5iA is a 6-axis collaborative robot with a 5kg payload and 994mm reach, suited to smaller part handling, assembly, and compact workspace applications. The CRX-10iA is a 6-axis collaborative robot with a 10kg payload and 1,249mm reach, suited to a wider range of material handling, assembly, and machine tending applications. Both models feature FANUC's sensitive contact detection for safe collaborative operation alongside human workers, standard 120V power operation, and a compact footprint.
The CRX robot on the CERT Cart is controlled by the R-30iB+ Mini Controller and programmed through FANUC's tablet-style teach pendant, which offers a touch-based drag-and-drop programming interface that significantly reduces the programming learning curve compared to traditional teach pendants. Students can teach robot motions, build programs, and configure applications through an intuitive touch interface without needing to memorize complex menu structures, making collaborative robot programming accessible from day one of a curriculum. A Swivellink holder for the teach pendant keeps it organized and accessible during training sessions, and a customized mounting solution for the FANUC controller and transformer keeps the complete system contained within the cart footprint.
The cart includes a collaborative actuated gripper with connector cable, giving students an immediately functional end-of-arm tool for part handling programming exercises. The side extension wings expand the working surface area for training activities, and fold down to allow the cart to pass through a standard 36-inch doorway for deployment anywhere in a school or training facility.
Cart specifications
The CRX CERT Cart is designed and integrated by APT Manufacturing Solutions with the following dimensions and configuration:
Cart width: 27.5 inches (without wings)
Cart length: 47.25 inches
Expanded working area with wings: 57 inches wide x 47.25 inches long
Wings fold to pass through a standard 36-inch doorway
Large easy-rolling lockable all-direction casters for mobility and stability
Swivellink teach pendant holder
Customized controller and transformer mounting
CRX CERT Cart accessories
APT Manufacturing Solutions has developed a range of accessories that amplify the learning experience on the CRX CERT Cart, extending the range of programming exercises and application scenarios available to students.
The Schunk CoAct collaborative end-of-arm tool is a parallel gripper kit with two jaws designed for handling 3-inch blocks. It is ready to connect directly to the FANUC CRX and provides students with a realistic collaborative gripper for part handling programming, pick and place applications, and vision-guided grasping exercises. The Schunk CoAct is specifically designed for collaborative robot applications, with force sensing capability that makes it appropriate for human-robot collaboration scenarios.
The Parts Presentation Kit with 3-inch foam dice blocks extends the range of pick and place and vision-guided programming exercises available on the CRX CERT Cart. Two template configurations are available. The fixed grid template is a 12-location diamond pattern with six 3-inch foam dice cubes, providing a consistent, structured part presentation layout for introductory pick and place programming exercises. The pegboard reconfigurable template includes 50 locator pegs and six 3-inch foam dice cubes, allowing instructors to create custom part presentation layouts that vary the position and spacing of parts across different exercises, building the positional awareness and programming flexibility that vision-guided and fixture-free part handling applications require.
What students learn on the FANUC CRX CERT Cart
The CRX CERT Cart supports the FANUC Collaborative Robot CERT certification curriculum, covering the full range of collaborative robot programming and operation skills that manufacturing employers need from cobot-trained graduates.
Topics covered include CRX cobot safety features and safe collaborative operation principles, tablet teach pendant navigation and interface operation, manual guided teaching and jog operation for robot motion, payload and tool center point configuration, basic program creation and execution, pick and place programming using the collaborative gripper, parts presentation and fixture-based part handling applications, iRVision camera setup and training for vision-guided part location, Dual Check Safety configuration and collaborative workspace definition, force control and contact stop configuration, application-based programming projects using the full system including robot, gripper, parts presentation, and optional vision, and the ROBOGUIDE academic simulation software for offline programming and program verification.
Students who complete the FANUC CRX CERT curriculum and pass the associated assessments earn the FANUC Collaborative Robot CERT program certification, an industry-recognized credential that documents their collaborative robot programming competency for employers deploying CRX and other collaborative automation systems.
Why collaborative robot training matters
Collaborative robots represent a fundamentally different approach to automation than traditional industrial robots behind safety fencing. Cobots operate alongside human workers, respond to contact and force, are reprogrammed quickly for different tasks, and are deployed without the infrastructure investment that traditional automation requires. As more manufacturers discover the flexibility and accessibility of collaborative automation, cobot-trained workers are becoming increasingly valuable across a much broader range of employers than traditional industrial robot skills typically serve.
Programs that train students on the FANUC CRX are preparing them for one of the fastest-growing categories of manufacturing technology, on the cobot platform that FANUC's reliability record and 25-million-plus product installed base make the most likely to be encountered on the job. The CRX's drag-and-drop programming approach also makes collaborative robot skills accessible to students who would find the programming environment of traditional industrial robots intimidating, broadening the population of students who can succeed in a robotics curriculum.
How the CRX CERT Cart connects to the broader FANUC ecosystem
The CRX CERT Cart integrates naturally with the broader FANUC education ecosystem that Klein Educational supplies. Programs that start with the CRX CERT Cart can expand into FANUC integrated educational cells, connecting the CRX to PLC/HMI training through the FRIEND panel, or progressing to the Connected Smart Manufacturing cell where a FANUC robot operates as part of a complete integrated manufacturing system. The CRX's EtherNet/IP connectivity supports integration with Rockwell Automation PLC systems, FANUC vision systems, and a wide range of other industrial devices, making it a capable foundation for progressively more advanced automation training as a program grows.
How Klein Educational supports your program
Klein Educational works with CTE directors, engineering department heads, and program administrators from the first conversation through robot model selection, accessory configuration, delivery, and ongoing support. We help programs understand the CRX CERT certification pathway, select the right cart and accessory combination for their curriculum and student population, and connect the CRX CERT Cart to any existing FANUC robot or CNC equipment in the program.
We have direct access to the FANUC CRX product line and APT Manufacturing Solutions accessory ecosystem for programs across our seven-state region.
Frequently asked questions
What is the FANUC CRX CERT Cart? The FANUC CRX CERT Cart is a mobile collaborative robot training platform built around the FANUC CRX Series cobot, designed for the FANUC Certified Education Robot Training program. It includes the CRX robot, R-30iB+ Mini Controller, tablet teach pendant, collaborative gripper, and a mobile cart with fold-down extension wings that passes through a standard doorway and runs on 110V power.
What CRX robot models are available? The CRX-5iA with 5kg payload and 994mm reach and the CRX-10iA with 10kg payload and 1,249mm reach are both available for the CERT Cart package.
What accessories are available for the CRX CERT Cart? Accessories include the Schunk CoAct collaborative parallel gripper for 3-inch block handling, a fixed-grid 12-location parts presentation kit with foam dice blocks, and a pegboard reconfigurable parts presentation template with 50 locator pegs and foam dice blocks.
What certification can students earn on the CRX CERT Cart? Students who complete the FANUC Collaborative Robot CERT curriculum and pass the required assessments earn the FANUC Collaborative Robot CERT program certification, documenting their collaborative robot programming competency for manufacturing employers.
How does the CRX CERT Cart differ from traditional fenced CERT carts? The CRX is a collaborative robot designed to work safely alongside humans without traditional perimeter fencing, using sensitive contact detection and configurable Dual Check Safety workspace limits. The CRX CERT Cart's fenceless collaborative operation introduces students to the safety approach used in modern collaborative automation, which differs fundamentally from the hard-fenced industrial robot environments traditional CERT carts represent.
Does the CRX CERT Cart integrate with other FANUC equipment? Yes. The CRX connects over EtherNet/IP to FANUC PLC/HMI systems, vision systems, and integrated educational cells, and is compatible with the full range of FANUC CERT curriculum and ecosystem products.
What states does Klein Educational serve? We serve California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and Alaska.
Ready to Bring Collaborative Robot Training to Your Program?
Whether you are launching a new cobot curriculum or adding collaborative robot capability to an existing FANUC robotics program, our team will help you select the right CRX CERT Cart configuration and accessories for your needs and budget.