Head to head
FANUC ARC Mate 100iD vs Yaskawa Motoman AR900
A specification duel across payload, reach, precision, and footprint, with a plain read on which arm suits which job.
Purpose-built arm for MIG and TIG welding cells
Compact arc welding robot for tight work cells
Specification duel
Green marks the stronger figure. Unconfirmed specs are shown but not scored.
The verdict
The specs separate them here: the FANUC ARC Mate 100iD carries more, 12 kg to the Yaskawa Motoman AR900's 7 kg, and the FANUC ARC Mate 100iD reaches farther, 1441 mm to 927 mm. If precision drives the job, the FANUC ARC Mate 100iD holds the tighter repeatability at ±0.02 mm. They run different controllers, the FANUC ARC Mate 100iD on the R-30iB Plus and the Yaskawa Motoman AR900 on the YRC1000, so whichever platform your team already programs and stocks parts for is a real tiebreaker. Mounting options differ: the FANUC ARC Mate 100iD lists Floor, Ceiling, and Angle, and the Yaskawa Motoman AR900 lists Floor, Ceiling, Wall, and Tilt. Both are aimed at arc welding, with the FANUC ARC Mate 100iD stretching to material handling.
Choose this one when
Job fit first, then the controller and cell constraints that decide which arm you can actually install.
Choose the FANUC ARC Mate 100iD when
- Hollow wrist keeps torch cables protected
- Slim arm accesses tight weld joints
- Integrated arc welding software package
- Fast point-to-point moves between welds
Watch for
- Payload is tuned for torches, not heavy tooling
- Best value realized with FANUC welding power source integration
Choose the Yaskawa Motoman AR900 when
- Compact size fits tight weld cells
- Hollow wrist keeps torch cable protected
- Good reach to footprint ratio for short welds
- Reliable arc start performance with Yaskawa welding packages
Watch for
- Short reach limits it to smaller parts or fixtures
- Not intended for heavy handling duty
Controller ecosystem
Programming habits, spare parts, and pendant familiarity often decide the pick when payloads are close.
- Brand
- FANUC
- Controller
- R-30iB Plus
- Class
- arc welding
Service, spares, and pendant training for the FANUC ARC Mate 100iD run through FANUC's R-30iB Plus stack.
- Brand
- Yaskawa
- Controller
- YRC1000
- Class
- arc welding
Service, spares, and pendant training for the Yaskawa Motoman AR900 run through Yaskawa's YRC1000 stack.
These arms run different controllers (R-30iB Plus vs YRC1000). If your team already programs one of them, retraining programmers and stocking a second set of spares usually costs more than a small payload or reach advantage on paper.
Mounting, footprint, and mass
How the arm can be oriented in the cell, and how much mass you have to mount.
| Field | FANUC ARC Mate 100iD | Yaskawa Motoman AR900 |
|---|---|---|
| Mounting | Floor, Ceiling, and Angle | Floor, Ceiling, Wall, and Tilt |
| Robot mass | 145 kg | 34 kg |
| Protection (IP) | IP67 wrist & J3 arm / IP54 body | IP67 |
Heavier arms want stiffer bases and more clearance around the swept volume, and they push freight and rigging costs up on the install. IP ratings only cover the section they name, so a wrist-only rating protects the wrist and nothing else; check the body rating separately before you commit the arm to a washdown or dusty cell.
Application fit
Where each arm is aimed, based on the applications listed on its robot page.
Both pages list arc welding, with the differences below.
FANUC ARC Mate 100iD also covers
Yaskawa Motoman AR900 covers
Speed and cycle-time planning
Speed is rarely a single datasheet number across brands. Use payload, reach, and class as the planning frame, then confirm cycle time in a path study.
The FANUC ARC Mate 100iD is a arc welding arm rated 12 kg at 1441 mm with ±0.02 mm repeatability. The Yaskawa Motoman AR900 is a arc welding arm rated 7 kg at 927 mm with ±0.03 mm. Class changes how speed shows up in a cell: collaborative arms slow down near people and can speed up in a guarded mode, while industrial arms run at rated speed inside a fence or scanner field. Which arm cycles faster on your part depends on the path, the payload, and the safeguarding, so confirm the takt with a path study before you quote it.
Common questions
- Which has more payload, the FANUC ARC Mate 100iD or the Yaskawa Motoman AR900?
- The FANUC ARC Mate 100iD has more payload at 12 kg versus 7 kg.
- Which reaches farther?
- The FANUC ARC Mate 100iD has more reach at 1441 mm versus 927 mm.
- Which is more precise?
- The FANUC ARC Mate 100iD holds tighter repeatability at ±0.02 mm.
- Should I choose the FANUC ARC Mate 100iD or the Yaskawa Motoman AR900?
- Match the pick to the job. The FANUC ARC Mate 100iD is a arc welding arm at 12 kg and 1441 mm. The Yaskawa Motoman AR900 is a arc welding arm at 7 kg and 927 mm.
- Do the FANUC ARC Mate 100iD and Yaskawa Motoman AR900 use the same controller?
- No. The FANUC ARC Mate 100iD uses R-30iB Plus and the Yaskawa Motoman AR900 uses YRC1000.
- How do the IP ratings compare?
- The FANUC ARC Mate 100iD is rated IP67 wrist & J3 arm / IP54 body. The Yaskawa Motoman AR900 is rated IP67. Check wrist versus body coverage before washdown or dusty cells.