October Grind – Q&A With Sean Murphy of FANUC America

Photo (L-R): Charles Gales, Weldon Solutions Manager of Automation Sales; Sean Murphy, FANUC America Sr. District Manager Northeast Region; Travis Gentzler, Weldon Solutions President and CEO; Carl Moon, Weldon Solutions Vice President.

Introduction:

In honor of October being Manufacturing Month, we recently caught up with our longstanding contact at FANUC America, Sean Murphy, Sr. District Manager of the Northeast Region.

Sean sat down with us for a Q&A to provide some background on how he got into the business, the relationship between Weldon and FANUC, plus the future of the industry and advice for anyone who would like to get into robotics and industrial automation. Weldon is an Authorized System Integrator and Certified Service Provider for FANUC America, utilizing their wide range of robotic solutions to meet our customer needs.

  • How did you get into this industry?

I previously worked in the material handling industry, focusing on conveyor solutions.  I worked on a few projects with FANUC robots, providing conveyor systems feeding the robots.  I found robots much more interesting than standard conveyor systems and that has proven to be true.  Before FANUC I had no idea what the robotics world was all about.

  • Can you provide a brief description of your position at FANUC, how long you have been there and what is your day to day like?

I started with FANUC in 1993, and it’s been a wonderful 31+ years.  My colleagues at FANUC and my customers like Weldon are great to work with and I’m constantly learning.  I am either in the office or visiting clients and it’s close to a 50/50 split.  I always say I have the best job in the world because every day is different.  One day I’m visiting an aerospace company for a machine tending application and then next day it’s a food manufacturer looking at high-speed picking.  I’m never bored!

  • What sparked the relationship with Weldon?

After acquiring bakery automation assets from Emtrol, Inc. along with hiring several of Emtrol’s employees, the door was open for Weldon to expand further into robotic automation.  At the time Weldon was already a FANUC CNC integrator. and had just started to integrate FANUC robots in industrial automation projects. The relationship now is nearly 25 years strong and has provided excellent support in growing FANUC’s robotics business.

Photo (L-R): Charles Gales, Weldon Solutions Manager of Automation Sales; Travis Gentzler, Weldon Solutions President; Dr. Y Inaba, FANUC Chairman and Mike Cicco, FANUC America Corporation President and CEO at the IMTS 2024 show.

  • How do Weldon’s capabilities align with FANUC on product innovation?

Weldon is in a unique position because they have two key focus areas that are unrelated but important segments for FANUC and the robotics industry.  Machine tending is a perfect match for Weldon because of their CNC grinder products and Weldon adds robotic automation to their grinders and many other machines.  Bakery automation is more packaging and palletizing which is another strength for Weldon.  These two segments represent two of the largest in our industry so it’s perfect for Weldon and FANUC.

  • What type of customers best align with Weldon and FANUC?

For all companies, repeat customers help grow the business and reflect on that supplier’s capabilities.  FANUC has been fortunate to see Weldon sell many repeat robotic solutions to our mutual customers because of the quality of their work and their integrity.  One of Weldon’s strengths is walking away from opportunities that are not a good fit and they are open to steering clients to a supplier better suited for that application.  I’ve seen many integrators attempt an application that was outside their expertise, and they failed miserably.  Weldon understands that is the wrong outcome for them and their client.

  • Are there key milestones coming up in the Weldon-FANUC relationship?

Weldon and FANUC will celebrate 25 years together in 2025!  That’s one of our longest integrator relationships in the northeast!  Along the way Weldon has grown their robotics business to be a Level 4 Authorized System Integrator for FANUC as well as a Certified Service Provider which is rare.

  • What is the latest product update that will benefit integrators like Weldon and their automation customers?

FANUC introduces new robot arms and new software features every year, but a new controller platform only every 6 years or so.  Our latest robot controller, R-50iA, will roll out in early 2025.  As with other new controller releases it will include increased memory, faster processing speed, and enhanced vision technology.  In addition, the new R-50iA controller will introduce new cybersecurity features that are becoming an even more important requirement for many manufacturers. 

  • What do you see happening in the next 5 years with robotic industrial automation?

The industry seems like an all you can eat buffet:  There’s something for everyone!  There are so many new applications developing every day and new technologies being introduced.  Yes, the arms are getting better, and the controllers have more features, but the growth is due to new markets being open to robotics.  When I started 31 years ago the market was dominated by the automotive industry.  Now there are so many areas that are just being tapped including eCommerce, agriculture, and the service industry to name a few.  Even more exciting is that we don’t know what new markets will be identified in the future.

  • What would your advice be to a high school student who is thinking about getting into this industry?

As I mentioned before, our industry is so exciting because it’s always something different and new.  If you’re easily bored like me, you couldn’t ask for a better job or industry.  They didn’t exist in my youth, but there are many robotics clubs around the country that introduce robotics to high school (and younger) students.  And if someone eventually chooses a career in robotics, there are opportunities in mechanical or electrical design, programming, assembly, and even sales & marketing.

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