FBR's Mantis Welding Robot Secures US Manufacturing Deal

Robotic technology company FBR Limited has received a binding conditional purchase order valued at AUD 990,000 for its Mantis welding robot, in a deal aimed at supporting manufacturing operations in the United States. In a news release, the company said the order has been placed by State Machinery & Equipment Sales, a Louisiana-based dealer for heavy equipment brands, which intends to use the Mantis robot in the manufacture of barges at its facility on the Mississippi River. FBR stated delivery is anticipated in the second half of calendar year 2026. According to FBR, the purchase order is conditional on the successful completion of a Factory Acceptance Test to be conducted at the company’s Western Australian facility. The test will involve Mantis welding a sub-assembly of a hopper barge, with welding speed and quality independently assessed through non-destructive testing in line with AWS D1.1 standards. Once the Factory Acceptance Test is completed to specification, AUD 450,000 of the contract value will become payable, with a further AUD 450,000 due on delivery and the remaining AUD 90,000 payable three months after delivery. The contract also includes installation and training services to be provided by FBR in Louisiana. FBR chief executive officer Mark Pivac said the order reflects early interest in the technology despite it still being in the prototyping phase. “We are very pleased to have secured a binding conditional purchase order for Mantis while we’re still in the prototyping phase, which is indicative of the strong demand we’ve had for the product already,” he said. He added that the company looks forward to demonstrating the system’s welding performance during the acceptance testing process. State Machinery president Ed Renton said the company sees the technology as an opportunity to enhance its manufacturing capability. “As the foremost dealer of heavy equipment in Louisiana, State Machinery has a lot of experience in manufacturing and construction equipment, and we are very excited to get our hands on the first Mantis® in the world,” he said. “We are pleased to be working with the team to bring their robotic welding technology to the United States to boost our manufacturing capability.”