FBR’s first Mantis welding robot has passed factory acceptance testing and independent weld inspections, removing the key condition on its sale to Industrial Robotics. The machine will remain in Perth for a paid customer pilot before heading to the United States, with a $198,000 deposit secured.
- Factory acceptance testing completed across automated twin-wire welding and high-deposition performance
- Independent NDT inspection confirmed compliance with AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2025 requirements
- First Mantis sale is now unconditional after a $198,000 deposit from Industrial Robotics
- Paid Perth pilot and demonstrations will run through the remainder of 2026, with shipment planned for January 2027
- Second Mantis unit is under construction
Mantis clears the technical gate on first sale
FBR Limited (ASX:FBR) has cleared the technical hurdle that previously left its first Mantis welding robot sale conditional. Factory Acceptance Testing has been completed, and the purchase order is now unconditional after the machine met its specified performance requirements.
The testing covered automated twin-wire welding, travel speed, weld deposition and the robot’s eight-metre reach, including its Dynamic Stabilisation Technology motion compensation. Independent inspection by InSpec NDT also found the test welds compliant with the visual, surface, volumetric and magnetic particle inspection criteria under AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2025, the structural welding code cited by FBR.
Perth pilot delays shipment but extends selling time
Rather than ship the only operational Mantis immediately, FBR will retain it in Perth for a paid pilot program and demonstrations through the remainder of 2026, with the company also referring to the unit staying locally until January 2027. The amended sales arrangement is now with Industrial Robotics LLC, which was founded by the owner of State Machinery & Equipment Sales and appointed Mantis’ non-exclusive distributor for the United States and Canada in July.
Industrial Robotics has paid a 20% deposit, with the body of the announcement specifying the amount as $198,000 in a currency not stated by the company. The total contract value and expected revenue-recognition timing were not disclosed. The sale’s move from conditional to unconditional is significant for a company that recently raised funds to support Mantis testing and commercialisation through its A$4 million capital raising.
Customer trials target mining and heavy fabrication
FBR says it has scheduled demonstrations this quarter with Tier 1 mining, shipbuilding and heavy fabrication groups. Several large industrial companies have supplied test-piece specifications for real-world geometries, allowing the Perth workshop to test cycle times and weld quality on prospective customer applications rather than only on standardised assemblies.
The company says immediate shipment would take roughly eight weeks of ocean freight and US import processing, during which the robot could not be demonstrated. The Perth decision therefore trades earlier commissioning at State Machinery’s Mississippi River facility for additional time to pursue customer commitments before the machine leaves Australia. The robot is ultimately due to be installed and integrated at that US site after the pilot.
Second unit enters the commercialisation equation
FBR is also building a second Mantis unit. That gives the company a potential way to keep demonstrations and customer work moving beyond the first machine’s eventual departure, although the announcement does not provide a completion timetable, production cost or confirmed customer for the second robot.
Bottom Line?
The technical acceptance hurdle is now behind FBR; the next test is whether Perth demonstrations convert into disclosed orders before the first Mantis reaches the United States.
Questions in the middle?
- How many Perth pilot participants convert their test pieces and demonstrations into paid Mantis orders?
- What is the full value of the first machine sale, and when will FBR recognise the associated revenue?
- Can the second unit be completed quickly enough to preserve demonstration capacity after the first robot ships?