Side by side
Kawasaki CL108N vs KUKA LBR iisy 8 R930
Two collaborative arms a buyer shopping for machine tending would honestly weigh against each other, with the manufacturer-published figures in one table and a plain reading of what the differences mean on a floor. We sell across brands, so we have no reason to tilt it.
| Kawasaki CL108N | KUKA LBR iisy 8 R930 | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Collaborative arm | Collaborative arm |
| Payload | 8 kg (18 lb) | 8 kg (18 lb) |
| Reach | 1300 mm | 930 mm |
| Sold as collaborative | yes | yes |
| Applications listed | machine tending, welding, material movement, palletizing | machine tending, pick and place, assembly and screwdriving, inspection |
| Specs checked | 2026-08-22 | 2026-08-22 |
Every figure is a manufacturer-published claim, checked on the date shown against the maker's own material, and not one of them survives contact with your part, your rate and your floor without an applications review. Prices are deliberately absent: quotes are prepared by our team and confirmed with the manufacturer.
What the numbers mean on the floor
- Payload is effectively a tie at 8 kg and 8 kg. The gripper and the part decide it, not the arm: rated payload is measured at the wrist with no tool on it.
- The Kawasaki CL108N reaches 370 mm farther than the KUKA LBR iisy 8 R930. That matters for pallet height, bin depth and machine door clearance more than it matters at a bench.
- Both are sold as collaborative. That describes a feature set, not a safety verdict: the risk assessment on your part, your gripper and your speed is what decides whether anyone works beside it. Collaborative does not mean fenceless.
- Both are listed for machine tending. The Kawasaki CL108N is also listed for welding, material movement, palletizing. The KUKA LBR iisy 8 R930 is also listed for pick and place, assembly and screwdriving, inspection.
What a spec sheet cannot tell you
The gripper, the fixture and the integrator decide more of the outcome than the arm. Cycle time on your part is a test, not a datasheet figure. Service footprint, spare parts and who answers the phone at 2 AM differ by brand and by state. And the price difference between two arms in the same class is usually smaller than the difference between two integrators' quotes for the same cell. A model number is not a specification, and the gripper is the project.
From our matrix
Kawasaki CL108N. 8 kg payload, but its 1300 mm reach is LONGER than the 10 kg CL110N. IP66.
KUKA LBR iisy 8 R930. Total load 8 kg, 930 mm reach; IP54; shares its reach with the 15 kg iisy 15 R930.
Also on the shortlist for machine tending
- Productive Robotics OB7 Max 8, 8 kg
- Universal Robots UR7e, 7.5 kg
- ABB SWIFTI CRB 1300-7/1.4, 7 kg
- AUBO AUBO-i7, 7 kg
- Dobot CR7A, 7 kg
Ask about these two for your job
Free, about two minutes, no phone number. Joe will tell you which belongs on your shortlist, what beats both, and what has to be true for the math to work.