Universal Robots Explained

Universal Robots
Industry:Automation
Foundation:2005
Location:Odense, Denmark
Key People:Kim Povlsen (CEO)
Products:Industrial robots, cobots
Revenue:USD 311 million (2021) [1]
Num Employees:1000+ (2022) [2]
Parent:Teradyne
Homepage:www.universal-robots.com

Universal Robots is a Danish manufacturer of smaller flexible industrial collaborative robot arms (cobots), based in Odense, Denmark. Since 2015, the company is owned by American automatic test equipment designer and manufacturer Teradyne.

Universal Robots was the first company to launch a collaborative robot that could safely operate alongside employees, eliminating the need for safety cages or fencing.[3] [4]

As of 2022, Universal Robots was the market leader for collaborative robots, credited with 40-50% of the market share.[5] [6]

History

Universal Robots was founded in Odense, Denmark in 2005 by Esben Østergaard, Kasper Støy, and Kristian Kassow.[7] [8] During joint research at the Syddansk Universitet Odense, the founders came to the conclusion that the robotics market was dominated by heavy, expensive, and unwieldy robots. That led them to develop the idea to make robot technology accessible to small and medium-sized businesses.[9]

In 2008, the first UR5 cobots were available on the Danish and German markets.

In 2012 the second cobot, UR10, was launched.[10]

In spring 2015, the table-top cobot UR3 was launched.[11]

In 2015, Universal Robots was acquired by Teradyne for USD 285 million.[12] [13]

In 2016, Universal Robots launched the UR Academy, a training platform that offers online and in-class robotics training courses.[14] In the same year, Universal Robots launched the UR+ Ecosystem, a platform for third party developers to create and sell products that are compatible with collaborative robots from Universal Robots.[15]

At Automatica 2018, a German trade fair for smart automation and robotics Munich, Universal Robots introduced a new generation of collaborative robots called the "e-Series".[16]

In 2019, the company launched the UR16e cobot.[17]

In 2020, Universal Robots had installed 50,000 collaborative robots worldwide.[18]

In April 2022, Universal Robots announced that it had broken ground on a new headquarter in Odense, Denmark. The headquarter will be shared with Universal Robot's sister company MiR. It will be the world's largest hub for collaborative robots and autonomous mobile robots.[19]

In 2022, Universal Robots opened its 100th training center for cobot programming in Täby, Sweden. The company has training centers in 23 countries.[20]

At Automatica 2022, a German trade fair for smart automation and robotics, the company revealed the UR20 as its latest product addition.[21] [22]

Products

Universal Robots has seven collaborative robots on the market. All robots are six-jointed robot arms. The CB3-series consists of the UR3, UR5 and UR10,[23] while UR16e, UR10e, UR5e and UR3e are part of the newer e-series.[24] The UR20 is the first collaborative robot in a whole new generation of collaborative robots.[25]

Collaborative robots from Universal Robots[26] [27] [28] [29] [30] !Model!Release year!Payload (kg)!Footprint (mm)!Weight (kg)!Reach (mm)
UR30202430245641300
UR20202220245641750
UR16e20191619033.1900
UR10e201812.519033.51300
UR5e2018514920.6850
UR3e2018312811.2500
UR32015312811500
UR1020121019028.91300
UR52008514918.4850
Universal Robots' collaborative robots are used for many different applications including welding, machine tending, palletizing and grinding (abrasive cutting)[31] within industries such as automotive, electronics, pharmaceuticals, plastics, food and beverage.[32]

Awards and recognition

Universal Robots received an Honoree in the "robotics" category at Automation World’s “Leadership in Automation” in 2016.[33] At the Learning Technologies Award in London at the end of 2017, the UR Academy was awarded “Silver” in the category “Excellence in the design of learning content - international commercial sector”[34]

In 2018, Esben Østergaard, one of the co-founders of Universal Robots, was awarded the Engelberger Robotics Award for his work on developing Universal Robot's collaborative robots.[35]

At the 2018 Annual Manufacturing Leadership Awards, Universal Robots won three awards in "Collaborative Innovation Leadership" for the UR+ platform, "Smart Products and Services Leadership" for the product portfolio, and co-founder Esben Østergaard received an award in the category "Visionary Leadership".[36]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Universal Robots - revenue .
  2. Web site: Universal Robots reaches 1,000 employees . 15 November 2022 .
  3. Web site: StackPath . 2022-12-30 . www.mhlnews.com. 26 February 2020 .
  4. Web site: Collaborative robotics — history and recent trends RoboticsTomorrow . 2022-12-30 . roboticstomorrow.com . en-US.
  5. Web site: Staff . Robotics 24/7 . Universal Robots Reports $85M in Revenue for Q1 2022 . 2022-12-30 . Robotics 24/7 . en.
  6. Web site: Kuokkanen . Kimmo . 2021-03-22 . Global Collaborative Robot Market is Forecasted to Reach $2.3bn by 2025 . 2022-12-30 . EIN News . en-US.
  7. Web site: Devi . Sharmila . 2014-05-19 . Universal Robots are a big hit . subscription . 2017-09-15 . Financial Times.
  8. Web site: Our history Universal Robots. www.universal-robots.com. 2018-05-04.
  9. Web site: 2019-04-01 . Grundlægger Esben Østergaard forlader kæmpesuccesen Universal Robots fire år efter milliard-salg: "Det har været en fantasisk rejse for mig at være med fra tidlig ide til at skabe en global industri" . 2022-12-30 . Computerworld . da.
  10. Web site: Robotic Solutions for Small and Medium-Sized Applications . 11 February 2013 . automationworld.com.
  11. Web site: UR3-Roboter. https://web.archive.org/web/20150325042648/http://www.universal-robots.com/en//products/ur3-robot/ . dead . 25 March 2015 . 5 May 2015 . Universal Robots.
  12. Godske, Bjørn. "Universal Robots solgt for 1,9 mia. kroner" Ingeniøren, 13 May 2015. Accessed: 13 May 2015.
  13. News: Collaborative robots open new fronts in automation. The Business Times. 2018-05-04. en.
  14. Web site: UR Academy offers the largest, most comprehensive cobot training platform – Advanced Motion & Controls . 2022-12-30 . en-US.
  15. Web site: admin . 2018-12-06 . Universal Robots Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary Of Selling The World's First Commercially Viable Cobot . 2022-12-30 . Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News Manufacturing Automation Quality Control . en-US.
  16. Web site: Crowe . Steve . 2018-06-20 . Universal Robots e-Series cobots launch at Automatica . 2022-12-30 . The Robot Report . en-US.
  17. Web site: SHOW NEWS: Universal Robots launches new UR16e cobot . 2022-12-30 . Robotics and Automation . en-GB.
  18. Web site: Universal Robots Reaches Industry Milestone With 50,000 Cobots Sold 2021-02-08 ASSEMBLY . 2022-12-30 . www.assemblymag.com . en.
  19. Web site: Odense . Invest in . 2021-03-03 . The world's largest Cobot Hub to open in Odense in 2023 . 2022-12-30 . Invest in Odense . en-US.
  20. Web site: Technology . Surgical Robotics . 2022-06-01 . Universal Robots Opens 100th Cobot Training Center . 2022-12-30 . Surgical Robotics Technology . en-US.
  21. Web site: Crowe . Steve . 2022-06-21 . Meet UR20: Universal Robots' fastest, strongest cobot ever . 2022-12-30 . The Robot Report . en-US.
  22. Web site: Mennings . Robbin . 2022-06-22 . Universal Robots unveils the new UR20 . 2022-12-30 . WiredWorkers . en-US.
  23. Web site: CB3 Family Collaborative robots by Universal Robots . 2022-12-30 . www.universal-robots.com.
  24. Web site: e-Series Cobots Collaborative robots by Universal Robots . 2022-12-30 . www.universal-robots.com.
  25. Web site: This is the cobot. Redefined. . 2022-12-30 . www.universal-robots.com.
  26. Web site: Collaborative robots from UR Start your automation journey . 2022-12-30 . www.universal-robots.com.
  27. Web site: 2022-02-25 . Universal Robots products: Transforming the industrial landscape . 2022-12-30 . Robotics & Automation News . en-US.
  28. Web site: UR3e Technical Specifications Contact .
  29. Web site: Technical specifications UR10 .
  30. Web site: UR5 Tekniske specifikationer .
  31. Web site: The Benefits and Capabilities of Cobots by Universal Robots . 2022-12-30 . blog.hirebotics.com . en.
  32. Web site: HOW ARE COBOTS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR INDUSTRY ? . 2022-12-30 . www.universal-robots.com.
  33. Web site: 2018-01-11 . 2017 Leadership in Automation: First Team Honorees . 2022-12-30 . Automation World . en-us.
  34. Web site: Learning Technologies Awards 2022 . 2022-12-30 . Learning Technologies 2023 . en-GB.
  35. Web site: 2018-05-24 . Universal Robots Co-Founder & CTO Wins "Nobel Prize" Of Robotics . 2022-12-30 . Manufacturing.net . en-us.
  36. Sullivan . Frost & . 2018 Manufacturing Leadership Awards Program Honors Leaders of Industry Transformation . 2022-12-30 . www.prnewswire.com . en.
  37. Web site: Universal Robots UR3 Arm Is Small and Nimble, Helps to Build Copies of Itself. Universal Robots UR3 Arm Is Small and Nimble, Helps to Build Copies of Itself. en. 2019-08-20.

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