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Universal Robots

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Universal Robots
Company typeAnpartsselskab
IndustryAutomation
Founded2005
FounderEsben Østergaard
Kasper Støy
Kristian Kassow Edit this on Wikidata
HeadquartersOdense, Denmark
Key people
Enrico Krog Iversen (CEO), Esben H. Østergaard (CTO & founder) and Gert Taul Pedersen (CCO)
ProductsIndustrial robots
Revenue€17.2 million (2013)
Number of employees
110
Websitewww.universal-robots.com

Universal Robots is a manufacturer of smaller size flexible industrial robot arms, based in Odense, Denmark. The 2013 business volume was about 17,2 million Euro. Universal Robots has 110 employees and distributes its robots all around the world. The company has a global network with 200 distributors in 50 countries.[1] The robot arms are used in production by companies such as Lear Corporation, Franke (company), Oticon, Johnson & Johnson,[2] Clamcleats, Kunshan Dongwei, VW [3] and BMW [4]. The company received the IERA award [5] (2012) that honors innovative achievements in the field of robotics and was named one of Denmark's 30 most important export companies and thus included in the "ExportCanon" in 2013 [6].

History

The company Universal Robots was founded in 2005 by the engineers Esben Østergaard, Kasper Støy, and Kristian Kassow. During joint research at the Syddansk Universitet Odense, they came to the conclusion that the robotics market was dominated by heavy, expensive, and unwieldy robots. As a consequence they developed the idea to make robot technology accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises.[7] In 2009 the first UR5 robots were available on the Danish and German market. Since 2010 the company expands its activities steadily. Meanwhile, the robots are distributed globally. In 2012 the second robot, UR10 was launched.[8] At Automatica 2014 in Munich the company launched a totally revised version of its robots.[9]

Products

The two main products are the flexible robot arm UR5,[10] and its bigger brother, the UR 10.[11] Both are six-jointed robot arms with a very low weight of respectively 18 kilos and 28 kilos. The UR5 has a lifting ability of 5 kilos and has a working radius of 850mm (33.5 in), and the UR10 has a lifting ability of 10 kilos with a reach of 1300mm (51.2in). Each of the robots’ joints can rotate through +/- 360° and up to 180 degrees per second. The accuracy of the robots’ repetitions is +/- 0.1mm (+/- 0.0039 in). Universal Robots are "Collaborative Robots" which means they can work right alongside personnel with no safety guarding, based on the results of a mandatory risk assessment.

The safety settings of the latest generation of Universal Robots’ lightweight robots can be adjusted for each specific solution. The robot arm can run in two operating modes of the safety functions; a normal and a reduced one. A switch between safety settings during the robot’s operation is also possible. All these safety functions are safety rated PL d (EN ISO 13849:2008 ) and certified by TÜV NORD.[12] The Danish company now has over 2,000 collaborative robots [13] deployed in 43 countries worldwide. 80% of these work directly alongside employees with no safety guarding.

Due to its own low weight and its size, as the comparably low initial outlay, both robot arms are mainly used within medium-sized enterprises[14] such as packaging, automotive, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, metal working, and manufacturing.

IERA-Award and ExportCanon

In 2012, Universal Robots received the IERA Award. This Award honoring innovative achievements in the field of robotics was presented during the trade fair Automatica in Munich, Germany. Initiators of the price are the international robot organisations; the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) and IEEE Robotics and Automation Society. They especially appreciated the innovative creation and development and successful commercialization of the six-jointed robot UR5.[5]

Besides further important awards, for instance Good Design Award (Japan), Game Changer Award (RoboBusiness), DIRA Automation Award, Universal Robots was was named one of Denmark's 30 most important export companies in 2013 and thus included in the "ExportCanon".[15]

References

  1. ^ "Distributors of Universal Robots". universal-robots.com. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  2. ^ "Palletizing Solution – Universal Robot system in Athens Plant". robotics.youngester.com. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  3. ^ "Volkswagen Turns Robotic Arms Into Production Assistants". forbes.com. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  4. ^ "Universal Robots on BMW Assembly Line – ASME". Advanced Motion Systems, Inc. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Two winners: Robocoaster and Universal Robots". ifr.org. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  6. ^ "Denmark's Export Canon". Huset Monday Morning. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  7. ^ "Danish Firm Develops Light-Weight Robotic Arm". roboticstrends.com. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  8. ^ "Robotic Solutions for Small and Medium-Sized Applications". automationworld.com. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  9. ^ "Universal Robots presents the next generation of lightweight robots". ifr.org. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  10. ^ "Technical specifications UR5" (PDF). Universal Robots. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  11. ^ "Technical specifications UR10" (PDF). Universal Robots. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  12. ^ "Universal Robots Develops Lightweight Robots". ceasiamag.com. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  13. ^ http://www.universal-robots.com/GB/Universal_Robots/News.aspx?Action=1&NewsId=491&PID=14345
  14. ^ "Cheaper robots can help SMEs become more flexible". emtworld.com. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  15. ^ "Danmarks Eksportkanon". Huset Mondag Morgan. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
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