Compact Cobot Handles Large Payloads

Denmark’s Universal Robots has announced that it will expand its product portfolio with a new 30-kg (66 lb) payload collaborative robot, or cobot. It is being showcased for the first time at the iREX automation trade show currently underway in Tokyo, as shown in the video below.

The new UR30 is built on the same architecture as the company’s award-winning UR20. Despite its compact size, the UR30 offers extraordinary lift, and its superior motion control ensures the perfect placement of large payloads, said Universal Robots. It can work at higher speeds and lift heavier loads than the UR20.

Potential applications include machine tending, material handling, and high-torque screw driving.

For machine tending, the high payload brings new possibilities as it allows the cobot to use multiple grippers at the same time. This means it can remove finished parts and load more material in a single pass, shortening changeover times and maximizing productivity, according to Universal Robots.

The UR30 can handle large, high-output torque tools; thanks to a steady mode feature, the new cobot delivers straight, consistent screw driving, which is beneficial in automotive applications, for example.

The UR30’s 30-kg payload makes it suitable for material handling and palletizing of heavy products across all industries. The cobot’s small footprint and fairly light weight — 63.5 kg (140 lb) — make it easy to move between work cells and fit into constrained spaces.

“The higher payload and greater flexibility underpin a new era in automation,” said Universal Robots President Kim Povlsen. “Industries around the world are embracing more agile manufacturing and modularity in production — part of achieving that modularity and agility is about mobility, and this cobot delivers that despite its payload."

Universal Robots is accepting pre-orders for the UR30, which will begin shipping in the first quarter of 2024.