Universal Robots’ best-selling robot UR10e is launching with an increased payload, enabling the cobots (collaborative robots) to serve even more applications and handle heavier items while improving overall productivity for customers.

Universal Robots (UR) launched an enhanced UR10e with an increased payload of 12.5kg (27.55lbs), creating new possibilities for applications such as palletizing, machine tending, and packaging. The robot’s price remains unchanged.

“Universal Robots is committed to continuous improvement based on meaningful conversations with customers and our ability to address critical market opportunities,” said Kim Povlsen, President of Universal Robots. “Our customers have already deployed UR collaborative robots (cobots) on a wide variety of palletizing applications. Over time, they have identified opportunities to utilize our UR10e cobot in handling tasks with heavier items. In response to this demand, we have enhanced the UR10e to support greater payloads, providing customers with exciting new deployment capabilities.”

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The enhanced UR10e retains the small footprint, intuitive programming experience, uncompromising repeatability, commitment to quality, and trusted performance that Universal Robots customers have come to expect, but its increased payload capacity means that users can now do more:

• The UR10e can now be used in palletizing applications with cartons weighing up to 10kg and a 2.5kg gripper.
• The UR10e is now more versatile for other material handling tasks, too, such as loading and unloading heavier workpieces in machine tending deployments and packaging of heavy items.
• The enhanced UR10e’s greater payload takes more weight from the hands and shoulders of humans, leading to improved ergonomics and working conditions. With overexertion/strenuous movements accounting for a total of 38,235 occupational accidents that occurred in 2017 in the Philippines, this provides relief to human workers.

Unergonomic activities

“One of the major benefits of cobots is its flexibility in taking over unergonomic activities, freeing human workers from dangerous and injury-prone tasks,” said James McKew, regional director, Universal Robots, Asia Pacific. “UR cobots are designed to work alongside humans and perform best as a minimally disruptive solution to safety concerns. The results of deploying cobots are clear; a boost in productivity, improved quality outcomes, enhanced working conditions, and leaving space for businesses to re-evaluate how to best use the problem-solving abilities of their workforce.”

The updated UR10e also provides plug-and-play compatibility with products from Universal Robots’ UR+ ecosystem of hardware and software peripherals, ensuring that users can quickly and easily get started with collaborative applications.

“Increasing the payload of the UR10e will make our MBO CoBo-Stack much more profitable for our customers by expanding their application possibilities to include larger packages and heavier products, such as perfect bound or saddle-stitched catalogs and brochures,” said Sebastian König, head of Research & Development at MBO Postpress Solutions GmbH.