Universal Robots upgrades its UR10e arm with 25 percent greater payload

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

Kim Povlsen, President of Universal Robots, says: “Universal Robots is committed to continuous improvement based on meaningful conversations with customers and our ability to address critical market opportunities. Our customers have already deployed UR 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.”

Universal Robots says the enhanced UR10e retains the small footprint, intuitive programming experience, uncompromising repeatability, commitment to quality, and trusted performance that the company’s 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 10 kg and a 2.5 kg 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 and repetitive motion accounting for an estimated 24 percent and 8 percent of workplace injuries respectively in the US alone, this provides significant relief to human workers.

Povlsen says: “Humans are not designed to lift heavy goods repeatedly, but our cobots handle these tasks with ease.

“By taking over unergonomic activities, UR cobots boost productivity, improve product quality, and help businesses rethink how to best use the creative and problem-solving abilities of their workforce –all while keeping people safe.”

Feedback from UR partners has been “extremely positive”, says Universal. MBO Postpress Solutions in Germany has integrated the UR10e as part of its CoBo-Stack stacking cobot.

Sebastian König, head of research and development at MBO Postpress Solutions, says: “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 catalogues and brochures.”

In addition, 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.

Nicolas Lauzier, senior product manager at Robotiq, says: “The greater payload of UR10e makes a big difference to palletizing applications by enabling users to handle loads up to 12.5 kg in weight.

“And with 25 percent greater automation potential, it also means that the UR10e can help whenever there is a single line that needs to palletize a wide range of products of different weights.”

Orders can be placed with UR distributors globally now, with shipments of the new UR10e scheduled to start in the second half of June.