Universal Robots Unveils New Industrial Robot

Universal Robots (UR), the world’s leading collaborative robot (cobot) company, has introduced a new addition to its portfolio, the UR8 Long. Showcased for the first time at FABTECH in Chicago, the long-reach industrial collaborative robot is designed to tackle the most demanding automation challenges across industries. UR8 Long is available for order now, with shipping to begin in October.

With the same 1750 mm (68.9 in) reach as the popular UR20 and a significantly slimmer profile, UR8 Long combines reach, stability and precision in a rugged, compact, lightweight form, featuring an 8 kg (17.6 lbs) payload. This makes it ideal for space-constrained setups and industrial tasks, from complex weldments to precision dunnage picking and flexible multi-point inspections.

UR8 Long runs with both PolyScope 5 and PolyScope X, UR’s industry-leading software platform, and can be extended with MotionPlus – UR’s new advanced motion control technology that allows for ease of integration with linear axis, rotary positioners and rotary turntables for precise control, smoother trajectories, and consistent accuracy.

Combined with UR’s upgraded freedrive capabilities, users can manually guide the arm with precision and ease – making lead-to-teach programming more intuitive and enabling quick, ergonomic setup even on complex parts, all without the need for layered interfaces or external tools. UR8 Long’s lighter mass and compact wrist design also makes it perfect for mounting on gantries, rails, or overhead systems, where external axes can operate more efficiently.

The longer reach combined with the new robot’s compact tool flange and fast wrist joints allow more pick positions and for the robot to reach deep into bin corners with ease. All features in high demand in industries such as automotive, where the UR8 Long will integrate seamlessly into space-constrained cells and offer more picks per bin and more uninterrupted workflows. The improved joint architecture delivers up to 30 percent faster cycle times compared to earlier generations of cobots.

UR8 Long’s European debut will happen at SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN in Essen, Germany. UR partner Smooth Robotics will be showcasing UR8 Long in its booth and Lorch Schweißtechnik GmbH will demonstrate UR8 Long in the Universal Robots booth in Hall 3 at Stand 3C18. There will also be an opportunity to see a special presentation of UR8 Long on September 18 at 11:30am on the Future Hub stage.

For more information, visit https://www.universal-robots.com.