Majority of Exhibitors at North America’s Largest Automation Show Select Universal Robots for Collaborative Robot Applications

With more than 30 exhibitors at Automate and ProMat 2019 choosing collaborative robot arms from Universal Robots for their show applications, the Danish robotics pioneer will be the industry leading cobot on display

The characteristic light-blue jointed collaborative robot arms from Universal Robots (UR) will be spotted hard at work throughout Automate and ProMat 2019 at McCormick Place in Chicago April 8 - 11. More than 30 UR cobot exhibitors will demonstrate a total of 80+ collaborative robot applications: a testament to the wide range of tasks and solutions now automated by UR. The cobots on display will handle vision-guided product inspection, pick parts off conveyors on the fly, ride on top of mobile robots while performing machine tending, perform live robotic sorting and induction into put walls and pouches, add 7th axis capabilities, hand giveaways to attendees, play golf on a putting green, and much more.


"We have successfully developed a rapidly expanding ecosystem around our collaborative robots"

"We have successfully developed a rapidly expanding ecosystem around our collaborative robots," says Stuart Shepherd, regional sales director of Universal Robots' Americas division. "Just walking the show floors, it will be immediately apparent how the fast and easy integration of UR cobots now drive both cobot-assisted OEM solutions and a host of new plug and play products certified for Universal Robots."

Universal Robots has created the UR+ platform, an online showroom of software and accessories that have been tested and certified to work optimally with UR cobots. From grippers to software, sensors, vision cameras, and accessories, Universal Robots+ not only enables end users to hit the ground running when integrating UR robots, it's also an un-paralleled collaboration between Universal Robots and the flourishing developer network. The platform currently includes more than 140 certified UR+ products with 400+ companies in the commercial developer program, 22 of them exhibiting their certified UR+ product on UR cobots at Automate and ProMat.

Attendees visiting Universal Robots' own Automate booth 7154 will also get a chance to experience the market leading cobots at UR's vast, two-story booth featuring the company's new flagship line of collaborative robots, the e-Series, that sets a new standards for collaborative robot performance. The e-Series just won Control Engineering's Engineers' Choice Award 2019 in the Motion Control category, which will be awarded in Chicago on the first night of the Automate show, April 8.

See UR cobots in action at the following Automate and ProMat 2019 booths:

Advanced Handling Systems - Booth 5127
UR10e moving small giveaway boxes back and forth between totes using UR+ certified products; the Schmalz CobotPump ECBPi and a PickIt3D vision system. When the robot receives a signal, the next box it picks will be presented to a booth visitor instead of being placed in a tote, then it will resume its previous routine.

ArtiMinds Robotics - Booth 6665
UR5 in force-controlled electronic assembly, 3D path following based on CAD data, and quality inspection with live force measuring. ArtiMinds' UR+ certified software demonstrates how to program sensor-adaptive robot motions to increase the dexterity to the robot system and store, display, and segment the data to analyze and optimize the process.

Asyril US Inc. - Booth 8372
UR3 cobot with the UR+ certified Asycube Flexible Part Feeder. Asyril's URCaps plugin guarantees a seamless and fast integration of any Asyril Asycube in conjunction with any Universal Robot. The control menus are directly accessible from the UR teach pendant, making it easy to use and quick to implement.

ATI Industrial Automation - Booth 7536
ATI will show two UR5 cobots demonstrating the capabilities of its UR+ certified Robotic Tool Changers and six-axis Force/Torque sensors. ATI's standard duty QC-7 Tool Changer adds flexibility to the UR5 by enabling seamless, automatic exchange of end-of-arm tooling. The Axia80 provides the cobot acute force guidance as it performs a variety of complex tasks, such as polishing, valve insertion and functional testing with a human-like sense of touch.

Bimba Manufacturing - Booth 8434
UR3 with Bimba's UR+ certified Collaborative Robot Vacuum Tool (CRVT). The CRVT combines a maintenance free non-clogging single stage venturi vacuum pump, vacuum switch or sensors, and a valve in a simple package allowing users to quickly start moving parts with their UR cobots. Ideal applications for the CRVT include pick and place operations such as CNC machine automation, packaging and palletizing, and assembly.

Cognex - Booth 2641
UR5 and UR3 cobots showing parts inspection, conveyor tracking and hand-eye calibration in demos with Cognex UR+ certified InSight 2D Robot Guidance, Insight Multi-Part Locate, and VisionPro ViDi.

Dorner - Booth 7732
A UR5 picks and places pallets on Dorner's Precision Move Pallet Systems. The integrated display shows pallets moving along a dual strand conveyor, entering a Dorner elevator system to an upper dual strand conveyor. Dorner elected to use the UR5 cobot due to the ease of integration and the collaborative safety feature.

EuroSort Inc. - Booth 3627
UR5 and UR10 robots as part of the RightHand Robotics RightPick piece-picking solution demonstrating live robotic sortation to a put wall and live robotic induction to a EuroSort Split Tray Sorter.

FerRobotics - Booth 8721
See the state-of-the-art sanding technology, the FerRobotics AOK/905 in a live demonstration with a UR10 polishing a wooden chair. The FerRobotics AOK/905 is a UR+ certified package, designed as a plug & play sanding and polishing solution for UR cobots.

Kuecker Logistics Group - Booth 3912a
UR5 robot as part of the RightHand Robotics RightPick piece-picking solution standalone demonstration, with applications in robotic ASRS tending, autobagger induction, sorter induction, and put walls.

LMI Technologies - Booth 8157
UR5 working collaboratively with the UR+ certified LMI Gocator 3210 snapshot sensor that uses stereo structured light technology to measure shape and orientation of parts for automating inspection, part movement, and guidance type applications. The UR5 will guide the Gocator around a large part to capture 3D data from different angles. When applying inspection tools all embedded within the Gocator firmware, users are able to generate a complete 3D point cloud and measure specific features i.e. diameter and depth of holes.

Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) - Booth 7368
MiR will showcase a MiR200 autonomous mobile robot (AMR) with a UR5 and an OnRobot UR+ certified RG2 gripper application. This application picks up circuit boards at a stationary table, drives around autonomously and delivers the circuit boards to the same table. To be as precise as this task requires, the MiR200 connects to a precision docking station built into the stationary table, demonstrating how the MiR200 adds mobility with extreme precision to the UR5, enabling the cobot to service multiple work stations.

MoviMED - 3D Imaging Solutions - Booth 8114
Live demonstration of a collaborative 3D Inspection. The demo shows PVC pipe connectors being inspected by a brand new Zivid Color 3D Camera in conjunction with a UR5. Utilizing this technology opens up new opportunities for quality assurance, helping manufacturers transition from human based inspection to semi- or fully automated part inspection with an attractive ROI.

Murrplastik Systems - Booth 8166
UR5 equipped with Murrplastik's UR+ certified Flexible Holder System, a dress pack for UR cobots designed for quick and tool-free installation.

Olympus Controls - booth 8216
A mobile UR10e mounted to a MIR200 from Mobile Industrial Robots picking trays from a table utilizing a Cognex vision system. The applications demonstrate a complete mobile UR solution for factory settings.

OnRobot - Booth 6773
OnRobot, the leader in end-of-arm-tooling for cobots, will showcase three UR applications; a UR5 with the UR+ certified RG6 gripper in a printing and conveyor system; a UR10 with Dual RG2 grippers in a machine tending application: and a UR5 with the RG2-FT gripper performing force-controlled pin insertion in a motor block.

Piab - Booth 8360
Piab's UR+ certified piCOBOT® gripper mounted on a UR5e designed to act as a flexible co-worker in a variety of production, packaging or assembly lines. Included with the piCOBOT® is URCap plug-in software to ensure easy programming and quick integration of piCOBOT® with UR cobots.

PHD Inc. - Booth #7320
The PHD booth will show both UR5e and the UR5. The UR5 will be mounted on the saddle/carriage of a two meter-long PHD Series ESU electric base slide traveling back and forth simulating pick and place on both sides of the slide. The UR5e is showcased with the new UR+ certified Pneu-connect dual gripper in a hands-on demo showing ease of programming and capabilities of the UR, the gripper with Freedrive, and the jaw position sensing of the pneumatic gripper's analog sensor.

Photoneo - Booth 8168
Photoneo will exhibit its AI-driven application AnyPick, utilizing the UR5e robot. AnyPick can pick mixed objects of any shape and size from 1x1 cm, with high speed (up to 500 picks per hour) and customizable weight limit. It is integrated with fast and high resolution PhoXi 3D Scanners, whereby no CAD models or other inputs are needed. AnyPick is a complete bin picking solution for e-commerce, warehouses, logistics, food industry and metallurgy.

QC Conveyors - Booth 8422
UR5e will be picking and placing vials in custom fixtures on QC Conveyor's IS300 indexing conveyor capable of delivering parts to the UR cobot with an accuracy of ±.015".

READY Robotics - Booth 7571
READY Robotics will showcase four UR cobots in interactive demos: a UR10 will collaborate with show attendees in a putting green demo; a UR3 will handle a mix and match block stacking demo: a UR5 is palletizing while a second UR5 is integrated with a READY Robotics Forge/Station, showcasing true automation flexibility. All demos are powered by Forge/OS and Forge/Ctrl allowing show attendees intuitive hands-on experiences programming cobots in real time.

RightHand Robotics - Booth 2397
UR5e and UR10e robots (five total) as part of the RightPick piece-picking solution that can handle a large range of items reliably and at high rates for the e-commerce supply chain industry.

Robotiq - Booth 7165
Robotiq will be showcasing six UR5e and one UR10e featuring cobot application demos all equipped with UR+ certified products such as Robotiq 2F-85 and 2F-140 Adaptive Grippers, Hand-E, Wrist Camera, Force Copilot, and Insights. Demos will feature a complete line-up of cobot applications such as dual-gripper CNC machine tending, sanding, assembly, and pick-and-place, showcasing how manufacturers can start production faster.

SCHUNK Inc. - Booth 7136
UR5 robot with UR+ certified electric SCHUNK gripper CoAct EGP demonstrating how the cobot can be used for loading and unloading a lathe without the need for fences. The new UR+ certified End-of-Arm Modular System with multiple tool change out will also be on display.

SDI - Booth 3953b
UR5 robot as part of the RightHand Robotics RightPick piece-picking solution demonstrating live robotic induction to a pouch sorter.

SKF Motion Technologies - Booth 8556
See SKF Motion Technologies' UR+ certified LIFTKIT add 7th axis capabilities to the UR10 cobot. The LIFTKIT provides an effective solution to extend the cobot's reach in a palletizing or packaging application since the base of the robot can be easily lifted or lowered to work at the most optimal position.

SMC Corporation of America - Booth 8139
Pick and place demo showcasing UR cobot with SMC's MHM Magnetic Gripper Kit's easy integration handling perforated steel sheets. The demo presents a solution for transferring ferromagnetic workpieces of uneven surface, porous, or susceptible to damage, replicating applications that can be found in automotive assembly or in the transfer of stamped objects between CNC machines.

SOLOMON Technology Corporation - Booth 8941
Vision-guided UR10 with SOLOMON's 3D scanner and software in a demo of a real-life sealing application deployed in an automotive plant.

Soft Robotics - Booth 8163
On a UR3, Soft Robotics will be showing their UR+ certified modular, on-demand gripping solution: mGrip P2. This system demonstrates the collaborative, adaptable nature of the Soft Robotics technology by picking and placing a wide range of objects of varying size, shape and weight, with a single end-of-arm tool and no additional programming.

Tompkins International - Booth 4250
UR5 robot as part of the RightHand Robotics RightPick piece-picking solution demonstrating live robotic induction to the t-Sort modular robotic sorter.

TUV Rheinland - Booth 9530
TUV Rheinland will showcase the UR3 cobot. Like all UR cobot models, the UR3 has the ability to be used as a power and force limited robot, which allows it to be integrated in various collaborative applications. TUV will demonstrate safety evaluation and testing for a robot cell and will also touch on the technical specifications for important robotics standards to ensure a robot is safe to use collaboratively.

Ubiros - Booth 9643
UR5 with Ubiros' fully electrical soft gripper Gentle, showing the ability to handle the most delicate items or any unstructured picking operation. Weighing only a few hundred grams, Gentle is remarkably cost-effective with several grasping and size options able to meet customer needs.

XPAK - Booth 7945
UR10e in the COBOXX box erector from XPAK allows packagers to randomly erect any box in their suite on-demand without changeover. The boxes are handed to a second UR10e integrated in ONExia's PalletizUR, a portable, collaborative palletizing solution with graphic software for simple pallet building.

ZIMMER GROUP US Inc. - Booth 7963
UR3e robot with Zimmer Group's UR+ certified compact collaborative gripper. The display demonstrates the gripper's ability to differentiate between two parts of varying tolerances, simulating a good/bad batch pick. Zimmer's UR+ certified electric, hybrid and pneumatic end-effectors will also be showcased.

Featured Product

FAULHABER MICROMO - Game changer in logistics

FAULHABER MICROMO - Game changer in logistics

Faster, more efficient, more sustainable - due to global competition in industry combined with booming online trade, transport structures in intralogistics are facing new challenges. The industries' answer: Automation. From storage to shipping, key work steps are being taken over by intelligent logistics robots, such as automatic storage and retrieval machines and driverless transport systems. To work efficiently and reliably around the clock, these robots need flexible and particularly compact drive solutions.