Universal Robots updates UR Care and Field Care service for cobot applications

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A collage showing six demos that UR will be doing at IMTS. — Universal Robots is planning six demonstrations featuring its collaborative robots at IMTS. | Source: UR

Led by Universal Robots A/S, the collaborative robot market was valued at $1.23 billion in 2022. It is expected to experience a compound annual growth rate of 32.0% from 2023 to 2030, according to Grand View Research.

Much of this growth is due to small or midsize enterprises (SMEs) adopting cobots, said the research firm. For these enterprises, a robot is only as good as the time it spends working. Every second of downtime means money lost.

This is why Universal Robots is seeking to increase uptime with its enhanced UR Care Service Plans. The Odense, Denmark-based company now offers preventative field service, onsite break-fix, and dedicated remote support. Its enhanced service plans also support secure cloud-based performance monitoring through UR Connect.

“We want to be our customers’ steadfast ally, helping them optimize performance, maintain peak hardware condition and uptime, and extend the lifespan of their cobots,” said Anurag Thakur, vice president of service and aftermarket at Universal Robots.

Universal Robots provides support through myUR portal

Thakur also emphasized UR Care’s new Field Service program. He said this offering ensures prompt onsite repairs with industry-leading response times and preventive maintenance visits by skilled automation experts.

Unlike other service and repair offerings that often involve numerous platforms, channels, and logins, Universal Robots said it now provides all support and training through the myUR fleet management portal.

The company is premiering its cobot support features at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) next month in Chicago. UR will also show a machine-tending application with new AI-based perception capabilities running on NVIDIA Jetson and Isaac acceleration libraries integrated into UR’s new PolyScope X platform.

This combination enables dynamic path planning, ensuring the robot takes the most effective, collision-free paths in and out of the machine without requiring extensive user configuration, said Universal Robots. It plans to make this technology available for a wide range of applications, including machine tending and other materials handling tasks.

UR focuses on AI and applications

In a recent survey of nearly 1,200 manufacturers, Universal Robots found that about half plan to invest in AI. About 40% said they plan to invest in robotic automation.

“AI isn’t just hype,” said Ujjwal Kumar, group president of Teradyne Robotics, parent company of Universal Robots. “We’re seeing significant interest in physical AI.”

“By adding high-performance compute hardware to our control systems and investing in targeted software upgrades, we’re establishing UR as the preferred robotics platform for developing and deploying AI applications,” he asserted. Kumar spoke at the 2024 Robotics Summit & Expo.

Universal Robots plans to show applications at IMTS including “The Finisher,” a cell developed with Brinkman Precision to automate deburring, polishing, and part cleaning. UR cobots will be also be featured with partners for CNC machine tending, laser marking, parts feeding, and extended-reach and advanced welding.

Editor’s note: Eric Truebenbach, managing director of Teradyne Robotics Ventures, will participate in panels on the future of robotics innovation and robotics investment trends at RoboBusiness 2024, which will be on Oct. 16 and 17 in Santa Clara, Calif. Teradyne is the parent company of Universal Robots and Mobile Industrial Robots.