Asia demands flexible, user-friendly and lightweight robots

Universal Robots’ new automated arms to accelerate production and quality in enterprises

Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, 18 February 2013 – The UR5 robotic arm by Universal Robots (UR) has been voted “The world’s most innovative robot” by The International Federation of Robotics and the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society. Building on this success, UR launched the UR10 in April 2011 to cater to larger-scale processes.

The major stumbling block to enhancing productivity are the misconceptions that robots are costly, cumbersome, dangerous and difficult to program. On the contrary, UR5 and UR10 do not pose any danger to personnel working in close quarters and require no safety shielding. They can be shifted easily around the production floor and functions as a plug-and-play solution – a simple user interface that allows employees with no previous programming experience to set-up and operate the robot with ease. Encouraged by the positive response in Asia, UR has recently signed up two new Malaysian distributors - Automation Systems & Services and Systech Control.

According to Jason Kwan, Director, Automation Systems & Services, “We are proud to partner with Universal Robots as it enhances our philosophy of ensuring our customers are equipped with the latest innovative technology for their daily requirements.”

“Watching the UR robots in action is a breath of fresh air. The positive feedback from our clients is an important indicator of how automating processes can improve employee job satisfaction and productivity,” said Y. Y. Ng, Project Director, Systech Control.

“Many companies worldwide have invested in UR robots to save on manpower, whereas others have used them to boost product quality and productivity. Sometimes they are used in repetitive tasks to improve working conditions for employees. We see potential in all these applications in the Asian market,” says Universal Robots’ Vice President and CCO, Thomas Visti.

Instead of expensive sensor technology, the UR5 robotic arm utilises a unique patented technology to measure electrical current in its joints to determine force and movement. The innovation enables the robot to undercut the price of other automated solutions. This enables medium and large-sized enterprises to automate production previously unthinkable. “Enterprises will be glad to know that UR robots are cost-efficient and have short payback periods of only 12 to 15 months,” concludes Visti.