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Facts & Figures Universal Robots A/S Founded 2005 Headquarters Management Employees 350+ Core business Target group Vertical markets Sales channel Products and range Odense (Denmark) Jürgen von Hollen, President Esben H. Østergaard, CTO & Cofounder Universal Robots has reinvented industrial robotics with lightweight and flexible robot arms dubbed "cobots" (collaborative robots). The Danish-designed cobots automate production in all industries even in SMEs that regard automation as prohibitively expensive, cumbersome, and difficult to integrate. Small and medium-sized, but also big enterprises. Metal and machining, automotive, food and agriculture, furniture, pharma and chemistry, plastic and polymers, etc. Global network of distributors in more than 50 countries. Industrial Robots: six-axis articulated robot arms UR3: Can handle payloads of up to 3 kilos (6.6 lbs). Working radius: 500 mm (19.7 in). UR5: Can handle payloads of up to 5 kilos (11 lbs). Working radius: 850 mm (33.5 in). UR10: Can handle payloads of up to 10 kilos (22 lbs). Working radius: 1350+ mm (51.2). Universal Robots+: Besides the three collaborating robot arms, the company offers Universal Robots+, an unique ecosystem that provides space for the creation of all thinkable applications within the free UR+ Developer Program. The innovative Plug&Play applications are being presented in the Universal Robots+ showroom. UR+ paves the consumer's way to the most easy and quick setup of Universal Robots applications. Universal Robots Academy: With its online training Universal Robots provides a free-of-charge offer for everybody with a desire to learn the concepts of collaborative robots. The platform is built to deliver hands-on learning for handling the lightweight robot arms UR3, UR5 and UR10. The aim of the open to all training modules is to further lower the automation barrier and to reduce the integration time and costs. Principal benefits Simple to program Easy to install Flexible deployment Adjustable safety functions Collaborative cobots can run without safety guarding, based on the results of a risk assessment Fast payback period (quick ROI) Works independently without any need for human monitoring and control Extremely quiet no irritating robot noise Energy-efficient Modular design TÜV approved True Absolute Encoders - no need for encoder battery backup Multiple I/O s - seamless integration with external machinery
Get in touch Company contact: Universal Robots A/S President Jürgen von Hollen Energivej 25 DK-5260 Odense S Denmark +45 89 93 89 89 jvh@universal-robots.com Press enquiries: Universal Robots A/S Global PR & Communications Manager Thomas Stensbøl Energivej 25 DK-5260 Odense S Denmark +45 89 93 89 89 +45 31 16 85 93 tst@universal-robots.com Please visit www.universal-robots.com for more information on the company. Download multimedia: https://www.universal-robots.com/media/downloads/ Blog: https://blog.universal-robots.com/ Case studies: https://www.universal-robots.com/case-stories/ Social media:
Management Jürgen von Hollen, President, Universal Robots A/S Jürgen von Hollen is President at Universal Robots and is responsible for leading Universal Robots through a period of explosive growth, driving the adoption of easy to use, safe, and economical cobots across the globe. Jürgen von Hollen has extensive international experience living and working in 8 different countries across Europe, America, Asia and Africa. He joined Universal Robots in 2016, previously having been the Executive President of the Engineering Solutions Division which includes the Automation and Controls business of Bilfinger SE, in Mannheim, Germany, a leading international Engineering and Services company. In his role at Bilfinger, he was responsible for a global staff of nearly 10,000 and annual sales in excess of 1billion. Jürgen von Hollen began his career with Daimler-Benz Aerospace and held senior management roles at Daimler-Chrysler Services, Deutsche Telecom and Pentair. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Henley Management College, UK, and has a Bachelors Degree in Business and Politics from Brock University, Canada. Language skills: German, English, Dutch, and Afrikaans. https://www.linkedin.com/in/juergenvonhollen/?ppe=1
Management Esben H. Østergaard, CTO & Cofounder, Universal Robots A/S Esben H. Østergaard is Chief Technology Officer at Universal Robots and is responsible for the enhancement of existing UR cobots and the development of new products. He holds a Ph.D. in Robotics. Esben H. Østergaard is one of the inventors behind the UR cobots. During his years as researcher and assistant professor in robotics and user interfaces at University of Southern Denmark (2001 2005), he created the foundation for a reinvention of the industrial robot. In 2005, this led him to found Universal Robots together with two of his research colleagues. Besides his work as CTO, Esben H. Østergaard is participating in national research projects and he is also an external examiner at several universities in Denmark. Earlier in his career, he worked as a research scientist at USC Robotics Labs in Southern California and also at AIST in Tokyo as a visiting researcher. During his studies in Computer Science, Physics and Multimedia at Aarhus University in Denmark, he focused exclusively on robotics and became world champion in his hobby, robot football, in 1998. Language skills: Danish and English. https://www.linkedin.com/pub/esben-%c3%b8stergaard/7/b6/3bb
Our cobots Universal Robots offers significant productivity and safety advantages, even for small operations. You get the fastest return in the industry for your automation investment. Easy programming Patented technology lets operators with no programming experience quickly set up and operate our cobots with intuitive, 3D visualization. Simply move the robot arm to desired waypoints or touch the arrow keys on the easy-to-use touchscreen tablet. Fast set-up Universal Robots has revolutionized robot set-up, reducing typical robotic deployment measured in weeks to a matter of hours. The average set-up time reported by our customers is only half a day. The out-of-box experience for an untrained operator to unpack the cobot, mount it, and program the first simple task is typically less than an hour. Fastest payback in the industry Universal Robots gives you all the advantages of advanced robotic automation, with none of the traditional added costs associated with robot programming, set-up, and dedicated, shielded work cells. Finally, robotic automation is affordable for even small and medium sized enterprises. Flexible deployment Don t be limited by dedicated robotics. Universal Robots are lightweight, space-saving, and easy to re-deploy to multiple applications without changing your production layout. Moving the cobot to new processes is fast and easy, giving you the agility to automate almost any manual task, including those with small batches or fast change-overs. The cobot is able to re-use programs for recurrent tasks. Collaborative & safe The majority of our cobots worldwide operate with no safety guarding (after risk assessment), right beside human operators. The safety system of our cobots is approved and certified by TÜV (The German Technical Inspection Association). Modular design The design of the cobot minimizes the risk of production downtime. In the event of any malfunction or defect, the cobot is quickly and easily fixed thanks to its modular construction. Danish design Modern, sleek design. Looks as good as it works. User Interface in 20 languages. UR10 UR5 UR3 2017/06 UNIVERSAL ROBOTS A/S I PRESS KIT I EN
Company profile Universal Robots makes robot technology accessible to all levels of industry. The Danish company has taken the world by storm with unique industrial collaborative robots (cobots) that optimize production in ever expanding markets. By offering a user-friendly, affordable cobot, Universal Robots lowers the automation barrier enabling automation in areas previously considered too complex or costly. Corporate values The highest priority of Universal Robots is 2X value creation. All decisions are based on this and all employees are responsible for creating financial value for our customers and UR. Universal Robots puts control of factory automation back into the hands of operators. Universal Robots is committed to being the global authority on easily programmable, safe and flexible industrial cobots. Universal Robots strives to make distributors successful. We choose and support distributors who are willing to build partnerships based on mutual gain. Universal Robots facilitates the development and sharing of robotic applications. Universal Robots attracts and rewards performance-driven employees who can share a passion for building a globally admired company. Universal Robots thinks globally when taking decisions while making adjustments to meet local differences and cultures. As a global company, Universal Robots proactively shares information with colleagues who will benefit from our knowledge and experiences.
Company profile The international market for robots The market for robots has been characterized by heavy, expensive and unwieldy robots made by engineers for engineers. Universal Robots is at the forefront of a new emerging reality, launching a new class of robots, collaborative robots (cobots), due to their ability to work directly alongside employees with no safety caging. These kinds of cobots are poised to bridge the gap between fully-manual assembly and fully-automated manufacturing lines. Nowhere is that more obvious than in the SME sector, which, until now, considered robot automation as too costly and complex to even consider. Unlike their big brothers working behind cages at automobile plants and other big assembly lines, the UR cobots are lightweight, flexible and can easily be moved and reprogrammed to solve new tasks, meeting the short-run production challenge faced by companies adjusting to ever more advanced processing in smaller batch sizes. The products Universal Robots first product was the UR5, a six-jointed articulated robot arm that revolutionized the market for industrial robots. The UR5 weighs 18 kilos (40.6lbs), has a lifting capacity of up to 5 kilos (11 lbs) and a working radius of 850 mm (33.5 in). In 2012, Universal Robots UR10, with a payload of 10 kilos (22 lbs) and a reach of 1300 mm (51.2 in), was launched. The UR10 has been designed according to exactly the same principles as the UR5, which means it is just as flexible and easy to fit into the production process. In 2014 a brand new generation of UR5 and UR10 was introduced, enabling the UR cobots to adapt advanced safety settings to each specific application. The new generation featured true absolute encoders, eight adjustable safety rated functions, 32 built-in I/O s and an improved workflow for connecting equipment to the control boxes. The safety system UR Safety 3.0 was certified by TÜV. 2015 saw the launch of UR3, a new compact table-top cobot weighing only 11 kilos (24.3 lbs), but with a payload of 3 kilos (6.6 lbs), 360-degree rotation on all wrist joints and infinite rotation on the end joint. These unique features make UR3 the most flexible, lightweight, table-top cobot to work side-by-side with employees in the market today. It s an ideal choice for applications that require 6-axis capabilities where size, safety and costs are critical. Detailed product information and technical specifications relating to UR3, UR5 and UR10 are available at: http://www.universal-robots.com/en/products/ Operation The robot arms are simple and intuitive to use, require no robotics or programming experience, and can be operated by all employees in the production facility. The UR cobots do not need monitoring by staff and can work independently in 24/7 lights out production environments. Sales structure Universal Robots, which is a part of Teradyne Inc., is headquartered in Odense, Denmark, and has subsidiaries and regional offices in the USA, Spain, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, China, Singapore, India, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. Universal Robots robot arms are marketed internationally via an extensive network of distributors. A list can be found here: http://www.universal-robots.com/en/distributors/
History 2017 Universal Robots Academy: The Universal Robots Academy was launched to further raise robot literacy. It consists of six free-ofcharge e-learning modules that make up the basic programming training for UR cobots. This includes configuring end-effectors, connecting I/Os, creating basic programs in addition to applying safety features to an application. 2016 Regional offices open in Delhi/Bangalore, India, Munich, Germany and Prague, Czech Republic. Universal Robots presents Universal Robots+: A unique ecosystem that adds value for the developer community, distributors and end consumers. Universal Robots+ unites the UR+ Developer Program with a showroom for presenting innovative Plug&Play applications. 2015 A new UR subsidiary for the APAC region opens in Singapore. Universal Robots launches UR3 the world s most flexible, lightweight table-top cobot to work alongside humans. The new 3 kilo payload cobot for light assembly tasks and automated workbench scenarios is presented at trade shows in Shanghai, Chicago and Hanover. Universal Robots is acquired by Teradyne for $285M. Teradyne is the leading supplier of automated test equipment used to test semiconductors, wireless products, data storage, and complex electronic systems. Universal Robots continues operations under the same management while UR s headquarters, R&D, and production facilities remain in Denmark. 2014 The company moves to a new 12,000 square meter HQ, seven times bigger than the former Universal Robot domicile. The third generation of the lightweight UR5 and UR10 robot arms is introduced at the AUTOMATICA Show in Munich, Germany and the IMTS show in Chicago. With eight new adjustable safety rated functions, Universal Robots presents the only cobots in the world that adapt advanced safety settings to each specific application. Universal Robots also establishes a subsidiary in Barcelona, Spain. 2013 Universal Robots establishes a Chinese subsidiary in Shanghai. The company establishes a distributor network in South America and Oceania. 2012 Universal Robots 10 kilo payload cobot, UR10, is launched. The company establishes an American subsidiary based in New York. 2011 Universal Robots enters the Asian market and establishes a local office in China. 2010 Universal Robots expands its business to include all of Europe. 2008 The Danish Growth Fund, a state investment fund, is convinced of Universal Robots potential and joins the company s management and Syddansk Innovation in an investment round. The first UR5 cobots are sold by distributors in Denmark and Germany. 2005 Universal Robots is founded by Esben Østergaard, Kasper Støy and Kristian Kassow. Their declared goal is to make robot technology accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises by launching a lightweight robot cobot that is easy to install and program. The establishment of the company is made possible through a seed investment by Syddansk Innovation. 2003 At the University of Southern Denmark in Odense, Esben Østergaard, Kasper Støy and Kristian Kassow analyze the special requirements for cobots in the food industry. Their conclusion is that the robotics market is dominated by heavy, expensive and unwieldy robots.
Awards 2017 Universal Robots wins the Golden A Design Award in the Engineering and Technical Design Category UR+ rated Best of 2017 in the services category by German Industriepreis Ranked #2 on Fast Company's list of "Most Innovative Robotics Companies 2017" 2016 "First Team" award in the "Robotics" category, nominated by readers of Automation World The UR3 receives the MM Innovation Award 2016 in the category industrial robots Universal Robots receives the FSR Business Award which is granted to a person, an organization or a company, who has performed a unique effort in Danish Business Universal Robots receives the Best Robotics Revolution Award at the Electronics Maker 2016 event in India Universal Robots recognized as the Best Robotics Provider at the Asian Manufacturing Awards 2016 UR3 wins the Control Engineering 2016 Engineers Choice Awards program in the Motion Control category CTO and cofounder Esben Østergaard is awarded the Danish Tietgen Prize for innovative business results contributing to the greater good of society China Robot Industry s Oscar: GG Robot Cobot Segment Technology Innovation Award & GG Robot Best Innovation Multinational Enterprise Award 2015 National Champion representing Denmark in the 2015/16 European Business Awards The UKTI Award for Innovation Universal Robots receives the Danish award for fast growth Digital Gazelle 2015 Best Robotics Provider at the Asian Manufacturing Awards 2015 Ranked #25 on MIT Technology Review s list of the 50 Smartest Companies 2015 2014 Universal Robots received the innovation prize at the Portuguese EMAF exhibition in Oporto November 2014 2013 In the U.S., the UR5 cobot wins the RoboBusiness 2013 Game Changer Award in Human-Machine Interaction Universal Robots receive the Metalworking Industry Outstanding Suppliers Awards, awarded by the Ringier Trade Media China UR5 & UR10 receives the Good Design Award 2013 from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion The UR10 is named the most innovative product in Denmark and wins the InnovationSTORM 2013 award Universal Robots wins the Gold Award for Innovative Product on the 12th China (Shandong) Int l Industrial Automation and Applied Technology Exhibition Universal Robots is named one of Denmark s 30 most important export companies and thus included in the ExportCanon CTO and cofounder Esben Østergaard, wins DIRA Automation Award 2013 Universal Robots wins Best Robotics Provider 2013 in Asian Manufacturing Awards Universal Robot wins the national Growth Prize, DI Entrepreneurship Award awarded by The Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) Readers of Control Engineering magazine name the UR10 Product of the Year" in the category Robots and Manipulators 2012 Universal Robots receives the Invention and Entrepreneurship Award, awarded by IEEE Robotics, Automation Society and IFR 2010 Universal Robots wins England's MWP Award for Best Automation System