Universal Robots makes a strong entry into U.S. market

WADING RIVER, N.Y., Jan. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Robots' collaborative robots have opened up a new market for robotics in North America. The distributor list of the Danish robotic arms is rapidly expanding as resellers show the robots to end customers with production processes previously thought impossible to automate due to cost and complexity.

Universal Robots will be showcasing the robotic arms at booth #1066 at the Automate Show in Chicago Jan 21 – 25, 2013. Ed Mullen, National Sales Manager with Universal Robots, handles the U.S. expansion:
"Nobody else has a collaborative robot that's easy to program, can be easily moved from spot to spot throughout a factory, and is relatively low in cost. That's why people are literally lining up to help us sell it," he explains.

One of those people is Gary Eliasson, President Axis Inc. Axis has taken the Universal Robots to several of their customers who have applications for the UR robot that no other robotic solution can address:
"There's a dramatic difference between Universal Robots and other competitors. UR is the only collaborative robot that can work with no protection while offering so many capabilities in terms of precision handling, flexibility, and payload."

Philip Hollingsworth, Sr. Applications Engineer with Sparkem Technology, experienced the robotic arms at the IMTS tradeshow in Chicago:
"We came back from the show thinking, 'We've got to get these!'  We're always looking for solutions that will be a differentiator and give our customers an advantage," says Philip Hollingsworth, adding that it took his team literally an hour to bolt down the UR robot, position it, and program it to perform ten different movements.
"Most robotics solutions have a lot of setup, but the UR robot was incredibly easy and intuitive."

Chuck Mulcrone, Sales Manager with Applied Controls, has already sold several Universal Robots:
"The robots can work alongside personnel with no safety guarding. This is a huge incentive for our customers as other robotic solutions that need guarding are cost prohibitive."

Bill Steury, Group President with Cross Company Automation Group, also stresses the collaborative aspect of the UR robots:
"We believe the unique value proposition of UR's collaborative robotic solutions will enable our customers to implement flexible automation solutions faster and more cost effectively than ever before."

Matt Gallagher, President of Braas Company, expects the robots to be deployed in a vast range of industries spanning OEM machine builders, manufacturers of medical devices and electronics, injection molding, machining and packaging.
"We provide grippers, machine vision, PLCs, conveyors and a range of other components that will interface seamlessly with the built-in logic and capabilities of the UR robots. The company has hit the mark with a robust product that can be programmed and implemented by users without any programming or robotics experience."

Since Universal Robots sold its first robot in 2009, the company has seen rapid growth in more than 40 countries worldwide. Thomas Visti, Chief Commercial Officer with Universal Robots, anticipates this trend to continue in North America:
"We've created an incredibly strong lineup of distributors that are all well positioned within our target markets, so we're off to a very promising start."

For a list of new distributors of Universal Robots in North America, visit:
http://www.universal-robots.com/GB/Distributors.aspx

The robots:
Universal Robots is a result of many years of intensive research in robotics. The product portfolio includes the UR5 and UR10 models that handle payloads of up to 11.3 lbs and 22.6 lbs respectively. The six-axis robot arms weigh as little as 40 lbs with reach capabilities of up to 51". The UR robots are in compliance with the ISO standard for collaborative robots; as soon as an employee comes into contact with the robot arm, the robot arm will automatically stop operating. Repeatability of +/- .004" allows quick precision handling of even microscopically small parts. The collaborative robots can quickly be moved around the production sites and are easily integrated in all industries – from the small machine shop to the large auto assembly line. Payback period is typically 3 – 8 months. Watch the robot in action: http://bit.ly/UlaUgw

The company:
Universal Robots is a first mover within a new segment of collaborative robots focusing on user friendliness and flexibility. The company is headquartered in Odense, Denmark where all development and production is carried out.
www.universal-robots.com

High resolution pictures, videos and brochures can be found at:
http://www.universal-robots.com/GB/Press/Multimedia.aspx

SOURCE Universal Robots