By Ron Shinn
Universal Robots (UR) created buzz at Automate 2025 in Detroit with the global launch of the UR15, described as being sharper, faster and more agile than any other UR cobot.
The UR15 joins the UR20 and UR30 in the company’s high-performance series.
The UR15 has six rotating joints. Payload is 33.1 pounds but can be increased to about 38.6 pounds for wrist-down tasks such as palletizing. Reach is about 4.3 feet.
Maximum tool-center-point (TCP) speed is about 16 feet per second, which helps reduce cycle time. The company said that for pick-and-place applications, cycle time for the new model is up to 30 percent faster than other UR models. Slow speed has previously held back cobots in applications such as automated bin picking, machine tending and inspection.
“For 20 years, we’ve pushed the boundaries of collaborative automation, making it easier, safer and more powerful for businesses around the world,” said Tero Tolonen, chief product officer, in a news release. “Today, we take another leap forward with the UR15, which is designed specifically to operate at higher speeds with the smoothest performance in robotics today.”
The UR15, made with aluminum, plastic and steel, is the lightest UR model, weighing in at less than 90 pounds. Footprint is 8 inches diameter.
The unit includes a status light ring at the cobot’s base.
The UR15 runs with both PolyScope 5 and PolyScope X, UR’s software platforms. It can also be used with the UR AI Accelerator, UR’s toolkit for developing AI-powered applications.
Programming is through a 12-inch touch screen with PolyScope interface. OptiMove, UR’s intuitive motion programming system, simplifies setup and operation. It also improves repeatability and provides precise movement, even at higher speeds and with heavier payloads.
UR also announced it has increased the payload for the small-size UR5e model to 16 pounds and renamed it the UR7e, and the medium-sized UR10e to about 28 pounds and renamed it the UR12e.
UR is headquartered in Odense, Denmark. It is the world leader in cobots sold, surpassing 100,000 units earlier this year.
Contact:
Universal Robots USA, Novi, Mich., 844-462-6268, www.universal-robots.com
Ron Shinn | Editor
Editor Ron Shinn is a co-founder of Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing and has been covering the plastics industry for more than 35 years. He leads the editorial team, directs coverage and sets the editorial calendar. He also writes features, including the Talking Points column and On the Factory Floor, and covers recycling and sustainability for PMM and Plastics Recycling.
