Palletizing with UR30

They say only fools do the same things twice and expect different results. If so, Universal Robots may be fools in releasing UR30 using the same HW as UR20. But so am I.

The UR30 is simply another great contribution to the “palletizing class” of cobots from UR.

There was a time when the max payload capacity of the UR cobots was 10kg. UR released UR16 using the same HW as the UR10 to increase the payload, shortening the reach to achieve the extra payload.

For palletizing, those extra 6 kgs would make a lot of difference for numerous use cases. But despite being perfectly capable of reaching the far corners of an EU-sized pallet with the right accessories in the palletizing market, it literally fell short.

Now, the same strategy is used again in the launch of UR30 on the same HW as UR20.

And we applaud it!

Please pause and read this article I (Halvor, CIO) wrote on the UR20 when it launched for a more in-depth background.

A market-proven reach

The crucial difference is that the UR30 has a market-proven track record of having sufficient reach for palletizing, thanks to the palletizing workhorse UR10; both reach 1300mm.

With UR10 already being sold successfully for palletizing, often with a 7th axis lift if the pallets are wide or tall, the UR30 already has the proof it needs to be perceived as a robot with sufficient reach for most use cases. Particularly in Europe, where the EU1-sized pallets are about 200mm slimmer than in the US1.

To be perfectly fair, though, and to geek off, the practical reach of UR30 for palletizing is slightly less than UR10. As the base joint has a wider radius, empty pallets would need to be placed about 80mm further away from the base of the robot to avoid collisions between the base joint and a full pallet, practically reducing the reach by about 100 mm compared to the UR10.

However, our simulations in MyRobot.cloud show, we still have plenty of reach to play with.

The extra 10kg

So what does ten more kg really mean? Well, you can, of course, lift 27kg of products compared to only 18kg, leaving 10% for accessories like grippers, sensors, and cameras.

But more importantly, it allows you to palletize five 5kg products at a time with a UR30 vs three 5kg products on a UR20. In other words, the extra payload is transferred into 60% additional throughput in that scenario, allowing higher production speed. In many cases, this is far more groundbreaking than going from 18–27kg products.

It might not be immediately obvious, but this magical transformation from payload to throughput also exists in the form of payload to safety.

Can be the friend you need

To keep this article shorter than the UR20 one, I’ll conclude by saying that the UR30 may not be designed for palletizing like its predecessor, the UR20, and may not be the preferred choice for many customers.

But as a complementary offering, covering holes in the market that UR20 can not, UR30 can be the friend you need.

If you’re wondering if the UR30 cobot can meet your needs, we have some great news for you! Experience it firsthand on myrobot.cloud.

Sign up now for a 30-day free trial if you’re eager to put it to the test.