March 29, 2021 - Integrating Universal Robots ‘ collaborative robots into complex machines and manufacturing environments will soon be a process machine builders and systems integrators can seamlessly handle through one of the world’s leading automation platforms: Siemens’ TIA (Totally Integrated Automation) portal. The UR cobots will become part of the Simatic Robot Library within Siemens’ TIA environment through an interpreter interface planned to be completed within the fourth quarter of 2021. “Machinery and plant engineers as well as manufacturers with large production facilities will benefit from our cobots‘ TIA integration,” explained Bernd Meier, director of Global Key Accounts & OEMS at UR.
“Thanks to the new interface, they will soon be able to apply our cobots’ functional diversity, precision and repeatability within complex production lines, benefitting from all aspects of digitalized automation–from digital planning and integrated engineering to transparent operations.”
Line integration: Simplifying robot deployment
The holistic TIA Portal engineering framework supports users in planning extensive manufacturing automation projects. In November 2020, Siemens presented the Simatic Robot Library as an addition to this application: The comprehensive ‘robot library’ allows users to program their cobots directly within the TIA Portal via a unified user interface and to include them in their planning, which will now also include UR’s collaborative robots, greatly extending the range of companies benefitting from the cobot technology: Across industries, users will now encounter the UR cobots in the context of complete plant engineering solutions.
“We are welcoming Universal Robots as a new partner just in time for the start of the new Simatic Robot Library’s piloting,” says Tobias Fengel, Marketing Manager at Siemens Digital Industries. “We are delighted that we will soon be able to offer our clients a forward-looking solution together with the cobot market leader.”
Combine cobots with new technologies
Thanks to the TIA portal’s integrated design, users can now independently implement the UR cobots within major production lines and teach them functions such as jog mode or path point creation. The new comprehensive library allows users to download programming examples and use them to control the UR cobots. “Our cobots have always been characterized by their intuitive handling,” Bernd Meier explains. “Their integration into the TIA portal via the Simatic Robot Library now accelerates their integration and implementation into complex production lines. It also makes it easier to combine the UR cobots with technologies like Edge data analyses or cloud services and include them in the monitoring of plant conditions“ Images can be downloaded here .
About Universal Robots
Universal Robots (UR) was founded in 2005 to make robot technology accessible to all by developing small, user-friendly, reasonably priced, flexible collaborative robots (cobots) that are safe to work with. Since the first cobot was launched in 2008, the company has experienced considerable growth with the user-friendly cobot now sold worldwide. The company, which is a part of Teradyne Inc., is headquartered in Odense, Denmark, and has regional offices in the United States, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, UK, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Turkey, China, India, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Mexico. In 2020, Universal Robots had a revenue of USD 219 million.
About Siemens Digital Industries
Siemens Digital Industries (DI) is an innovation leader in automation and digitalization. Closely collaborating with partners and customers, DI drives the digital transformation in the process and discrete industries. With its Digital Enterprise portfolio, DI provides companies of all sizes with an end-to-end set of products, solutions and services to integrate and digitalize the entire value chain. Optimized for the specific needs of each industry, DI’s unique portfolio supports customers to achieve greater productivity and flexibility. DI is constantly adding innovations to its portfolio to integrate cutting-edge future technologies.
Siemens Digital Industries has its global headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, and has around 76,000 employees internationally.
