FABTECH 2025 Coverage: Automation & Robotics

UR UNVEILS LONG-REACH INDUSTRIAL COBOT

The UR8 Long, a new long-reach industrial collaborative robot from Universal Robots (UR), combines coordinated multiaxis motion with its extended reach to perform complex weldments at consistent quality, according to a UR news release issued last month during FABTECH 2025 in Chicago.

Designed to tackle the demanding automation challenges across industries, the UR8 Long also features motion performance optimization, which the company said enables the robot to deliver smoother movements at maximum speed to significantly enhance fast-paced bin picking. With the same 1,750 mm (68.9″) reach as the popular UR20 and a significantly slimmer profile, the UR8 Long features an 8 kg (17.6 lbs.) payload, making it ideal for space-constrained setups and industrial tasks.

“The UR8 Long is a smart robotic arm that can reach farther and do more than ever before,” said UR President Jean Pierre Hathout. “It’s designed to help people and businesses work faster, more safely and with less physical effort. Whether it’s lifting, moving or handling tasks that are repetitive or hard on the body, this robot makes the job easier. Its longer reach means it can cover more space, and its advanced features open new ways to automate work that used to be done by hand.”

UR8 Long runs with both Poly- Scope 5 and PolyScope X UR software, and can be extended with MotionPlus — the company’s new advanced motion control technology that allows for ease of integration with linear axis, rotary positioners and rotary turntables for precise control, smoother trajectories and consistent accuracy.

Combined with UR’s upgraded freedrive capabilities, users reportedly can manually guide the arm with precision and ease — making lead-to-teach programming more intuitive and enabling quick, ergonomic setup even on complex parts, all without the need for layered interfaces or external tools. With a lighter mass — 30% lighter than the UR20 — and compact wrist design, the UR8 Long also is said to be ideal for mounting on gantries, rails or overhead systems where external axes can operate more efficiently.

At UR’s FABTECH booth, the UR8 Long demonstrated longer reach into a full dunnage bin, commonly used in automotive, metals, plastics and industrial manufacturing applications. The longer reach combined with the new robot’s compact tool flange and fast wrist joints allow the UR8 Long to reach more pick positions — even those deep in bin corners — with ease.

MOVING MULTI-TON ROBOTS WITHOUT CRANES

From moving cobots to novel mobile automation solutions, Güdel Inc. highlighted two new technologies at FABTECH 2025: the CoboMover cobot and a mobile track unit that utilizes air bearings and is capable of levitating large robots.

The CoboMover is said to solve work envelope challenges for cobots and small tabletop robots, according to a Güdel news release issued during FABTECH.

“The CoboMover is designed to help integrators and end users expand the range of cobot and lightweight robot applications, with the same reliability, repeatability and ease of use which Güdel’s global customers have become accustomed,” said Brenda Courim, Güdel’s head of sales.

The CoboMover extends the working range of robots up to 5 meters (16.4′), allowing users to operate multiple workstations and perform a variety of tasks without manual repositioning. The new track, which is compatible with over 60 cobots and small traditional robots, offers mounting positions at 0° and 180°. The maximum payload, including robot weight, is 78 kg (172 lbs.) with a drive system utilizing a toothed belt and Güdel’s HPG045 angular gearbox. Available stroke lengths include 1,000 mm, 2,000 mm, 3,000 mm, 4,000 mm and 5,000 mm. The CoboMover has a maximum speed of 2 m/s and a maximum acceleration of 2 m/s², which is said to provide a repeatability of ± 0.05 mm.

Also showcased at Gü del’s FABTECH booth was its modular track system fitted with air bearings. Using just 5 psi, the air bearing solution is able to levitate the TMF-4B track and a Fanuc M900iB/280L robot — weighing more than 7,000 lbs. — half an inch above ground and float into and out of position on a cushion of air.

Initially developed for aircraft painting applications, which eliminated the need for cranes, high-payload forklifts, AMRs or embedded rails, the new modular track system is said to solve two major constraints: mobility within large workspaces and facility layout limitations.