About Us

Laser Focus World is an industry bedrock—first published in 1965 and still going strong. We publish original articles about cutting-edge advances in lasers, optics, photonics, sensors, and quantum technologies, as well as test and measurement, and the shift currently underway to usher in the photonic integrated circuits, optical interconnects, and copackaged electronics and photonics to deliver the speed and efficiency essential for data centers of the future.

Our 80,000 qualified print subscribers—and 130,000 12-month engaged online audience—trust us to dive in and provide original journalism you won’t find elsewhere covering key emerging areas such as laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, lasers in space, integrated photonics, chipscale lasers, LiDAR, metasurfaces, high-energy laser weaponry, photonic crystals, and quantum computing/sensors/communications. We cover the innovations driving these markets.

Laser Focus World is part of Endeavor Business Media, a division of EndeavorB2B.

Laser Focus World Membership

Never miss any articles, videos, podcasts, or webinars by signing up for membership access to Laser Focus World online. You can manage your preferences all in one place—and provide our editorial team with your valued feedback.

Magazine Subscription

Can you subscribe to receive our print issue for free? Yes, you sure can!

Newsletter Subscription

A Laser Focus World newsletter subscription is free to qualified professionals:

The Daily Beam

Showcases the newest content from Laser Focus World, including photonics- and optics-based applications, components, research, and trends. (Daily)

Product Watch

The latest in products within the photonics industry. (9x per year)

Bio & Life Sciences Product Watch

The latest in products within the biophotonics industry. (4x per year)

Laser Processing Product Watch

The latest in products within the laser processing industry. (3x per year)

Get Published!

If you’d like to write an article for us, reach out with a short pitch to Sally Cole Johnson: [email protected]. We love to hear from you.

Photonics Hot List

Laser Focus World produces a video newscast that gives a peek into what’s happening in the world of photonics.

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast dives deep into the fascinating world of photonics. Our weekly episodes feature interviews and discussions with industry and research experts, providing valuable perspectives on the issues, technologies, and trends shaping the photonics community.

Social Media

Bluesky • Facebook • Instagram • LinkedIn • YouTube

Meet the Laser Focus World Team

Editorial

Sales

Editorial Advisory Board

  • Professor Andrea M. Armani, University of Southern California
  • Ruti Ben-Shlomi, Ph.D., LightSolver
  • James Butler, Ph.D., Hamamatsu
  • Natalie Fardian-Melamed, Ph.D., Columbia University
  • Justin Sigley, Ph.D., AmeriCOM
  • Professor Birgit Stiller, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, and Leibniz University of Hannover
  • Professor Stephen Sweeney, University of Glasgow
  • Mohan Wang, Ph.D., University of Oxford
  • Professor Xuchen Wang, Harbin Engineering University
  • Professor Stefan Witte, Delft University of Technology
My Watchlist
Indicators
Industrial Laser Index
Markets
Stocks
ETFs
Tools
Markets:
Overview
News
Currencies
International
Treasuries

Universal Robots Predicts 2023 Automation Trends Helping Manufacturers Meet New-Year Goals

By: via Business Wire

The collaborative robot pioneer and market front runner has announced January as “National Cobot Awareness Month,” spearheading new products and initiatives prompting manufacturers to address hiring woes and production challenges.

Gone are the days of manufacturers buying a robot arm only to struggle figuring out how to integrate it in an application cell. Turnkey robotic solutions, complete with all hardware, software, sensors and interfaces, will be powerful automation drivers in 2023, according to Universal Robots:

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230113005282/en/

Turnkey systems for cobot welding, as seen here at sheet metal manufacturer Raymath in Ohio, is one of the solutions Universal Robots predicts will drive automation in 2023. Raymath’s CEO wrote the purchase order right after experiencing a hands-on programming demo. (Photo: Business Wire)

Turnkey systems for cobot welding, as seen here at sheet metal manufacturer Raymath in Ohio, is one of the solutions Universal Robots predicts will drive automation in 2023. Raymath’s CEO wrote the purchase order right after experiencing a hands-on programming demo. (Photo: Business Wire)

“In 2023, cobot automation will become more sophisticated yet more straightforward to use,” predicts Joe Campbell, senior manager of applications development and strategic marketing at Universal Robots (UR). “We are going to continue seeing phenomenal growth within complete robotic systems for applications such as welding, palletizing and machine tending, propelled by UR partners creating full solutions powered by our collaborative robot arms.”

Sales of UR cobots for integration in OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) solutions grew about 50% in 2022. UR enters the new year with more than 80 OEM partners integrating UR cobots in turnkey systems, and over 300 UR+ partners launching application kits and components certified to work seamlessly with the UR cobots.

Cobot welders a key growth driver

A significant share of new cobot-powered turnkey systems now handle welding applications. UR’s welding channel grew over 80% in 2022 as new cobot welders hit factory floors in places such as Raymath, a sheet metal manufacturer in Ohio, where the company CEO was able to visit a local UR partner, THG Automation, offering cobot welding solutions.

“Within the four hours that I was there, we programmed 20 weld points,” says Raymath CEO, Greg LeFevre. “I was actually practicing and sampling on the parts that I was going to make. It proved to me that if I can program this in four hours and actually have my parts running, there’s no doubt this can work in our shop. I wrote the purchase order that same night.” Raymath deployed four UR cobot-powered welders, that now handle hard-to-staff processes with half the number of operators, welding at twice the speed, resulting in 4X productivity improvement.

Campbell explains that UR declared January National Cobot Awareness Month prompting more manufacturers to discover cobots. “We want to give businesses a head-start by sharing these inspiring ‘aha moments’ on how cobots can help them solve business challenges, offering them the opportunity to find a local UR partner and try a cobot firsthand,” he says.

More modular production with higher payload and longer reach cobots

As more companies move towards cobot automation, many will want to handle heavier payloads. In 2023, UR’s new UR20 cobot becomes available to customers. The UR20 is built for 20kg payloads, with faster speeds and superior motion control all within a lightweight, small footprint system. “The 20 kg payload capacity will transform industries such as palletizing, while its 1750 mm reach is eagerly anticipated for use in welding and machine tending,” says Campbell, explaining that the new robot is light enough to be unbolted and relocated or attached to a heavy base with wheels. “Modular automation is another key trend in 2023, I expect us to see more reconfigurable robotic work cells than ever before.”

Customers will be found at the heart of product development

Although UR targets robot collaboration in the workplace, human collaboration is what drives innovation. The company recently reorganized its product creation teams to focus heavily on understanding the problems customers are facing before designing solutions.

“Customers understand their own needs better than anyone else, and we will increasingly involve end-users in product development,” says Campbell, predicting that co-development projects where UR and customers work together in developing specific solutions are bound to expand in 2023 and beyond.

“Ultimately these collaborations allow customers to directly influence the product they are buying, while at the same time delivering valuable feedback – meaning we will be able to launch a product to the benefit of the whole market.”

Download images and video: here

About Universal Robots

Universal Robots aims to empower change in the way work is done using its leading-edge robotics platform. Since introducing the world’s first commercially viable collaborative robot (cobot) in 2008, UR has developed a product portfolio including the UR3e, UR5e, UR10e, UR16e and UR20, reflecting a range of reaches and payloads. Each model is supported by a wide selection of end-effectors, software, accessories and application kits in the UR+ ecosystem. This allows the cobots to be used across a wide range of industries and means that they can be redeployed across diverse tasks. The company, which is part of Teradyne Inc., is headquartered in Odense, Denmark, and has offices in the USA, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, Romania, Turkey, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Mexico. Universal Robots has installed over 50,000 cobots worldwide.

For more information, please visit www.universal-robots.com or read our blog at blog.universal-robots.com.

Contacts

More News

View More
Pfizer is Locking in New Growth Through a New Acquisition
Via MarketBeat
Topics Artificial Intelligence
Tickers MTSR PFE
Copper Giant Freeport Slumps but Analysts See 33% Upside
Via MarketBeat
Tickers FCX SCCO
The BYD Opportunity: Tesla-Like Growth at a Fraction of the Price
Via MarketBeat
Topics Electric Vehicles
Tickers BYDDY LI TSLA
3 Reasons CoreWeave Could Be the Hottest AI Stock in Q4
Via MarketBeat
Topics Artificial Intelligence
Tickers CRWV NVDA
Accenture: Undervalued GenAI Leader or Snake Eating its Own Tail?
Via MarketBeat
Tickers ACN IBM
Stock Quote API & Stock News API supplied by www.cloudquote.io
Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes.
By accessing this page, you agree to the following
Privacy Policy and Terms Of Service.