Universal Robots Set to Complete Interface for Siemens Engineering Portal

Universal Robots (UR) specializes in manufacturing and supplying unique and versatile collaborative robots that can be used in a wide variety of industries. Recently, the company announced an upcoming release of an interpreter interface to integrate UR cobots with Siemens’ Simatic Robot Library. The interface is expected to be completed within the fourth quarter of 2021. 

 

Siemens’ Simatic Robot Integrator and new library. Image used courtesy of Siemens 

 

This library is available to system integrators, plant operators, and machine builders through Siemens’ TIA (Totally Integrated Automation) portal. The portal is designed to facilitate integrated engineering, digital workflows, and transparency in production to boost plant productivity.

 

Siemens’ Simatic Robot Integrator and Library

Siemens’ TIA portal offers a single engineering environment for robots and PLCs. The company’s new Simatic Robot Library can be used in conjunction with the Simatic Robot Integrator app. 

Through the TIA portal, users can benefit from a uniform robot connection, which allows robot manufacturers to integrate any robot on the market within a short time frame. The app and library work in unison to help system integrators expedite programming robots for fully automated production lines. 

By using the Simatic Robot Library, users do not need to have an in-depth knowledge of the programming required for a specific type of robot. Knowledge of Siemens’ TIA portal is all that is required. 

With the Simatic Robot Integrator, the library can download programming examples for operation and control robots as soon as they are configured. Simatic human-machine interface (HMI) provides users with online programming functions for path creation, inching, or teach-in. 

The TIA portal from Siemens allows its customers to access fully digitized automation. Image used courtesy of Siemens 

 

The Simatic Robot Library will include UR cobots, allowing manufacturers to utilize and integrate them into their facility operations. UR hopes the cobots’ TIA integration will benefit plant engineers, manufacturers, and large production facilities.

In a recent news release, Bernd Meier, Director of Global Key Accounts and OEMs at UR, commented: “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.”

 

Siemens-UR Partnership

By partnering with Siemens, UR has a platform from which its cobot solutions can be accessed. Siemens can benefit from the partnership by providing its customers with a growing range of solutions. In the same news release, Marketing Manager at Siemens Digital Industries, Tobias Fengel, said: “We are welcoming Universal Robots as a new partner just in time for the start of the new Simatic Robot Library’s piloting.” Fengel added: “We are delighted that we will soon be able to offer our clients a forward-looking solution together with the cobot market leader.”

In addition to providing system integrators with the ability to implement UR cobots within automated production lines, Siemens’ TIA portal and Simatic Robot Library can allow users “to combine the UR cobots with technologies like Edge data analyses or cloud services and include them in the monitoring of plant conditions,” Meier concluded.

With Industry 4.0 and Edge computing becoming more prominent, more companies are looking toward the future of manufacturing.