Universal Robots announces Third Dimension as a UR+ Partner

Universal Robots has announced Third Dimension Software as an official partner in the UR+ application scheme. The partnership ensures SMEs can quickly and easily adopt flexible solutions for automated quality and process inspection, with little or no robotic programming expertise required.

Third Dimension has a long and reputable track record of supplying non-contact optical measurement equipment and services to the aerospace, automotive, energy and consumer goods sectors. It counts the likes of Airbus, Toyota and Whirlpool amongst its worldwide customer base.

Third Dimension’s flagship automated product is Vectro2, a proven tool for fast, accurate, and traceable measurement and inspection of 2D profiles such as gap, flush, radius, edge break, burr, weld, seal angle, and more, when paired with the companies proven ‘T-Series’ non-contact laser sensor heads.

Certification through the UR+ scheme means Vectro2 can be seamlessly integrated with Universal Robots’ full range of cobots within minutes, opening up new opportunities for efficient and accurate measuring on the production line.

The compact size and low mass of Third Dimension’s products makes them a perfect application for a cobot. Taking measurements and gathering data for QC and process control can now be fully automated. The cobot can run unattended, with a level of consistency unattainable by the human hand, freeing up time for the human workforce to focus on other areas of the business, adding value with intuition, decision-making and other essential skills that a cobot cannot provide.

Clive Warren, senior product manager at Third Dimension, says: “Third Dimension and Universal Robots share a mission to democratise access to automation. Now that Third Dimension are partnered, SMEs can explore new options to automate non-contact inspection and measurement applications in their production process. It’s an exciting opportunity to introduce manufacturers to new ways of improving productivity and quality, reducing waste, and driving down costs.”

Mark Gray, Universal Robots country manager for the UK Ireland, says: ‘We are thrilled to have Third Dimension as a UR+ Partner. Automation gives SMEs the freedom to take their human workforce away from dull, dirty or dangerous jobs. Taking laborious measuring tasks away from the engineer means that they can add value elsewhere. Human skill is the most valuable asset to any organisation, it’s essential that it is used in the right places.”

Universal Robots and Third Dimension’s products also support Industry 4.0 initiatives, providing real-time data from the manufacturing process, facilitating automated process control and providing the foresight to anticipate fluctuations in the production line. Fully traceable measurements can be made reliably and consistently at speeds well in excess of manual techniques, reducing cycle times and ensuring quality.