Chicago, IL – September 8, 2025 — At this year’s FABTECH trade show in Chicago, Universal Robots (UR) has officially launched the UR8 Long, a new collaborative robot (cobot) designed with welding applications in mind. With a 1750 mm reach and 8 kg payload, the UR8 Long offers a unique combination of extended reach, compact footprint, and precision motion control, making it ideal for tasks such as welding, pick-and-place, and quality inspection
The UR8 Long is part of UR’s latest generation of cobots, which aim to deliver unparalleled performance and adaptability across industries. Its advanced joint architecture and accurate torque control enable high-speed acceleration and precise linear motion—key features for modern welding operations.
One of the most enthusiastic voices about the new cobot comes from Smooth Robotics, a Danish company specializing in welding automation software. Their flagship product, SmoothTool, is a user-friendly cobot welding package that simplifies the programming of advanced welds. It includes features like Touch Sense, Weaving patterns, Multipass, and the newly introduced Seam Tracking, which allows welders to auto-adjust paths through the arc for longer, more consistent welds
Erik Mønster, CEO of Smooth Robotics, shared his excitement:
“We’re very excited about the new UR8 Long and happy that Universal Robots has listened to feedback from the market and delivered a welding-specific cobot.
The UR10e and UR20 are still great robots for welding, but the UR20’s 20 kg payload is total overkill for most welding tasks. With the UR8 Long, we get the same reach as the UR20 but at a lower cost due to the reduced payload.
We believe many of our customers will opt for this new cobot—it perfectly complements the features of SmoothTool.”
Mønster also highlighted improvements in freedrive functionality, which allows welders to guide the robot manually using SmoothTool’s programming flange. “The freedrive on the UR8 Long feels smoother than on the UR20, and the extended reach enables longer welds, which pairs beautifully with our Seam Tracking feature,” he added.
Smooth Robotics has actually also played a minor role in the development and launch of the UR8 Long, assisting Universal Robots with welding-specific testing and collaborating with their marketing team to ensure the cobot meets the needs of real-world welding professionals.
With over 100,000 UR cobots already deployed globally, the UR8 Long marks a significant step forward in collaborative automation—especially for industries facing a shortage of skilled welders. By combining UR’s hardware innovation with Smooth Robotics’ software expertise, manufacturers now have a powerful, cost-effective solution to scale their welding operations with precision and ease.
