Kassow Robots, the Danish cobot company founded by former Universal Robots co-founder Kristian Kassow, introduced its KR1018 7-axis cobot arm. The KR1018, the company’s fifth cobot arm, handle payloads up to 18 kilograms and has a reach of 1000 millimeters (1 meter).

Kassow Robots said the new cobot is designed for industrial companies in the metalworking industry and other areas, including food production, to take the heavy lifting off the hands of employees.

The KR1018 weighs 34 kg, offers repeatability of +/- 0.1mm and a joint speed of up to 225 degrees per second. It comes with three I/O ports and a free drive button, which Kassow Robots made a standard feature of its cobots in November 2019. Two of the ports are for digital or analog I/Os, while the third port enables a direct data/Ethernet connection with the controller.

Here is a quick comparison of Kassow Robots’ cobot arms. As you’ll notice, the KR1018 offers the highest payload of any Kassow cobot, nearly double that of the KR810. All of the company’s cobots feature built-in force torque sensors to detect impact and abnormal forces and stop the robots when they’re overloaded.

Kassow Robots Comparison

To compare 100-plus cobot arms, check out our comparison tool here.

“Compact, very strong – but lightweight! This was the goal that Kristian Kassow had in mind when he designed his cobots for flexible jobs at industrial companies, and he brought this design to life with the help of his team,” said Dieter Pletscher, head of sales at Kassow Robots. “Kristian sketched out the five models in the business plan and all are now being sold in the market. All five models offer a unique combination of strength and speed. They are also easy to operate and programme.”

Gibson Engineering, a Norwood, Mass.-based industrial automation integrator, introduced Kassow Robots to the North American market during in June 2019.

Kassow is well-known in the cobot market. He co-founded Universal Robots, the leading cobot company in the world, in 2005 alongside Esben Østergaard and Kasper Støy. Kassow left Universal Robots in 2009, shortly before it was acquired by Teradyne for $285 million. Our sister publication, The Robot Report, has more about the origin of Kassow Robots.