Techman TM12 vs UR12e: Built-In Vision Meets UR's New Generation

The TM12 has six axes, a 12 kg payload and a 1,300 mm reach, and its distinguishing feature is a factory-integrated 2D vision system in the end of the arm. Techman describes it as the longest arm of its basic series. The UR12e has six axes, a 12.5 kg payload and the same 1,300 mm reach; the manufacturer stresses that 12.5 kg is the real capacity, not a rounded figure as in the old naming. The force/torque sensor sits at the tool flange.

The numbers are thus practically equal: the payload differs by 0.5 kg, the reach not at all. The choice is decided by what the robot has in the box. The TM12 has a camera, so it can locate parts on a feeder without buying an external vision system; with the UR12e a camera has to be selected and integrated. The UR12e, in turn, has a force/torque sensor that we do not confirm for the TM12, so you must not assume the TM12 has such a function. We state the weight of neither robot because it is not in the sources. How to read such data is explained in “How to Read a Robot Datasheet”. With 12 kg parts, remember that the gripper’s mass reduces the usable payload, so both robots may prove too small when an 11 kg part also needs a heavy gripper.

We know the price of neither. Techman publishes no list price for the TM12, and the UR12e has no explicit price, only information from a distributor. A cost comparison therefore requires a request for quotation. When assessing, remember that with the TM12 vision is included, while with the UR12e the camera and its integration are a separate item. That is an argument for comparing complete packages, not bare arms.

In Poland the company TFM (Technologie Formowania Metali, tfm.pl, TFM Robotics) presents Techman cobots on its website, so it is the natural first contact for the TM12; availability of a specific model has to be confirmed. The UR12e is carried by Elmark Automatyka (Universal Robots collaborative robots). The CP Trade page describes only the older UR3, UR5 and UR10, so availability of the UR12e there needs confirming.

Both arms aim at machine tending and palletizing. The TM12 with its camera suits cells where parts lie unordered or in varying places and have to be located before grasping, for example in a factory with vibratory feeders or when checking position. A 1,300 mm reach helps in cells with limited space around the robot.

The UR12e is for plants that want to build a cell from blocks: grippers from Robotiq or OnRobot, cameras chosen separately, ready palletizing applications. In a warehouse, for palletizing and packing light cartons, it wins by the maturity of its platform. From the same class it is also worth reviewing the Doosan M1013 and the Techman TM14 if you need a higher payload with a 2D camera.