Techman TM12

What it's for

1,300 millimeters of reach and a 12 kg payload: that is the longest arm in Techman Robot's basic series. A 2D camera is built into the end of the TM12's arm, with no need to buy an external vision system, which at competitors is sometimes an option. The manufacturer names two main tasks: machine tending (feeding and unloading parts) and palletizing. In a factory, see factories, the robot works at machine tools and at the end of the line; in a warehouse, see warehouses, it stacks cartons on pallets. As a collaborative robot (cobot) it has six degrees of freedom (DOF), explained in “Degrees of Freedom (DOF) in Humanoid Robots”, and can work alongside people after a proper risk assessment under the standards covered in “Robot Safety Standards”. Its reach is both its strength and its limit: it reaches farther than the Techman TM14, but the latter lifts more close to the base. The standard camera helps where a part's position varies, for example with trays of loosely lying components. When even more reach is needed, the family includes the Techman TM25S (1,902 mm).

Who it's for

Best suited to: plants that need a cobot for medium-heavy tasks on a production line and value built-in machine vision with no extra integration. Companies that tend machine tools with deep work zones. Manufacturers who stack pallets higher. Integrators who want to shorten deployment, because the camera comes in the package. Who it does not suit: those who need the highest payload, since the Techman TM14 or heavier models fit better there. Not for plants that compare offers on price alone: Techman does not publish a list price for the TM12, and without a request for quotation it cannot be assessed. Not for stations that demand high speeds in a tight cell; risk analysis, not the catalog, decides there. Before buying, go through “How to Buy a Cobot Step by Step”.

Deployments

What is confirmed is that the robot is available through the Polish distributor TFM Robotics (tfm-robotics.pl), and that the manufacturer has two distributors in Poland. For a general market overview, see “Polish Robotics Companies”. In the cobot category the typical applications are the machine tending and palletizing described above. For plants looking for references, it is sensible to ask the distributor for a list of installations with an application similar to your own, rather than relying on general catalog claims.

The closest alternative is the UR12e from Universal Robots: 1,300 mm reach and 12.5 kg payload, the successor to the UR10e since May 2025, available in Poland through elmark.com.pl. It has no camera as standard, but it has a large ecosystem of accessories. The JAKA Zu 12 offers 12 kg and a 1,327 mm reach, but its price and availability in Poland are unknown. The Han's Robot Elfin E10 is a 12 kg cobot with a 1,000 mm reach. When a bigger payload is needed, the Doosan M1509 gives 15 kg at a 900 mm reach and is available through coboty-doosan.pl. The choice depends on whether a standard camera matters more to you than reach or ecosystem. It is also worth looking at a maker with local support in Poland, such as Doosan Robotics, which has a distributor in the country and a full range of cobots.

Techman Robot, founded in 2016 in Taoyuan, Taiwan, is a subsidiary of the listed Quanta Storage. The TM12 belongs to the basic TM series alongside the TM5 and TM14, and its distinguishing feature is its 1,300 mm reach, the largest in that series. A confirmed launch date for the model is not available, so none is given. The TM family is described more fully in the manufacturer profile Techman Robot. For readers' convenience, the TM12 is compared with the UR12e in a separate comparison. Larger models such as the Techman TM25S now round out the family, which shows where the lineup is heading: ever more payload and reach with the same philosophy of built-in vision.