Ur3e

Overview

The Universal Robots UR3e is the smallest and most compact arm in the UR e-Series range, with 3 kg payload, 500 mm reach, and a unique 360-degree wrist rotation on the final joint (versus ±360 degrees on larger UR arms). It is designed for benchtop tasks: electronics assembly, small part handling, dispensing, and screw-driving. Universal Robots manufactures it in Odense, Denmark, and it shares the PolyScope 5 controller and UR+ ecosystem with the rest of the e-Series.

Key Specifications

• Payload: 3 kg
• Reach: 500 mm
• Degrees of freedom: 6
• Repeatability: ±0.03 mm
• TCP speed: up to 1 m/s
• Weight: 11.2 kg
• IP rating: IP54
• Wrist rotation: 360 degrees (joint 6)

The 360-degree wrist rotation simplifies tasks requiring continuous rotation, such as screwdriving or cable winding.

Use Cases

The UR3e is used for PCB assembly, solder paste dispensing, small component pick-and-place, screwdriving, and laboratory sample handling. Its compact size allows it to fit on standard work surfaces without dedicated floor space. The UR+ ecosystem provides certified grippers and vision systems sized for small-part handling.

Buying Used

The UR3e has a good secondhand market in the UK. Expect to pay £8,000 to £16,000. Verify joint hours via PolyScope logs and test the wrist rotation joint specifically for smooth operation, as continuous-rotation applications may have accumulated higher cycles on joint 6. The PolyScope controller is standard across the e-Series range.

Alternatives to Consider

• Dobot CR3: Lower purchase price with built-in force-torque sensing, though smaller UK service network.
• Kinova Gen3 Lite: Lighter at 5.4 kg total weight, suited to mobile platforms, though much lower payload.
• ABB YuMi: Dual-arm design for tasks requiring two-handed dexterity, though at much higher cost.

The UR3e's compact footprint and light weight (11.2 kg) make it easy to mount on a standard aluminium extrusion frame or directly on a work surface without dedicated floor anchoring in most risk assessments. It is compatible with the full UR+ certified peripherals catalogue, including fingertip grippers from Robotiq, vacuum systems from OnRobot, and vision systems from Cognex, all of which have been validated on the UR3e platform.