Unimation

Unimation was an American robotics company founded in 1962 by inventor George Devol and engineer Joseph F. Engelberger. It is widely regarded as the first company established specifically to develop and commercialize industrial robots. The company’s name became closely associated with its principal product, the Unimate, an electrically and hydraulically controlled industrial robot designed to perform repetitive, hazardous, and physically demanding manufacturing tasks. The company emerged from Devol’s earlier work on programmable material-handling machinery. Devol had applied for a patent covering an industrial robotic arm in 1954, and the relevant United States patent was issued in 1961. Engelberger, who became Unimation’s president, recognized the manufacturing potential of Devol’s invention and worked with him and a team of engineers to turn the concept into a commercially deployable machine. The resulting business combined proprietary robotics technology with engineering and manufacturing capabilities that were unusually advanced for the period. The first Unimate was introduced publicly at a trade show in Chicago in 1961. In the same period, the first production unit was sold and shipped to General Motors. It was installed at GM’s Inland Fisher Guide plant in Ewing Township, New Jersey, where it handled hot metal parts from a die-casting machine and stacked them. The machine later supported operations such as spot welding and other material-handling activities. This installation is commonly treated as a landmark in the history of industrial automation because it placed a programmable robot directly into a mass-production environment. Early Unimate machines required extensive custom engineering. Prototype systems used vacuum tubes as digital switches, while later versions adopted transistors. Commercially available components were often inadequate for the precision, memory, and control requirements of the system, so Unimation designed and machined many of the robot’s parts itself. The company also developed specialized technologies, including a rotating-drum memory system with parity controls. These engineering challenges contributed to the high initial cost of the robots. The first robot was sold at a loss of approximately $35,000, but Unimation’s economics improved as production volumes increased and automotive manufacturers recognized the value of automated handling and welding. Chrysler and Ford followed General Motors in adopting Unimates, while Fiat was also identified as an early customer or adopter. The automotive sector became the company’s principal market and provided an important commercial foundation for industrial robotics. One of Unimation’s most significant later developments was the PUMA robot, created at the company in 1978 by Victor Scheinman. PUMA, an acronym for Programmable Universal Machine for Assembly or Programmable Universal Manipulation Arm, was initially developed for General Motors. Its design drew on Scheinman’s earlier Vicarm work at Stanford University and became an influential example of a programmable articulated robot for assembly and manipulation tasks. Unimation was acquired by Westinghouse in 1983. Westinghouse subsequently sold the company to the Swiss robotics manufacturer Stäubli in 1988. The transaction occurred during a period in which the robotics market was moving away from the hydraulic robot designs associated with many early Unimation systems and toward electrically powered machines. Although Unimation no longer operates as an independent brand in the form described by its historical account, its Unimate product and its role in industrial automation remain important milestones in robotics history.

Unimation’s origins lie in George Devol’s work on programmable industrial machinery. Devol applied for a patent on an industrial robotic arm in 1954, and the patent was issued in 1961. Joseph F. Engelberger, an engineer and entrepreneur, worked with Devol to turn the patented concept into a commercial product and founded Unimation with him in 1962. Engelberger served as the company’s president. The company’s first major product was the Unimate, an industrial robot intended to automate material handling and other dangerous or repetitive factory operations. Although the company was founded in 1962, the first Unimate was introduced at a Chicago trade show in 1961, and an early unit was shipped to General Motors that year. The robot was installed at GM’s Inland Fisher Guide plant in Ewing Township, New Jersey. Its initial job was to remove hot metal pieces from a die-casting machine and stack them. The system was subsequently associated with additional automotive tasks, including spot welding. Developing the Unimate required substantial original engineering. The earliest prototypes relied on vacuum tubes functioning as digital switches; later models used transistors. Components available during the late 1950s did not provide all the necessary capabilities for robot control, so Unimation engineers designed and manufactured many elements themselves. The company also created a rotating-drum memory system with data-parity controls. These efforts helped make programmable robotic movement practical in an industrial setting but contributed to the complexity and cost of early units. Unimation initially sold its first robot at a loss of about $35,000. As manufacturing volumes rose and customers saw the value of automation, the company was able to reduce production costs and move toward profitability. General Motors was followed by other major automobile manufacturers, including Chrysler and Ford, while Fiat was also identified among the companies that recognized the usefulness of large-scale Unimate purchases. The automotive sector therefore became the principal proving ground and commercial market for the company’s technology. In 1978, Victor Scheinman developed the PUMA robot at Unimation. The name referred either to Programmable Universal Machine for Assembly or Programmable Universal Manipulation Arm. The system was initially developed for General Motors and drew on Scheinman’s earlier Vicarm design, which he had created while working at Stanford University. PUMA extended Unimation’s product range beyond the original material-handling concept and became an influential articulated robot design for assembly and manipulation applications. Unimation was acquired by Westinghouse in 1983. Five years later, in 1988, Westinghouse sold the company to Stäubli, a Swiss company active in robotics. The sale took place as the industry changed technologically: hydraulic robot designs of the kind associated with early Unimation systems were increasingly challenged by electrically powered robots. Unimation’s independent corporate identity subsequently became less prominent, but its pioneering work established a foundation for the industrial robotics industry and helped demonstrate that programmable machines could be integrated into high-volume manufacturing.

• 1988

  Sale to Stäubli

  [1]Unimationen.wikipedia.org

  Westinghouse sold Unimation to Swiss robotics company Stäubli as the sector shifted toward electrically powered robots.

• 1983

  Acquisition by Westinghouse

  [1]Unimationen.wikipedia.org

  Westinghouse acquired Unimation.

• 1978

  PUMA developed at Unimation

  [1]Unimationen.wikipedia.org

  Victor Scheinman developed the PUMA programmable robot at Unimation, initially for General Motors.

• 1962

  Unimation founded

  [1]Unimationen.wikipedia.org

  George Devol and Joseph F. Engelberger founded Unimation to engineer and manufacture industrial robots.

• 1961

  Industrial robot patent issued and first Unimate introduced

  [1]Unimationen.wikipedia.org

  Devol’s United States patent was issued, and Unimation’s new robot was introduced at a Chicago trade show. An early Unimate was also shipped to General Motors.

• 1961

  First Unimate installed at General Motors

  [1]Unimationen.wikipedia.org

  A Unimate was installed at GM’s Inland Fisher Guide plant in New Jersey to handle hot die-cast parts and stack them.

• 1954

  Devol applies for an industrial robot patent

  [1]Unimationen.wikipedia.org

  George Devol applied for a patent covering an industrial robotic arm, laying an early technological foundation for the later Unimate system.

A pioneer of industrial robotics focused on programmable automation for automotive manufacturing, especially material handling, die casting, spot welding, and assembly.

• Industrial robot · 1961

  Unimate

  The Unimate was Unimation’s pioneering programmable industrial robot. It was designed to perform repetitive and hazardous manufacturing work, initially handling hot metal components from die-casting machines and later supporting automotive operations such as spot welding. Early prototypes used vacuum-tube control systems, while later machines used transistors and specialized memory technology. Its installation at General Motors made it one of the earliest industrial robots deployed in a production environment.

• Programmable assembly and manipulation robot · 1978

  PUMA

  PUMA, short for Programmable Universal Machine for Assembly or Programmable Universal Manipulation Arm, was developed by Victor Scheinman at Unimation in 1978. Initially created for General Motors, it was based partly on Scheinman’s earlier Vicarm design from Stanford University. The robot represented an important expansion of Unimation’s work into programmable articulated manipulation and assembly applications.

• 1988

  Sale to StäubliM&A

  Background

  The robotics industry was moving from early hydraulic systems toward electrically powered robots.

  Action taken

  Westinghouse sold Unimation to Swiss robotics company Stäubli.

  Aftermath

  The sale marked a later stage in the transition of Unimation’s technology and corporate identity within the robotics industry.

  Source

• 1983

  Acquisition by WestinghouseM&A

  Background

  Industrial robotics had developed into a significant manufacturing technology and attracted acquisition interest from larger industrial companies.

  Action taken

  Westinghouse purchased Unimation.

  Aftermath

  Unimation continued under Westinghouse ownership until it was sold to Stäubli in 1988.

  Source

• 1978

  Development of PUMAProduct launch

  Background

  Unimation expanded beyond its early Unimate material-handling systems into programmable assembly and manipulation.

  Action taken

  Victor Scheinman developed the PUMA robot at Unimation for an initial General Motors project.

  Aftermath

  PUMA became an influential articulated robot design and an important part of Unimation’s historical product portfolio.

  Source

• 1961

  Commercial introduction of the UnimateProduct launch

  Background

  Unimation sought to move programmable industrial robotics from experimental engineering into factory production.

  Action taken

  The company introduced the Unimate publicly and delivered an early unit to General Motors for die-casting material handling.

  Aftermath

  The GM installation demonstrated the practical value of industrial robots and helped attract other automotive manufacturers.

  Source

1. 1Unimationen.wikipedia.org