Operate: virtual training and commissioning of a simulated arm
Twin: a twin-ready view of the arm and its cell
§1 xArm 6
xArm 6 overview
What the machine is, what arms like it are used for, where it sits in its maker's range, and why it is at IntelliMake.
Start here
This section says what this machine is, what arms like it are used for, where it sits among its maker's arms, and what it does at IntelliMake. Every tier below builds on the same three figures.
The xArm 6 is a UFACTORY cobot with six degrees of freedom41.
It carries at most 5 kg, and UFACTORY gives it a reach of 700 mm23.
At IntelliMake's Phase 1 factory it is station S64.
S6 in one line: S6 is the xArm 6 arm that handles parts after processing, routing them to inspection, rework or shipping4.
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Choose your depth
Four depths, one page. Switch at any time: every tier stays open to everyone. What the four tiers mean
1Beginner
What is this machine?
For: Anyone with no robotics background: a visitor, a new operator, a manager Kind of task: Recognise and recall, with plain-language explanations and pictures
In this part you meet the machine, learn the numbers that describe its size and strength, and see why the word "collaborative" does not tell you whether it is safe to stand next to it. No robotics background is needed.
It has a base and six rotary joints. They are numbered from the bottom, Joint 1 upwards, and the last joint is the tool side, where a gripper or another end effector connects5.
The arm is made of aluminium and carbon fibre. The manual gives this for the xArm 5, 6 and 7 together6.
The arm alone weighs 12.5 kg, according to UFACTORY's online hardware manual and product page. Another UFACTORY source gives a different weight, so this figure is not settled7.
What arms like it do
UFACTORY's help article says the xArm 6 is designed for manufacturing and assembly-line automation, including more complex actions such as loading and unloading, and pick and place8.
UFACTORY's xArm product page covers the xArm 5, 6 and 7 together. It lists machine tending, bin picking, mobile platforms, lab automation and robotic research as ideal uses9.
S6's job at IntelliMake, handling parts after processing and routing them onward, is a task of that pick-and-place kind10.
"Collaborative robot" is a label, not a promise
UFACTORY's help article calls the xArm series collaborative robots, which it says specialise in sharing tasks and spaces with humans11.
Yet the xArm manual says that when the arm is in operation, no people or other equipment should be in the working area12.
The manual also makes whoever integrates the arm responsible for a risk assessment of the complete system13.
UFACTORY's product page also presents the xArm as a cobot. Neither the page nor the manual says how the label and the rule fit together. The contradiction card sets out both sides14.
The point: a label does not tell you whether it is safe to stand next to the arm. The risk assessment for the complete installation does13. This project's advice: stay out of the xArm 6's working area while it runs, and do not rely on a safeguard nobody has confirmed15.
How people tell it what to do
People program it in UFACTORY Studio, or in code with Python, C++ or ROS16.
Studio is web-based software that runs inside the control box, so nothing has to be installed, and any computer with a browser can use it17.
People can also teach it by hand. In manual mode the arm compensates for gravity, so a person can guide it18. In UFACTORY Studio's Live Control, Manual Mode lets the joints be moved by hand to reach and record positions19.
Why it matters here
IntelliMake's Phase 1 factory is designed to demonstrate autonomous production of high-mix, low-volume personalised products20.
There, as station S6, this arm handles parts after processing, routing them to inspection, rework or shipping4.
It is one of two arms in the cell. The xArm 850 at S2 is the upstream arm that takes incoming material toward personalisation; the xArm 6 at S6 is the downstream arm21.
What "Verified" means on this page
Most records on this page are Verified. Verified means a manufacturer or IntelliMake document says so. It does not mean anyone has measured it at the physical cell. Where a record is Inferred, the reasoning is printed under it; where something is unknown, it is marked as a gap and no number is given.
Check yourself
Answer, then check. Each option has its own feedback, and nothing is scored.
For: Someone who will work near or with the cell: operator, trainee technician Kind of task: Explain and sequence: put steps in order, match parts to their functions
In this part you compare the machine with its siblings, and read the maker's own claims about it against what its manual asks of the people who install and run it. It is for someone who will work near or with the cell.
The xArm 6 and its siblings
Of UFACTORY's xArm 5, 6 and 7, the xArm 6 carries the most: 5 kg, against 3 kg for the xArm 5 and 3.5 kg for the xArm 7. All three reach 700 mm28.
The xArm 6 and the xArm 7 have a full six degrees of freedom in Cartesian space. The xArm 5's linear and circular moves have 4: x, y, z and yaw29.
UFACTORY says the xArm 6 may well suffice for general applications, and recommends the xArm 7 where more flexibility is required. The xArm 7's extra joint gives more possible solutions for a Cartesian target30.
Against UFACTORY's 850, the xArm 6 has the same 5 kg payload but a shorter reach, 700 mm against 850 mm, and a looser stated repeatability, ±0.1 mm against ±0.02 mm31.
What UFACTORY says about the xArm
UFACTORY's help article describes the xArm series as designed for light manufacturing, commercial uses and lab applications32.
UFACTORY's xArm product page cites hand teaching, light weight, a space-saving footprint, and easy re-deployment to multiple applications without changing the production layout33.
The same page says the arm is stress-tested for at least 15,000 hours of full-time operation34.
UFACTORY markets the xArm as plug-and-play: "Unbox, set-up, calibrate. No technician needed."35
These are UFACTORY's own claims about its product32333435.
What the manual asks of people
The xArm manual is stricter than the marketing. It says installation and commissioning need to be performed by professionals, that operators must be trained to use UFACTORY Studio and the SDKs correctly, and that each operator should read the user manual carefully36.
It also says users should fully understand the standard operating procedures and the solutions to the arm's running errors36.
"Collaborative" is not the same as "safe here"
This platform infers that calling the xArm 6 collaborative does not make a given installation safe to share with people37.
The inference rests on two statements in the xArm manual: a safety assessment is required each time the arm is installed, and the whole system should be assessed when the arm works with other machinery37.
Check yourself
Answer, then check. Each option has its own feedback, and nothing is scored.
3Intermediate
Matching the machine to a task
For: Someone who will set up, program or maintain the arm: technician, student engineer Kind of task: Apply: work through written scenarios that need a decision (which mode, which setting, what to do about this error), with feedback on each choice
In this part you pick the right figure for a task, and learn to notice when the figure you need is not in the sources. It is for someone who will set up, program or maintain the arm.
Repeatability is not accuracy
The xArm 6's stated repeatability is ±0.1 mm. The manual gives it for the xArm 5, 6 and 7 together39.
The UFACTORY sources give no absolute positioning accuracy for the xArm 6: how closely it reaches a computed coordinate, as opposed to its ±0.1 mm repeatability40.
That missing figure matters for offline programming and vision-guided picking, which rely on computed coordinates40.
UFACTORY's 850 states ±0.02 mm, so of the two arms the xArm 6 has the looser stated repeatability31.
Cycle time
The UFACTORY sources give no cycle-time data for the xArm 6, and no speed or acceleration it reaches while carrying its full 5 kg payload across its reach41.
Payload and tool offset
The xArm manual says the payload is related to the TCP offset, and shows that relation only in a figure. The text gives no values, and that section names no model42.
So do not assume the full 5 kg at every tool offset. The allowable payload for a given offset is not given as text243.
Collision detection is not a safeguard
UFACTORY's collision detection compares each joint's actual current with a theoretical current calculated from a dynamic model, and triggers when the difference exceeds a pre-set threshold44.
That model takes in joint position, speed and acceleration, the load's weight and centre of mass, the mounting direction and joint friction44.
This project's advice: treat the xArm 6's collision detection, safety boundary and reduced mode as configurable controller functions, not validated safeguards. They must not replace risk-assessed protective devices wired to the EI and SI inputs27.
Check yourself
Answer, then check. Each option has its own feedback, and nothing is scored.
4Expert
Judging marketing claims against evidence
For: Someone who designs, integrates or changes the cell: integrator, engineer, agent developer Kind of task: Analyse and decide: weigh trade-offs, resolve contradictions, critique a configuration
In this part you test the maker's descriptions, and the easy explanations, against the evidence, and separate what is documented from what is merely plausible. It is for someone who designs, integrates or changes the cell.
Joints named, not specified
UFACTORY's xArm product page names only harmonic drives and servomotors for the joints. Unlike the 850's page, it gives no encoder resolution45.
Per-joint data for the xArm 6, such as motor model and rating, harmonic-drive ratio, encoder type and joint-module sizes, is not published in the xArm manual or on the product page45.
"Collaborative robot"
UFACTORY's xArm product page presents the xArm as a collaborative robot, while the xArm manual says no people or other equipment should be in the working area when the arm is in operation. Neither source says how the two fit together14.
The UFACTORY sources do not say whether the xArm 6 is suitable or validated for power and force limiting collaborative applications, and give no contact force or pressure figures for it46.
The xArm manual's list of applied standards does not include ISO/TS 1506647.
No xArm manual chapter, product page or Studio manual states a Performance Level, Category or SIL for any xArm safety function, collision detection included48.
Which xArm 6?
An xArm 6's serial number tells you its model: the axis-count letter I marks an xArm 649.
This project's advice: read the S6 arm's serial number before relying on any figure the sources disagree on, such as its weight or its J2 and J3 ranges. UFACTORY tells four xArm 6 versions apart by serial number, and the arm's version decides which mass parameters apply50.
J2 is one such figure. The online hardware manual and the product page give -117° to 116°; a UFACTORY support article and the xarm6 URDF give about -118° to 120°51.
Two arms in one cell
UFACTORY publishes a longer reach for the 850, 850 mm, than for its xArm 5/6/7 line, 700 mm, and the line's payloads run from 3 kg to 5 kg52.
In the layout the laser stations S4 and S5 sit between S2 and S6, so a single arm probably could not reach both the receiving and staging area and the post-processing area53.
With two arms, loading incoming material at S2 and unloading and routing finished parts at S6 can happen at the same time; with one arm, both handling steps for every part would run one after the other54.
Check yourself
Answer, then check. Each option has its own feedback, and nothing is scored.
Not settled
Open questions · 10
What the sources do not settle for this section. Nothing here is papered over with a plausible number.
Kind: Contradiction
UFACTORY's xArm product page presents the xArm as a collaborative robot ('cobot'), while the xArm manual says no people or other equipment should be in the working area when the arm is in operation. Neither source says how the two fit together.
No fetched UFACTORY source gives an absolute positioning accuracy for the xArm 6 (how closely it reaches a computed coordinate, as opposed to its ±0.1 mm repeatability). This matters for offline programming and vision-guided picking, which rely on computed coordinates.
No fetched UFACTORY source gives cycle-time data for the xArm 6, or the speed and acceleration it reaches while carrying its full 5 kg payload across its reach; the payload versus TCP offset relationship is published only as a figure.
The xArm manual says the payload is related to the TCP offset, but its text gives no payload-versus-offset values; the xArm 6's allowable payload at a given tool offset could not be taken from the sources as text.
Per-joint component data for the xArm 6 (motor model and rating, harmonic-drive ratio, encoder type and resolution, joint-module sizes) is not published in the xArm manual or the product page; the product page names only harmonic drives and servomotors and, unlike the 850's page, gives no encoder resolution.
No fetched UFACTORY source says whether the xArm 6 is suitable or validated for power and force limiting collaborative applications. No fetched UFACTORY source gives contact force or pressure figures for the xArm 6, or a torque or force threshold for any collision sensitivity level.
The xArm manual's list of applied standards does not include ISO/TS 15066; no statement of ISO/TS 15066 conformance for the xArm 6 was found in the manual or the product page.
No chapter of the xArm manual (Preface and chapters 1 to 8), the xArm product page or the Studio manual states an ISO 13849-1 Performance Level or Category, or an IEC 62061 SIL, for any xArm safety function (emergency stop, EI/SI inputs, collision detection, safety boundary or reduced mode), and none mentions a TÜV certification. Do not assume any.
Sources disagree on the range of the xArm 6's joint 2 (J2): the online hardware manual (specifications and preface) and the product page give -117° to 116°, but UFACTORY's support article comparing the xArm 5 Lite, 6 and 7 gives -118° to 120°, and the xarm6 URDF's default limits are -2.059 to 2.0944 rad (about -118° to 120°).
No price for the xArm 6 on its own was found: the xArm product page shows 'US$ 5,799.00 – US$ 5,994.00' in its header and 'From US$5,299' in its footer, without saying which model or configuration each price covers.
This robot arm has 6 axes, with 5kg payload and 1m/s speed.
The difference between UFACTORY xArm5, UFACTORY xArm6 and UFACTORY xArm7 (Help Center article) · UFACTORY · Section 1 'Main difference in brief', xArm 6 entry
This robot arm has 6 axes, with 5kg payload and 1m/s speed.
The difference between UFACTORY xArm5, UFACTORY xArm6 and UFACTORY xArm7 (Help Center article) · UFACTORY · Section 1 'Main difference in brief', xArm 6 entry
The xArm arm consists of a base and rotary joints, each joint a degree of freedom, numbered from the bottom as Joint 1, Joint 2 and so on; the last joint is the tool side, where end effectors such as a gripper connect. The xArm 6 has six such joints.
Evidence · 3 citations
The xArm robotic arm system consists of a base and rotary joints, and each joint represents a degree of freedom. From the bottom to the top, in order, Joint 1, Joint 2, Joint 3, etc.
The online hardware manual and the product page give the xArm 6 arm's weight (arm only) as 12.5 kg; another UFACTORY source differs (see the contradiction).
UFACTORY's help article says the xArm 6 is designed for manufacturing and assembly-line automation, including more complex actions such as loading and unloading and pick and place.
Evidence · 1 citation
The 6 axis robot arm is designed for manufacturing and assembly line automation, including more complex actions, for example, load and unload, pick and place...
The difference between UFACTORY xArm5, UFACTORY xArm6 and UFACTORY xArm7 (Help Center article) · UFACTORY · Section 1 'Main difference in brief', xArm 6 entry
UFACTORY's xArm product page, which covers the xArm 5, 6 and 7, lists machine tending, bin picking, mobile platforms, lab automation and robotic research as ideal uses.
Evidence · 1 citation
Ideal for: ￮ Machine Tending ￮ Bin Picking ￮ Mobile platform ￮ Lab Automation ￮ Robotic Research
UFACTORY xArm product page · UFACTORY · Hero banner, 'Ideal for' list (xArm product page, which covers the xArm 5, 6 and 7)
UFACTORY describes the xArm 6 as designed for manufacturing and assembly-line automation, including more complex actions such as load and unload, and pick and place. S6's IntelliMake role, handling parts after processing and routing them onward, is a task of that kind.
Why we infer this:UFACTORY's article names load and unload and pick and place among the xArm 6's intended tasks; IntelliMake's S6 description (handling and routing parts) is a pick-and-place task. The match is this project's reading; neither source refers to the other.
Evidence · 2 citations
The 6 axis robot arm is designed for manufacturing and assembly line automation, including more complex actions, for example, load and unload, pick and place
The difference between UFACTORY xArm5, UFACTORY xArm6 and UFACTORY xArm7 (Help Center article) · UFACTORY · Section 1, 'Main difference in brief', xArm 6 entry
The xArm manual makes the integrators of the xArm responsible for complying with the country's safety laws and regulations, including making a risk assessment for the complete system and making sure there is a safe distance between people and the xArm when they interact with it.
Evidence · 2 citations
The integrators of xArm are responsible for the compliance of applicable safety laws and regulations in the country, to prevent any hazards in the operating environment. This includes, but is not limited to:
UFACTORY xArm Hardware Manual (online), 1. Safety · UFACTORY · 1.1 Validity and Responsibility [series text: names no single model]
UFACTORY's xArm product page presents the xArm as a collaborative robot ('cobot'), while the xArm manual says no people or other equipment should be in the working area when the arm is in operation. Neither source says how the two fit together.
Kind: RecommendationAwaiting cell accessThis project's simulation and agent design, not the physical cellProject design, not the physical cellsafety-599
Project advice
Until the S6 emergency stops, guarding, Control Box position and risk assessment are confirmed at the cell, act as though none of them exists: stay out of the xArm 6's working area while it runs, and do not rely on a safeguard nobody has confirmed.
Awaiting cell access: this could be confirmed or corrected once the physical S6 cell can be observed.
This is advice from this project, based on: safety-586 Gap, awaiting cell accesssafety-587 Gap, awaiting cell accesssafety-588 Gap, awaiting cell accesssafety-589 Gap, awaiting cell accesssafety-511 Verified
Why:The manual says no people should be in the working area during operation, and none of the S6 safety provisions it calls for has been confirmed. Assuming they exist would put people at risk if they do not.
The xArm can be programmed with UFACTORY Studio or with Python, C++ and ROS (the manual gives this in common for the xArm 5, 6 and 7); the product page says the Python/C++ SDK is open source and ROS/ROS2 packages are available.
Evidence · 2 citations
Programming UFACTORY Studio, Python/C++/ROS
UFACTORY xArm Hardware Manual (online), 8. Technical Specifications · UFACTORY · 'Programming' row (section '8.1 xArm5/xArm6/xArm7 Common Specifications': applies to all three models)
Fully functional open-source Python/C++ SDK provides more flexible programming. ROS/ROS2 packages are ready-to-go.
UFACTORY xArm product page · UFACTORY · Overview, 'Powerful and open source SDK at your fingertips' (xArm product page, which covers the xArm 5, 6 and 7)
UFACTORY Studio is web-based software that runs inside the control box, so no installation is needed and any computer with a browser can use it.
Evidence · 1 citation
UFACTORY Studio is a web-based software running inside the control box, which means no additional installation needed before running the robot. Any computer with a browser has the access after 1 minute hardware connection.
UFACTORY xArm product page · UFACTORY · Tech Specs > Software (xArm product page, which covers the xArm 5, 6 and 7)
In manual mode the arm compensates for gravity ('zero gravity') so a user can guide it by hand. The mounting direction tells the control box how the arm sits relative to gravity; if it is set wrongly the arm cannot recognise gravity accurately, which causes frequent collision warnings and uncontrolled motion in manual mode.
Evidence · 3 citations
In this mode, the robotic arm will enter the ‘zero gravity’ mode, since the gravity is compensated, the user can guide the robotic arm position directly by hand.
UFACTORY Studio User Manual (online), 2. Glossary · UFACTORY · Glossary, 'Manual Mode' (manual text not model-specific; the Studio manual's Preface lists the xArm 6 among the models it applies to)
Setting the mounting direction of the robotic arm is mainly to inform the control box of the current relationship between the actual mounting direction of the robotic arm and the direction of gravity.
UFACTORY Studio User Manual (online), 7. Settings · UFACTORY · 7.1.3 Coordinates, Mounting
Manual Mode in UFACTORY Studio's Live Control lets the joints be moved freely by hand to reach and record positions, and Studio says it can also be used to drag the arm away from a danger zone. Manual mode can be turned on only when the serial numbers of the arm and the Control Box are matched.
Evidence · 3 citations
Quote not shown (over 40 words). See the source at: 4.4 Position & Joint Control, Manual Mode [general Studio text; the Studio manual says it applies to the xArm6].
UFACTORY Studio User Manual (online), 4. Live Control · UFACTORY · 4.4 Position & Joint Control, Manual Mode [general Studio text; the Studio manual says it applies to the xArm6]
When danger occurs, you can also use the manual mode to manually drag the robot away from the danger zone.
UFACTORY Studio User Manual (online), 4. Live Control · UFACTORY · 4.4, Manual Mode [general Studio text; the Studio manual says it applies to the xArm6]
The serial number of robotic arm and the control box need to be matched before Manual Mode can be turned on.
UFACTORY Studio User Manual (online), 4. Live Control · UFACTORY · 4.4, Manual Mode [general Studio text; the Studio manual says it applies to the xArm6]
The cell uses two collaborative arms: the xArm 850 at S2 is the upstream arm that takes incoming material off receiving toward personalization, and the xArm 6 at S6 is the downstream arm that handles parts after processing.
Evidence · 2 citations
The xArm 850 at S2 is the **upstream** arm: it takes incoming material off receiving and hands it off toward personalization
S4, the Laser Engraver Conveyor, transfers workpieces through the laser processing area.
Evidence · 1 citation
Transfers workplaces through the laser processing area.
IntelliMake Phase 1 Factory: Autonomous Production Demonstrator (infographic) · IntelliMake.org · S4 station description (the diagram prints 'workplaces'; read as workpieces)
Kind: RecommendationThis project's simulation and agent design, not the physical cellProject design, not the physical cellsafety-594
Project advice
Treat the xArm 6's collision detection, safety boundary and reduced mode as configurable controller functions, not validated safeguards: they must not replace risk-assessed protective devices wired to the EI and SI inputs.
This is advice from this project, based on: safety-578 Gapsafety-559 Verifiedsafety-560 Verifiedsafety-561 Verifiedsafety-564 Verifiedsafety-565 Verifiedsafety-544 Verified
Why:No fetched UFACTORY document gives these functions a Performance Level or SIL. Collision detection is a current-model comparison that UFACTORY says can false-trigger and can be switched off; the safety boundary and reduced mode are settings. A function with no documented rating cannot stand in for a rated protective device.
The xArm 6 carries the highest payload of UFACTORY's xArm 5/6/7 arms: 5 kg, against 3 kg for the xArm 5 and 3.5 kg for the xArm 7; all three have a 700 mm reach.
Evidence · 2 citations
Payload 3kg 5kg 3.5kg
UFACTORY xArm product page · UFACTORY · 'Payload' row (Tech Specs > Comparison table, columns xArm 5, xArm 6, xArm 7; value read from the xArm 6 column)
The xArm 6 and xArm 7 have a full 6 degrees of freedom in Cartesian space, whereas the xArm 5's linear and circular Cartesian motions have 4 ([x, y, z, yaw]).
Evidence · 2 citations
Both robotic arms have a full 6 degrees of freedom in Cartesian space.
The difference between UFACTORY xArm5, UFACTORY xArm6 and UFACTORY xArm7 (Help Center article) · UFACTORY · Section 3, 'Motion Characteristics of the UFACTORY xArm6 and UFACTORY xArm7'
UFACTORY says that for general applications the xArm 6 may well suffice, and recommends the xArm 7 if more flexibility is required; the xArm 7's additional joint gives more possible solutions for a Cartesian target.
Evidence · 2 citations
For UFACTORY xArm7, there is one additional joint of freedom, meaning more possible solutions (Null-space solution) for a specified Cartesian target.
The difference between UFACTORY xArm5, UFACTORY xArm6 and UFACTORY xArm7 (Help Center article) · UFACTORY · Section 3, 'Motion Characteristics of the UFACTORY xArm6 and UFACTORY xArm7'
Compared with UFACTORY's 850, the xArm 6 has the same 5 kg payload but a shorter reach (700 mm against 850 mm) and a looser stated repeatability (±0.1 mm against ±0.02 mm).
Evidence · 3 citations
Payload 3kg 5kg 3.5kg Reach 700mm 700mm 700mm
UFACTORY xArm product page · UFACTORY · 'Payload' and 'Reach' rows (Tech Specs > Comparison table, columns xArm 5, xArm 6, xArm 7; value read from the xArm 6 column)
UFACTORY's xArm product page cites hand teaching, light weight, a space-saving footprint and easy re-deployment to multiple applications without changing the production layout, and says collision detection is available for all its cobots.
Evidence · 2 citations
Hand teaching, lightweight, space-saving and easy to re-deploy to multiple applications without changing your production layout.Perfectly for recurrent tasks.
UFACTORY xArm product page · UFACTORY · Overview, 'Flexible deployment with safe feature' (xArm product page, which covers the xArm 5, 6 and 7)
UFACTORY's xArm product page gives a 1-year warranty against manufacturing defects, says the arm is stress-tested for at least 15,000 hours of full-time operation, and gives a lead time of 2–4 weeks.
Evidence · 2 citations
1-year warranty against manufacturing defects. Stress-tested for at least 15,000 hours of full-time operation.
UFACTORY xArm product page · UFACTORY · Tech Specs > Service & Support, Warranty (xArm product page, which covers the xArm 5, 6 and 7)
The xArm manual says installation and commissioning need to be performed by professionals (the sentence stops after 'in accordance'), that operators must be trained to guarantee a correct operating procedure when using the SDK (Python, ROS, C++) and UFactory Studio, that each operator should read the user manual carefully, and that users should fully understand the standard operating procedures and the solutions to the arm's running errors.
Evidence · 3 citations
Please follow the instructions in this manual, installation, and commissioning needs to be performed by professionals in accordance
UFACTORY xArm Hardware Manual (online), 1. Safety · UFACTORY · 1.3, DANGER list [series text: names no single model]
Each operator who uses the robotic arm system should read the product user manual carefully. Users should fully understand the standardized operating procedures with the robotic arm, and the solution to the robotic arm running error.
UFACTORY xArm Hardware Manual (online), 1. Safety · UFACTORY · 1.4 Personnel Safety, CAUTION [series text: names no single model]
Calling the xArm 6 'collaborative' does not make a given installation safe to share with people: the xArm manual says a safety assessment is required each time the arm is installed, and that a comprehensive safety assessment of the whole system should be performed when the xArm works with other machinery.
Why we infer this:UFACTORY uses 'collaborative' as a product description (app-504, app-509). The xArm manual separately requires a safety assessment for each installation and for the whole system when the arm works with other machinery. So the label describes the arm's features, not a guarantee that a particular cell allows people to work beside it.
Evidence · 2 citations
A safety assessment is required each time installed.
The xArm manual says a complete safety assessment must be recorded each time the arm is re-installed and debugged, and that a safety assessment is required each time it is installed.
Evidence · 2 citations
A complete safety assessment must be recorded each time the robotic arm is re-installed and debugged.
UFACTORY xArm Hardware Manual (online), 1. Safety · UFACTORY · 1.3, DANGER list [series text: names no single model]
No fetched UFACTORY source gives an absolute positioning accuracy for the xArm 6 (how closely it reaches a computed coordinate, as opposed to its ±0.1 mm repeatability). This matters for offline programming and vision-guided picking, which rely on computed coordinates.
Evidence · 1 citation
Repeatability | ±0.1mm
UFACTORY xArm Hardware Manual (online), 8. Technical Specifications · UFACTORY · 8.1 Common Specifications: repeatability only [names the xArm 6]
No fetched UFACTORY source gives cycle-time data for the xArm 6, or the speed and acceleration it reaches while carrying its full 5 kg payload across its reach; the payload versus TCP offset relationship is published only as a figure.
Evidence · 1 citation
The payload is related to the tcp offset.
UFACTORY xArm Hardware Manual (online), 7. Production Information · UFACTORY · 7.11 Max Payload [series text: names no single model]
The xArm manual says the payload is related to the TCP offset and shows the relationship only in a figure; the fetched text gives no values, and the section names no model.
Evidence · 1 citation
The payload is related to the tcp offset.
UFACTORY xArm Hardware Manual (online), 7. Production Information · UFACTORY · 7.11 Max Payload (text followed by a figure) [series text: names no single model]
The xArm manual says the payload is related to the TCP offset, but its text gives no payload-versus-offset values; the xArm 6's allowable payload at a given tool offset could not be taken from the sources as text.
UFACTORY xArm Hardware Manual (online), 7. Production Information · UFACTORY · 7.11 Max Payload (manual for the xArm series; this passage names no single model)
UFACTORY's collision detection compares each joint's theoretical current, calculated from a dynamic model, with its actual current, and triggers when the difference exceeds a pre-set threshold. The model takes in joint position, speed and acceleration, load weight and centre of mass, mounting direction and joint friction.
Evidence · 4 citations
By comparing the theoretical current and actual current of each joint, the system determines whether a collision has occurred.
Collision Detection in UFACTORY Robotic Arms: Current and Dynamic Model-based Feature (UFACTORY support article) · UFACTORY · Introduction (applies to UFACTORY robotic arms; the article's friction table names the xArm 5/6/7)
If the difference exceeds a pre-set threshold, indicating that the joint may have encountered external resistance or collision, the system triggers the collision detection.
Collision Detection in UFACTORY Robotic Arms: Current and Dynamic Model-based Feature (UFACTORY support article) · UFACTORY · Section 1
Quote not shown (over 40 words). See the source at: Section 1, list of model factors.
Collision Detection in UFACTORY Robotic Arms: Current and Dynamic Model-based Feature (UFACTORY support article) · UFACTORY · Section 1, list of model factors
Per-joint component data for the xArm 6 (motor model and rating, harmonic-drive ratio, encoder type and resolution, joint-module sizes) is not published in the xArm manual or the product page; the product page names only harmonic drives and servomotors and, unlike the 850's page, gives no encoder resolution.
Related: comp-504 Verified
Evidence · 2 citations
Industrial-grade harmonic drive and servomotors guarantee 24/7 working without stop.
UFACTORY xArm product page · UFACTORY · Overview, 'Durable Collaborative robots for your automation' (xArm product page, which covers the xArm 5, 6 and 7)
No fetched UFACTORY source says whether the xArm 6 is suitable or validated for power and force limiting collaborative applications. No fetched UFACTORY source gives contact force or pressure figures for the xArm 6, or a torque or force threshold for any collision sensitivity level.
Evidence · 1 citation
the smaller the additional torque required for the robotic arm to trigger collision protection
UFACTORY Studio User Manual (online), 7. Settings · UFACTORY · 7.1.1, Collision Detection Sensitivity: levels described only relatively [general Studio text; the Studio manual says it applies to the xArm6]
The xArm manual's list of applied standards does not include ISO/TS 15066; no statement of ISO/TS 15066 conformance for the xArm 6 was found in the manual or the product page.
Related: spec-566 Verified
Evidence · 1 citation
MD 2006/42/EC EMC 2004/108/EC EN ISO 10218-1:2011 EN 60204-1:2018 EN ISO 12100:2010 EN 61000-6-2:2005 EN 61000-6-4:2007+A1:2011
UFACTORY xArm Hardware Manual (online), 7. Production Information · UFACTORY · 7.2 Applied Standards, list (the full list)
No chapter of the xArm manual (Preface and chapters 1 to 8), the xArm product page or the Studio manual states an ISO 13849-1 Performance Level or Category, or an IEC 62061 SIL, for any xArm safety function (emergency stop, EI/SI inputs, collision detection, safety boundary or reduced mode), and none mentions a TÜV certification. Do not assume any.
Evidence · 2 citations
All safety I/Os exist in pairs (redundancy) and must be kept in two separate branches.
UFACTORY xArm Hardware Manual (online), 3. Controller Electrical Interface · UFACTORY · 3.4.1 Safety IO(EISI): redundancy described, no PL or Category stated [series text: names no single model]
UFACTORY xArm Hardware Manual (online), 7. Production Information · UFACTORY · 7.12 Certification: only the SGS MD and EMC verifications and a RoHS certificate are linked [series text: names no single model]
UFACTORY's support article on the xArm series explains how to tell an xArm's model from its serial number: the axis-count letter is S, I or F for the xArm 7, 6 and 5, and its worked example reads the SN XI130506D43A0A as an xArm 6, model 4. Useful for confirming which arm is at S6.
Evidence · 4 citations
The purpose of this article is to guide the user to distinguish the model of UFactory xArm by SN.
Kinematic and Dynamic Parameters of xArm Series: telling the xArm model from the SN (UFACTORY support article) · UFACTORY · Article introduction
Read the S6 xArm 6's serial number before relying on any figure the sources disagree on (weight, J2 and J3 ranges): UFACTORY distinguishes four xArm 6 versions by serial number, and the S6 arm's version decides which mass parameters apply.
Awaiting cell access: this could be confirmed or corrected once the physical S6 cell can be observed.
This is advice from this project, based on: comp-511 Verified, awaiting cell accessspec-506 Contradiction, awaiting cell accessspec-516 Contradiction, awaiting cell accessspec-517 Contradiction, awaiting cell access
Why:The mass parameters are published per version (comp-511), so the S6 arm's version must be known to use them. The sources that disagree on weight and joint ranges (spec-506, spec-516, spec-517) do not say whether version explains the difference; knowing the version is a cheap first step, not a resolution. The serial number is on the physical arm, so this needs cell access.
Evidence · 2 citations
The purpose of this article is to guide the user to distinguish the model of UFactory xArm by SN.
Kinematic and Dynamic Parameters of xArm Series: telling the model by SN (support article) · UFACTORY · Introduction
Sources disagree on the range of the xArm 6's joint 2 (J2): the online hardware manual (specifications and preface) and the product page give -117° to 116°, but UFACTORY's support article comparing the xArm 5 Lite, 6 and 7 gives -118° to 120°, and the xarm6 URDF's default limits are -2.059 to 2.0944 rad (about -118° to 120°).
Awaiting cell access: this could be confirmed or corrected once the physical S6 cell can be observed.
UFACTORY publishes a longer reach for the 850 (850 mm, maximum payload 5 kg) than for its xArm 5/6/7 line (700 mm, with payloads from 3 kg to 5 kg across the line). No xArm 6-specific figure is cited here, and no source says whether reach decided which arm went to S2.
The S2 and S6 stations sit on opposite sides of the laser processing stations (S4/S5), so a single arm probably could not reach both the receiving and staging area and the post-processing area.
Awaiting cell access: this could be confirmed or corrected once the physical S6 cell can be observed.
How this would be checked:Measure the as-built positions of S1, S3, S4 and S6 relative to each arm's base and compare them with the published reach of each arm.
Evidence · 2 citations
S2 UFactory xArm 850 Cobot
IntelliMake Phase 1 Factory: Autonomous Production Demonstrator (infographic) · IntelliMake.org · S2 station label
With two arms, loading incoming material (S2) and unloading and routing finished parts (S6) can happen at the same time. With one arm, both handling steps for every part would run one after the other on the same arm. How much this helps throughput is unknown, because no cycle times are documented (int-033), and the laser step may be the real bottleneck.
Why we infer this:Verified: the gift flow has two separate Cobot Handling steps, one before staging and laser engraving and one after (int-028), assigned to S2 and S6 (int-029). One arm would have to perform both in series; two arms let them overlap. This shows the steps can overlap, not that one arm would be the bottleneck: that depends on cycle times, which are undocumented (int-033).
OSHA says contact limits for power and force limiting must be set by risk assessment, using the pressure and force tables in Annex A of RIA TR 15.606 (the US adoption of ISO/TS 15066). The values themselves are in that paywalled document and were not obtained.
Evidence · 2 citations
Limits for quasi-static and transient contact must be evaluated as part of the risk assessment, and by determining pressure and force threshold limit values on the collaborative robot system utilizing Tables A.1 and A.2 in Annex A of RIA TR15.606.
OSHA Technical Manual (OTM) Section IV: Chapter 4, Industrial Robot Systems and Industrial Robot System Safety · U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration · Power and Force Limited (PFL)
Source: U.S. OSHA (public domain) · Public domain (US Government work) · retrieved 2026-09-21
No price for the xArm 6 on its own was found: the xArm product page shows 'US$ 5,799.00 – US$ 5,994.00' in its header and 'From US$5,299' in its footer, without saying which model or configuration each price covers.
Evidence · 2 citations
US$ 5,799.00 – US$ 5,994.00
UFACTORY xArm product page · UFACTORY · Hero banner, price (xArm product page, which covers the xArm 5, 6 and 7)
CODE_SESSION 01 — xArm 850 Interactive Learning Platform (project specification) · Derek Stringfellow (project owner) Derek Stringfellow, project record · Project-internal record · retrieved 2026-09-21 · cited by 1 record here · Project copy; not published on this site.
OSHA Safety and Health Topics: Robotics, Standards · U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (government) Source: U.S. OSHA (public domain) · Public domain (US Government work) · retrieved 2026-09-21 · cited by 1 record here · Open the source
OSHA Technical Manual (OTM) Section IV: Chapter 4, Industrial Robot Systems and Industrial Robot System Safety · U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (government) Source: U.S. OSHA (public domain) · Public domain (US Government work) · retrieved 2026-09-21 · cited by 1 record here · Open the source