FABTECH 2025: Güdel Highlights CoboMover™ for Expanded Cobot Work Envelopes and Air-Bearing Mobility for Moving Multi-Ton Robots Without Cranes
September 8, 2025
Güdel, an established leader in supplying reliable track units for the largest industrial robots, is expanding its offerings into the rapidly growing collaborative robot (cobot) market with the introduction of the CoboMover™, making its FABTECH debut. Güdel is also showcasing a novel mobile track unit to levitate large robots, utilizing air bearings.
From moving cobots to novel mobile automation solutions, Güdel Inc. is highlighting two new technologies at FABTECH 2025 Booth #B15015 that demonstrate its unmatched ability to solve automation engineering challenges.
According to market data from A3, The Association for Advancing Automation, the cobot market is approaching 25% of the total North American robot market. Güdel will unveil the CoboMover™ in its Fabtech debut, a 7th-axis linear track purpose-built for collaborative and lightweight robots.
CoboMover solves work envelope challenges for cobots and small tabletop robots
“The CoboMover is designed to help integrators and end users expand the range of cobot and lightweight robot applications, with the same reliability, repeatability, and ease of use which Güdel’s global customers have become accustomed,” says Brenda Courim, Head of Sales for Güdel Inc. “The CoboMover is more than just another linear axis—it’s a game changer.”
The CoboMover extends the working range of robots up to 5 meters (16.4ft), allowing them to operate multiple workstations and perform a variety of tasks without manual repositioning. The new track is compatible with over 60 cobots and small traditional robots and offers mounting positions at 0° and 180°. The maximum payload, including robot weight, is 78 kg (172 lbs) with a drive system utilizing a toothed belt and Güdel’s HPG045 angular gearbox. Available stroke lengths include 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, and 5000 mm. The CoboMover has a maximum speed of 2 m/s and a maximum acceleration of 2 m/s², providing a repeatability of ± 0.05 mm.
Gliding on a cushion of air – moving 3 ½ tons by hand
With its reputation for robust robot track systems and heavy-payload gantries, Güdel continues to expand its range of solutions by helping automation integrators solve real-world challenges. A recent example of this to be showcased at FABTECH, is a modular track system fitted with air bearings. Using just 5 psi, the air bearing solution is able to levitate the TMF-4B track and a Fanuc M900iB/280L robot - weighing over 7,000 lbs – half an inch above ground, enabling it to easily float into and out of position on a cushion of air. The solution was initially developed for aircraft painting applications, eliminating the need for cranes, high-payload forklifts, AMRs or embedded rails.
The innovation solves two major constraints: mobility within large workspaces and facility layout limitations. “This was an application-specific solution,” says Mike Peek, Marketing Manager at Güdel Inc., explaining how an integrator came to Güdel with a challenge: move a precision paint robot in and out of place without installing embedded tracks in the floor. “Our engineering team delivered a new product that allows the entire track to be moved into and out of the work cell when needed. We look forward to showing these innovations to the FABTECH audience and discuss how our engineering team can help attendees with their next automation breakthrough,” says Peek.
Güdel: Active Throughout the Fabrication Industry with Power and Precision
Güdel has a long history serving the fabrication industry with innovative tools and solutions that enable reliable and productive operations. All Güdel gantry and track motion products are built around Güdel’s guideway and roller block system. With sealed cartridge bearings, the CAM follower approach to linear motion is the most reliable available, particularly designed to handle harsh environments such as demanding welding applications exposed to spatter, metal dust, base metal fragments, and carbonized debris. Unlike traditional linear bearings, the Güdel CAM follower system allows bearings to be serviced or replaced without disassembling the entire linear motion system. MTTR (Mean Time To Repair) is measured in minutes or hours, versus days for linear motion-based systems.
Güdel gantry robots, with 1 to 20 axes of motion, can be found embedded in OEM tools, tending press brakes, machine tools and other production machines. With a standard payload range from 16 to 3,125kg, Güdel gantry robots help solve the biggest application challenges. Even at the heaviest payloads, Güdel gantries deliver +/- 0.02mm repeatability.
Güdel Track Motion Units are available in both floor mount and overhead mount configurations, and are routinely applied in machine tending, welding and cutting applications. Güdel TMF (Track Motion Floor) and TMO (Track Motion Overhead) units are common in applications requiring an extended robot work envelope, to service a single large part or multiple stations in a progressive line.
Güdel supports all major traditional and collaborative robot brands, ranging from the 78kg capacity of the CoboMover, to the 22,000kg capacity of the TMF-6 track, designed specifically to handle the largest industrial robot in the market, the Fanuc M2000iA/2300, to a +/- 0.05mm repeatability. TMO overhead configurations range up to the TMO-4, able to support the Fanuc M900iA/260L with a 2,500kg dynamic payload to a +/- 0.02mm repeatability.
And finally, Güdel Metal Sheet Handling solutions range from high-speed press-to-press transfer, front of line de-stackers and end of line stackers. Güdel Metal Sheet Handling solutions routinely handle the largest sheet metal parts from automotive, appliances and other industries at speeds up to 21 ppm.
About Güdel:
Güdel Inc. is the US subsidiary of Güdel Group, a global manufacturer of robotic automation products, systems, and services. Güdel supplies linear motion modules, robot track motion units, gantry robots, and components to the automotive, aerospace, logistics, heavy industrial, press automation, and power generation industries. Güdel US is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan in a dedicated 45,000-square-foot facility, providing North American customers with engineering, design, production, and customer service support.
