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ABB launches new maintenance service for fleets and individual robots

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ABB has launched a condition-based maintenance service for fleet and individual robot assessments.

The company says the new service enables optimized production performance through improved robot management.

ABB’s new Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) service enables robot users to create a preventive maintenance schedule for individual or robot fleets based on real-time operational data, to optimize productivity and minimize downtime. [Read more…] about ABB launches new maintenance service for fleets and individual robots

ABB helps Indian district manage its water amid drought

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Global industrial giant ABB is supporting India’s Koppal district to ease water shortages with its digital water management solutions.

In a unique project led by L&T Construction Water & Effluent Treatment IC for the Government of Kartanaka, ABB’s solutions will help the local water authority to track, measure and optimize water use in this drought-stricken region of southwest India, as well as pump and distribute clean treated river water to village homes.

The solution includes 635 digital flowmeters and technologies to improve control at pumping stations and reservoirs. [Read more…] about ABB helps Indian district manage its water amid drought

ABB establishes new R&D center for electric vehicle technology

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ABB says it is “underlining its market leading position” in electric vehicle charging infrastructure by establishing a new E-mobility Innovation Lab, where it will house 120 specialists working on next generation solutions. (See video below.)

Designed to spur further innovations in e-mobility, the $10 million, 3,600 sq m facility is based on the Delft University of Technology campus, in the Netherlands and will drive ABB’s future portfolio development, as well as R&D projects for EVs. The University was ranked among the top 15 engineering and technology universities in the world in the QS World University Rankings in 2020.

Along with an investment of $30 million into a global Center of Excellence and production site for EV charging infrastructure, due to open next year in Italy, the facility in Delft underlines ABB’s plans to grow investments in sustaining its technology leadership. [Read more…] about ABB establishes new R&D center for electric vehicle technology

ABB expands project to automate semiconductor factory

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What started out as a small project to automate a single production stage has morphed into an award-winning program to digitally transform one of ABB’s own factories – in what is dubbed Project Genesis. (See video below.) 

The power semiconductors produced by ABB pass through hundreds of production steps, from raw wafer dicing to the final semiconductor module.

Production of the BiMOS semiconductor – one of two types produced at Lenzburg, Switzerland – was labor intensive and tended to generate bottlenecks during high demand. [Read more…] about ABB expands project to automate semiconductor factory

ABB launches Wizard Easy Programming software for industrial robots

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ABB has launched its Wizard Easy Programming software for its IRB 1100 industrial robot.

The company says this allows first time users to introduce robotic automation into their production lines without the need for specialist programming skills or any knowledge of Rapid code. Rapid is a high-level programming language used to control ABB industrial robots.

Based on simple graphical blocks, Wizard Easy Programming makes it easy for non-specialists to automate their applications, says ABB. [Read more…] about ABB launches Wizard Easy Programming software for industrial robots

ABB chooses IBM for procurement digitization

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IBM has been contracted by ABB to help support its procurement digitization journey with the launch of SmartBuy, a newly designed end-to-end employee purchasing program that aims to match the ease of online shopping with the intuitiveness and speed of a search engine. 

The solution is designed to also be tasked with automating the process of finding, procuring and managing ABB’s supplier network, with services like self-registration and contract processes.

Daniel Stumm, ABB’s head of indirect procurement, says: “We wanted to transform our eProcurement processes to drive business value and create a better experience for our user community and suppliers while avoiding the need for major training and allowing for an increased level of self-service. [Read more…] about ABB chooses IBM for procurement digitization

ABB robots accelerate coronavirus testing in Singapore

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ABB robots are accelerating coronavirus testing in Singapore through a new robotics lab system which “saves time and costs and keeps lab workers safe”, according to the company.

As part of Singapore’s efforts to enhance its nation-wide COVID-19 testing capabilities, ABB’s high-precision robots have been deployed in a new automated laboratory system, known as the Rapid Automated Volume Enhancer (RAVE).

The system automates some of the manual steps usually required in sample processing. Two sets of RAVE and associated equipment can process an industry-topping throughput of close to 4,000 samples a day. RAVE also reduces test contamination and infection risks for laboratory workers. [Read more…] about ABB robots accelerate coronavirus testing in Singapore

ABB selects Google Cloud to expand its cloud coverage

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Google Cloud has been selected by ABB to further expand the cloud footprint of its ABB Information Systems (IS) services business unit.

The Swiss-headquartered global technology leader has chosen Google Cloud as part of the organization’s “Rationalizing IT Operations” – codenamed “Program RIO” – initiative, which seeks to further increase the scalability and resilience of its infrastructure services to all ABB businesses.

Google Cloud will collaborate with ABB’s hosting services team to layout an optimized cloud migration that is tailored to meet the IS needs of ABB businesses. [Read more…] about ABB selects Google Cloud to expand its cloud coverage

ABB unveils new ‘compact’ robotic interior painting system

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ABB has unveiled a new “compact” robotic interior painting system, mainly aimed at the automotive manufacturing sector.

The Compact Interior Painting station enables automotive manufacturers to reduce the size of their vehicle interior painting stations by one-third, while saving costs and making automotive paint facilities more sustainable.

ABB says its latest innovative solution for automotive manufacturing – the Compact Interior Paint station – combines 12 robots to offer a space-saving alternative to traditional robotic interior painting solutions, helping automotive original equipment manufacturers reduce the footprint of their paint booths “by up to 33 percent”, while being able to paint a variety of vehicle types, from cars and SUVs to large MPVs. [Read more…] about ABB unveils new ‘compact’ robotic interior painting system

ABB launches ‘fastest ever’ robot-based press automation solution

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ABB has launched its “fastest ever” robot-based press automation solution.

The company has extended its range of ABB IRB 760 handling robots with new press tending model, the IRB 760PT, which it says offers “fast and flexible performance for automotive press automation”.

The new IRB 760PT is aimed at press automation applications in the automotive industry, and is a “flexible” press tending solution offering 25 per cent faster cycle times compared to other robot-based press automation solutions, claims ABB. [Read more…] about ABB launches ‘fastest ever’ robot-based press automation solution