Beijing, June 13, 2011 - ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, recently launched a full range of leading palletizing robot solutions worldwide, including the locally developed IRB 460, the world's fastest palletizing robot. As part of "In China, for China and the World" strategy, ABB continuously introduces leading technologies to China and enhances local R&D facilities to empower the evolution of "Made in China" into "Design by China" through local innovation.
Claudio Facchin, President of ABB China, said, "ABB has actively fostered local R&D and innovation capacity in the recent years. The fast development of our robotics business is a good case of the success of our localization strategy."
The newly introduced compact four-axis IRB 460 is the world's fastest robot for high-speed end-of-line palletizing. Capable of up to 2,190 cycles per hour, the IRB 460 runs 15 percent faster than its nearest rivals and has a reach of 2.4 meters. The robot requires a 20 percent smaller footprint compared with conventional palletizing robot, and is well-suited for high-speed operations in small spaces.
Palletizing is one of the major robotics applications, stacking production line materials in industries such as chemicals, building materials, and food and beverage. Along with the IRB 460, ABB also introduced the IRB 760 robot for high-output full-layer palletizing, a variety of complementary palletizing grippers and an easy-to-use programming software. The latest offerings significantly improve the programming efficiency of palletizing applications and enable more accurate and efficient material handling.
In 2005, ABB established the group's third robotics R&D facility in China following those in Sweden and Norway. The local R&D facility is responsible for developing new technologies and products for the global and Asia Pacific markets. Since its inception, the local robotics R&D team has increased in size by 10 times. In 2009, the local team developed the IRB 120 - the world's fastest and most accurate six-axis robot as well as ABB's first core robotics product developed in China. Marking the evolution of "Made in China" into "Design in China," the IRB 120 also introduced locally-developed robotics products and technologies to the global market.
In addition to robotics, many other ABB businesses embody the "In China, for China and the world" strategy. In July 2010, the world's first ±800 kV UHVDC power line began operations in Shanghai. The Xiangjiaba-Shanghai UHVDC power link was developed with local customer to support China. The technology is also being deployed in the North-East Agra UHVDC project in India, supplying power to 90 million people.
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 124,000 people. ABB has a full range of business activities in China, including R&D, manufacturing, sales and services, with 16,300 employees, 31 local companies, and an extensive sales and service network across 80 cities.
