|
Take heed to this text  |
A rendering of ABB’s new robotics campus in Sweden. | Credit score: ABB
ABB is constructing one other state-of-the-art robotics campus to proceed the enlargement of its international robotics management. ABB will make investments $280 million on a brand new robotics campus in Västerås, Sweden that can function the hub for ABB Robotics’ choices in Europe.
Development on the brand new campus is predicted to begin within the first quarter of 2024 and be accomplished by the top of 2026. This new facility will improve ABB’s manufacturing capability for its collaborative and industrial robotic arms by 50% and allow it to raised serve the European market. Marc Segura, president of ABB Robotics, advised The Robotic Report ABB will max out its manufacturing capability at its present amenities by 2026.
Merchandise of ABB’s autonomous cell robots (AMRs), a results of the corporate’s acquisition of ASTI Cell Robotics in 2021, will stay in Spain, the place ASTI was based. Segura mentioned R&D and manufacturing have to be in the identical place. “With ASTI, we acquired the staff in addition to the know-how,” he advised The Robotic Report. “So to separate that from manufacturing wouldn’t be possible in our considering.”
The 65,000 sq. meter campus will embrace a brand new manufacturing unit, places of work, a analysis and growth heart, an expertise heart and a coaching heart for purchasers and guests. The manufacturing unit will even characteristic AMRs as a key element in transporting supplies and merchandise between the warehouse, meeting stations and meeting departments.
The brand new facility will change the 9 separate buildings which have grown organically since 1974 and presently represent the robotics operations in Sweden. The brand new campus will even function an innovation hub for robotics startups, Segura advised The Robotic Report. Watch the video under to take a digital tour of what the constructing will appear to be when full.
“Now we have our personal know-how roadmap that we need to fill by natural growth, acquisitions and investments,” he mentioned. “This new campus will assist us match the startup community with our tech roadmap. We’ll supply startups help to run proof of ideas, we’ll lend them merchandise and know-how experience and probably enterprise capital. We’re designing the constructing in Sweden to be accessible totally free to have startups attempting issues out with our know-how stacks.”
When the campus is accomplished, ABB can have invested $450 million in its three robotics amenities since 2018. In late 2022, ABB opened a $150 million, 67,000-square-meter robotics mega manufacturing unit in Shanghai, China. ABB additionally just lately spent $20 million to increase its U.S. robotics manufacturing unit in Auburn Hills, Mich. that can higher serve its prospects within the Americas.
“It is a nice time to spend money on robotics and automation,” mentioned Sami Atiya, president of ABB’s Robotics & Discrete Automation Enterprise Space. “This new Campus [in Sweden] is a major a part of our international progress story and key in supporting our European prospects as they speed up funding in robotics and AI because of the reshoring of business, the transfer to extra sustainable provide chains and long-term labor shortages. Our Robotics Campus will assist us to serve our prospects extra effectively and help new and current sectors like automotive, electronics, logistics, healthcare, e-commerce and prescribed drugs to unlock the total potential of automation.”
The campus in Sweden will likely be constructed according to ABB’s 2030 Sustainability Targets that goal in direction of carbon neutrality inside ABB’s operations by decreasing greenhouse gasoline emissions and rising the preservation of sources. To help this, consideration will likely be made within the number of constructing supplies and development processes in addition to in using photo voltaic panels on the roof.
Segura, who has labored at ABB for greater than 25 years, joined The Robotic Report Podcast in July 2023. He gave us his perspective on the present state of the robotics market, the roadmap for ABB merchandise and the way forward for cell robots. He additionally detailed the brand new lineup of ABB industrial robots with changeable hyperlink sizes. You possibly can hearken to that interview under beginning on the 20:13 mark.
