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ABB unveils its smallest ever industrial robot

Professional Engineering

The ABB IRB 1010, the firm's smallest industrial robot
The ABB IRB 1010, the firm's smallest industrial robot

ABB has launched its smallest ever industrial robot.

Promising “new possibilities for faster, more flexible and high quality production of wearable smart devices”, the Swiss-headquartered firm said the IRB 1010 has a footprint of just 135x250mm, making it 30% smaller than its previous smallest IRB 20 robot.

“The market for wearable smart devices is accelerating rapidly, with projections estimating double digit growth between 2022 and 2028,” said Rui Liang, managing director of ABB Robotics’ electronics business line.

“To meet this growth, companies are demanding compact robotic solutions that are suited to narrow production spaces in electronics manufacturing lines and that can accurately handle the small components used in wearable devices. As the most accurate robot in its class for 1.5kg payloads, our IRB 1010 meets these demands, enabling companies to maximise output and productivity while maintaining the highest levels of product quality.”

The IRB 1010 is designed to suit the narrow spaces and special purpose machines typical of electronics production environments. With a reach of 370mm, ABB said the machine’s compact dimensions could increase the number of cells that can be fitted into production spaces, enabling manufacturers to boost output through higher-density layouts.

The company said the 1.5kg payload capacity – coupled with a larger diameter air hose for higher vacuum suction – enables simultaneous handling of multiple objects, allowing more objects to be processed per hour.

“It also opens opportunities for new applications including film peeling, material handling, assembly, gluing and inspection,” an announcement said.  

“Productivity is further enhanced by the inclusion of six braking systems, which allow the robot arm to remain in its position even when stopped. By eliminating the time needed for the robot to recover its position after a stop or pause, production can be resumed more quickly, enabling the IRB 1010 to do more in less time than other robots in its class.”

ABB’s OmniCore E10 controller offers position and path repeatability of 0.01mm, the company added.


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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

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