ABB announces large robots designed for precision material handling

ABB has announced it is adding two new robot families to its range of large robots for complex manufacturing applications. Delivering enhanced speed, accuracy, flexibility and a more robust design, including integrated process cabling, ABB’s IRB 5710 and 5720 robots are said to deliver increased productivity and enhanced performance with higher uptime for applications including electric vehicle (EV) manufacture, foundry, forging, rubber, plastics and metal fabrication.

Available in eight variants, the IRB 5710 and IRB 5720 present a choice of options for payloads from 70 to 180 kg and reaches from 2.3 to 3 m. Together, the two robot families are suitable for a wide range of production tasks including material handling and machine tending and assembly, as well as specific operations in EV manufacturing such as battery module picking and placing, high-precision assembly, and parts handling. The benefits offered by the robots also make them suitable for use in plastic moulding, metal casting, cleaning and spraying applications, according to ABB.

“These new robots accelerate ABB’s continuing expansion into the rapidly growing EV market, meeting customer demand for robust units with the speed, path accuracy and dexterity to handle complex EV battery assembly duties,” said Joerg Reger, Managing Director of ABB Robotics’ automotive business line. “The switch from internal combustion engine vehicles to EVs especially is driving increased demand for fast, adaptable production lines.

“EV designs can often be highly complex, and components such as batteries and semiconductor modules can be very heavy or extremely fragile. These demands call for solutions that can offer maximum precision and repeatability to avoid errors in production.”

Both robot families are powered by ABB’s OmniCore controller V250XT, the latest addition to the OmniCore controller range. Featuring ABB’s TrueMove and QuickMove motion control technology, the OmniCore V250XT controller enables the IRB 5710 and IRB 5720 robots to offer greater speed, improving production capacity. With their high position repeatability (0.04–0.05 mm), path repeatability (0.1–0.14 mm) and path accuracy (1–1.2 mm), the IRB 5710 and IRB 5720 are claimed to be more accurate than other robots in their respective classes.

Further protection against damage and cable wear and tear is provided by ABB’s LeanID Integrated DressPack, which enables process cables to be routed inside the robot’s upper arm and along the wrist rather than externally. This eliminates swinging cables, protecting against heat and collisions (a common cause of robot maintenance issues), potentially reducing downtime and maintenance cost and extending the robots’ service life by several years.