ABB delivers 200,000th robot

ABB has delivered its 200,000th robot worldwide, since introducing the IRB 6, the first all-electric robot on the market, in 1974. The company held a ceremony to celebrate the milestone at Yingkou, China, where the new IRB 6640 six-axis robot was delivered.

The IRB 6640 six-axis robot

The robot will be installed at a Canadian Solar plant in Changshu where it will be used to manufacture solar modules.

ABB held a celebration ceremony on 27 March at system integrator Yingkou Jinchen Machinery's headquarters in Yingkou. Per Vegard Nerseth, Head of ABB Robotics in Switzerland, Li Yisheng, president of Yingkou Jinchen and Liu Huanxin, deputy mayor of Yingkou, attended the ceremony.

“Approximately half of all industrial robots worldwide are installed at automobile manufacturers and their suppliers,” said Nerseth. “But in recent years the nonautomotive sector has grown significantly in industries such food, electrical/electronics and alternative energy (solar and wind) equipment manufacturing.”

“So it seems rather appropriate that our 200,000th robot will be working on PV Solar modules in China. The expansion of robots into the general industrial sector is driven by several key factors, most notably the ability of robots to increase the productivity, whilst at the same time delivering consistently high product quality."

"Companies adopting robotics are rewarded with fast ROIs and the benefits of moving employees out of dull, dirty, delicate and dangerous jobs into tasks with greater satisfaction and long-term rewards."