ABB sells its first ever robot manufactured in the US to Hitachi Powdered Metals USA

Production at Auburn Hills, Michigan facility progressing on schedule

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Mar 14, 2017, 09:00 ET

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., March 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ABB has sold its first robot manufactured in the United States. The IRB 2600 robot is the first to be produced at the ABB Auburn Hills, Michigan facility, and was sold by ABB Value Provider, CIM SYSTEMS, INC. to Hitachi Powdered Metals USA.

The compact robot, which is painted with special commemorative red, white and blue paint, will be used for material handling of in-process engine component parts at the Hitachi Greensburg, Indiana facility. It is the 180th ABB robot at the Hitachi plant, which installed its first ABB robot in 2005.

"The sale of ABB's first robot produced in the US to Hitachi is a tremendous milestone in the development of our manufacturing presence in the Americas," said Sami Atiya, President of ABB's Robotics and Motion division. "It is a major step towards our goal of providing local customers with delivery schedules and technical support that are far superior to other robot manufacturers."

James Adams, the Chief Engineer of robots and automation at Hitachi says, "Hitachi is honored to receive the US manufactured ABB robot. It will be prominently positioned on our plant floor to showcase the essential role ABB robots have in our operation, and our passion to keep production in the US. For a company of our size the volume of robots we have is unprecedented. I truly believe that if we didn't have robots in our facility we wouldn't be in business today."

In May 2015, ABB announced that it would begin producing robots at its Auburn Hills facility, making it the first of the major industrial robot companies to fully commit to an American manufacturing footprint. The delivery of the first US manufactured robot is consistent with the production schedule announced at the factory opening. In addition to the IRB 2600, ABB will begin manufacturing other popular robot models in Auburn Hills this year. By 2018 it is planned that 75% of all the models delivered to North American end-users will be manufactured in the United States. Previously ABB robots sold in the Americas were made in Sweden and in China.

ABB also recently expanded its commitment to customers in the region by opening a new Packaging Application Center in Bloomfield, Connecticut, and an Assembly and Test Application Center in San Jose, California. Several years ago ABB opened a Handling and Machining Application Center in Houston, Texas.

"We are proud to be involved in the placement of the first ABB robot manufactured in the United States," said Dave Fox, President of CIM Systems Inc. "We have already seen a reduction in lead times since the Auburn Hills plant opened, and it has helped us get some business that was directly related to improved delivery turnaround."

ABB Robotics is a leading supplier of industrial robots - also providing robot software, peripheral equipment, modular manufacturing cells and service for tasks such as welding, handling, assembly, painting and finishing, picking, packing, palletizing and machine tending. Key markets include automotive, plastics, metal fabrication, foundry, electronics, machine tools, pharmaceutical and food and beverage industries. A strong solutions focus helps manufacturers improve productivity, product quality and worker safety. ABB has installed more than 300,000 robots worldwide. www.abb.com/robotics

All ABB Robotics' products are fully supported by the ABB Robotics' global sales and service organization in 53 countries and over 100 locations.

CIM SYSTEMS provides common-sense solutions for complex production and processing environments, bringing a proven track record, a reputation for honesty and integrity, and an unwavering commitment to serving our customers'' needs to all projects. CIM specializes in material handling, machine tending, packaging, and palletizing, but we offer creative solutions for other applications as well. Turnkey packages include: system design/engineering, new/used robots, integration with other equipment, tooling, safety products, installation, programming and training. www.cimsystem.com

About ABB
ABB is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing more than a 125-year history of innovation, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization and driving the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolutions. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 132,000 employees. www.abb.com

SOURCE ABB