ABB has opened a new robotics mega factory in China. The fully automated and flexible factory is 67,000m2 and cost $150 million. The facility also includes a 8,000m2 R&D center where the company hopes to use new digital innovations to create smarter, safer robots.
According to ABB, the Shanghai factory will offer a "digital manufacturing ecosystem." Traditional fixed assembly lines have been upgraded to modular production cells that are served by autonomous mobile robots.
“This manufacturing and R&D facility brings to life our vision for the factory of the future – where flexible automation makes production and intra-logistics more resilient, faster and more efficient,” said Marc Segura, President of ABB Robotics. “It embodies our commitment to the latest in flexible, modular, intelligent manufacturing and it represents our focus on AI learning technologies for smarter robotics. At our new R&D facility, we will co-develop new solutions with businesses to prepare them for a new age of automation in the world’s largest robotics market.”