ABB super factory in Shanghai was completed and put into production, to use machines to artificial robots?
On December 2, ABB announced the completion and operation of its $150 million (equivalent to about 1.1 billion yuan) robot gigafactory in Kangqiao, Pudong, Shanghai. This fully automated flexible production gigafactory integrates production and research and development, covers an area of 67,000 square meters, and is ABB’s largest robot research and development, production and application base in the world. ABB will apply digitalization and automation technology to manufacture a new generation of robots in the factory, and more than 90 percent of its products sold in China will be produced in the new factory.
ABB has been in China for 30 years. ABB and Japan’s Fanuc, Germany’s Kuka, Japan’s Yaskawa Electric and known as the world’s four largest robot manufacturers. The second largest market for ABB robots in the world is China. Last year, the total revenue of ABB’s robotics business was $3.297 billion, of which $956 million was generated in the Chinese market, an increase of 31%. China is also one of ABB’s most important research and development and production bases. As one of ABB Robotics’ three global production sites, the Shanghai Gigafactory will replace the existing factory to support customers in Asia. The plants in Vestros, Sweden, and Auburn Hills, Michigan, will continue to serve customers in Europe and the Americas.
It is understood that the scale, technical strength and application level of Shanghai robot industry has been leading in China for a long time. In 2021, the output of industrial robots in Shanghai exceeded 70,000 units, an increase of 34% year-on-year, and the robot density of industrial enterprises above designated size in the city reached 260 units/million people, more than twice the global average. The Pudong New Area, where ABB Robot Gigafactory is located, is currently building a leading area for socialist modernization and vigorously developing the “intelligent manufacturing” industry, including ABB robot gigafactory.
What is using robots to produce robots?
The Shanghai Super Factory, which is officially opened, integrates production and research and development, covering an area of 67,000 square meters. ABB’s global president of Robotics and discrete automation, Martin An, said the Gigafactory will further strengthen the localization of the entire value chain. “In the future, more than 90 percent of our products sold in China will be produced here, supporting us to provide more locally made products, solutions and services to Chinese customers.”
This is no ordinary factory. It will accelerate innovation in artificial intelligence, digitization and software, focusing on areas such as autonomous mobility, digital twins, machine vision and low-code programming software to make robots smarter, more flexible, safer and easier to use. ABB will collaborate with partners and customers in the new Open Innovation Center to develop innovative solutions that unlock more possibilities for flexible automation in new areas such as logistics, healthcare, food and beverage.
Gigafactory connects the physical world with the digital world, creating a digital manufacturing ecosystem that leverages virtual planning and production management systems to improve performance and productivity by collecting and analyzing data. The new plant ditches traditional, fixed assembly lines and replaces them with flexible, modular production cells that are digitally connected and serviced by intelligent, autonomous mobile robots. Ai robotic systems can perform tasks such as screw tightening, assembly, and material handling, freeing people from these tasks for more valuable work. Simply put, this is a factory where robots are used to produce robots.