Robohub.org
 

Swiss-based ABB to manufacture robots in US


by
24 May 2015



share this:
ABB factory in the US.

ABB factory in the US.

Robot manufacturing started in the US in 1961 when 26 Unimates – the first industrial robots – were made and deployed at a GM factory in Ewing, NJ. But, over the years, manufacturing and manufacturers have moved offshore. Until now.


unimate-at-work-in-nj_350_266_80In fact, the industrial side of the global robotics business has become an offshore enterprise, mostly headquartered in Europe and Japan. The business model has been to set up regional sales and service offices and develop a network of integrators, distributors and value-added resellers. Recently however, some of those manufacturers have begun to produce in-country for a variety of economic and political reasons. Kuka began operating a large manufacturing plant near Shanghai in 2014. Yaskawa began manufacturing at their Changzhou factory in 2013. And now, with this move by ABB, robot manufacturing on a big scale will return to the US.

The United States is ABB’s largest market with $7.5 billion in sales. ABB has invested more than $10 billion in local R&D, capital expenditure and acquisitions, increasing in-country employment from 11,500 to the present total. With this new factory, ABB now employs 26,300 in the US.

“Today, we are marking and celebrating the next stage of our commitment and growth in North America with the start of local robot manufacturing in Auburn Hills, US,” said ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer. “ABB is the first global automation company to open a robot manufacturing facility in the United States. Robotics is a fundamental enabler of the next level of North American industrial growth in an increasingly competitive world. With our continued commitment and investment, our local team is well positioned to support our customers with robotics solutions made in the United States. Our leading technology of web-enabled, collaborative and safe robots will contribute to job security and quality of work.”

Products manufactured at the new facility will expand in phases. The goal is that most ABB robots and controllers, delivered in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, will be manufactured in Auburn Hills to streamline the delivery process and reduce lead times for customers.

BOTTOM LINE: The number of robots produced and being deployed is growing rapidly, particularly as their cost is lowered and their functionality is enhanced. ABB recently launched their new two-armed collaborative model YuMi, and also acquired gomTec, a startup with a one-armed collaborative robot. As these new lower-cost robots hit stride and become accepted in industrial factories and shops, the number of units sold will grow exponentially, hence having a manufacturing facility in one of the principle marketplaces (the US) makes good sense.



tags: , , , ,


Frank Tobe is the owner and publisher of The Robot Report, and is also a panel member for Robohub's Robotics by Invitation series.
Frank Tobe is the owner and publisher of The Robot Report, and is also a panel member for Robohub's Robotics by Invitation series.





Related posts :



Livestream of RoboCup2025

  18 Jul 2025
Watch the competition live from Salvador!

Tackling the 3D Simulation League: an interview with Klaus Dorer and Stefan Glaser

and   15 Jul 2025
With RoboCup2025 starting today, we found out more about the 3D simulation league, and the new simulator they have in the works.

An interview with Nicolai Ommer: the RoboCupSoccer Small Size League

and   01 Jul 2025
We caught up with Nicolai to find out more about the Small Size League, how the auto referees work, and how teams use AI.

RoboCupRescue: an interview with Adam Jacoff

and   25 Jun 2025
Find out what's new in the RoboCupRescue League this year.

Robot Talk Episode 126 – Why are we building humanoid robots?

  20 Jun 2025
In this special live recording at Imperial College London, Claire chatted to Ben Russell, Maryam Banitalebi Dehkordi, and Petar Kormushev about humanoid robotics.

Gearing up for RoboCupJunior: Interview with Ana Patrícia Magalhães

and   18 Jun 2025
We hear from the organiser of RoboCupJunior 2025 and find out how the preparations are going for the event.

Robot Talk Episode 125 – Chatting with robots, with Gabriel Skantze

  13 Jun 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Gabriel Skantze from KTH Royal Institute of Technology about having natural face-to-face conversations with robots.

Preparing for kick-off at RoboCup2025: an interview with General Chair Marco Simões

and   12 Jun 2025
We caught up with Marco to find out what exciting events are in store at this year's RoboCup.



 

Robohub is supported by:




Would you like to learn how to tell impactful stories about your robot or AI system?


scicomm
training the next generation of science communicators in robotics & AI


©2025.05 - Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence


 












©2025.05 - Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence