ABB Inc., Robotics

ABB unveils compact, affordable paint robot

ABB has recently unveiled its newest smaller platform robot: the IRB 52 designed specifically for painting and finishing smaller, simpler parts common to general industrial applications. The IRB 52 is half the weight of the next smallest ABB painting robot, but there is no sacrifice in functionality or performance. ABB has taken the superior modular platform of its larger robots and integrated the process control system to develop affordable, highly effective and easy to use robots for general industry. The IRB 52 can be floor or invert mounted and has a servo driven arm that, in essence, can flip over, allowing it to paint both in front of and behind itself. It has a 1.5 meter reach and in static position can paint a vertical plane one meter square and a 3D part a half a meter cubed. The IRB 52 is a complete paint system with an Integrated Process System (IPS) for simultaneous control of the robot motion and the flow of paint through the spray gun. Unlike competitive systems the IRB 52 combines ABB's superior motion control with high speed control of air and paint regulation. This precise movement and triggering results in high finish quality and paint savings. The introduction of the IRB 52 is also significant because it is the first ABB paint robot to feature the new IRC5P controller and teach pendant (TPU), the new control system ABB is launching for its entire line of paint robots. Powered by the IPS, the IRC5P is the sibling of the IRC5 controller which ABB has used for two years on the standard industrial robots. It is built specifically for painting and coating applications and works within all North American safety standards. The IRC5P provides the easy and precise programming that makes the IRB 52 ideal for the lean production typical of general industrial paint applications. We call it flexible automation, the ability to quickly and accurately adapt to a wide variety of parts. The IRC5P features a new, more intuitive TPU that has been upgraded to a more standard interface and is easy to use, allowing for easy programming of the IRB 52 on the production floor. Over the last three decades ABB has established the leading position in factory automation by providing large, technologically sophisticated robots for heavy, complex industrial applications. ABB has 30 years of experience in Class A automotive finishing, the most demanding painting environment in high volume manufacturing. The IRB 52 is the next generation of ABB technology, the same high end functionality in a compact package.