1,300 robots will help Volvo to cut its energy use by 20%

Published: 19 December, 2023

Volvo Cars to is buying more than 1,300 robots and functional packages from ABB to build its next generation of electric vehicles. The robots, which will be deployed at sites in Sweden and China, will help the car-maker to achieve its sustainability targets by cutting its energy consumption by up to 20% through the use of regenerative braking on the robots and efficient power electronics in their controllers.

This deal includes the supply of ready-to-use functional packages for tasks such as spot-welding, riveting, dispensing, flow drilling and ultrasonic weld inspection. ABB is also supplying its latest OmniCore robot controllers.

To ensure that production is not interrupted while the robots are being deployed, ABB will use its RobotStudio planning and programming software to visualise and optimise the installations before the robots are installed. By developing and validating the automation systems virtually, Volvo and ABB will create systems that can be engineered once but deployed many times.

“The automotive industry’s historic transformation, driven by increasing consumer demand for electric vehicles and a desire to operate more sustainably, is creating new opportunities as well as challenges for global manufacturers,” says ABB Robotics president, Marc Segura. “This latest commitment from our partner Volvo Cars demonstrates our shared focus of delivering more sustainable manufacturing. Through our new, energy-efficient large robot family and OmniCore controllers we will help to deliver energy savings of up to 20% at sites around the world.”

The new robots will help Volvo to cut its energy use by up to 20%

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