ABB Robotics Unveils High-Speed, Easy-To-Use Family of Robots

ABB Robotics has designed its PoWa robot family for high-speed movement with payloads of up to 30 kg. Suitable for welding, palletizing, screwdriving, machine tending, and numerous other tasks, the PoWa robots are ready to run in as little as 60 minutes. Easily programmed and easily integrated with a wide range of tools, the PoWa line is a good entry point for those getting started in automating production lines.

The PoWa robots feature 7 kg to 30 kg payloads and speeds of up to 5.8 m/s. Image used courtesy of ABB Robotics

ABB Robotics’ PoWa Family

One of the key features of the PoWa line of robots is its high-speed operation. The robots can carry payloads of up to 30 kg at linear speeds of up to 5.8 m/s. The PoWa line of robots has built-in safety features to prevent human/machine collisions, meaning the robots can work around humans, not just exist in an empty machining cell.

ABB has designed the PoWa robots to be easy to install and set up. According to ABB, the robots can be ready to run in as little as 60 minutes, from uncrating to operation. Tooling can be quickly and easily changed, taking less than five minutes. This ease of use improves flexibility, enabling users to change the robot grippers, screwdrivers, and other items for multiple operations in a process.

Users can program the PoWa robots with ABB Robotics’ suite of AI-powered software tools. Video used courtesy of ABB Robotics

AI-Powered Software Tools

At the heart of each PoWa robot is an ABB OmniCore controller platform that easily integrates with the robot family. Users can program the robots using ABB Robotics’ suite of software tools, including ABB’s Wizard Easy Programming and Robot Studio, which eliminate the need for extensive programming knowledge. 

Each of these tools has built-in AI capabilities, helping programmers optimize motions safely and efficiently. Additionally, Robot Studio features an augmented reality viewer that lets operators visualize the robot’s path on mobile devices. The Wizard Easy Programming module is particularly intuitive, enabling operators to teach robots in as little as ten minutes. 

A technician trains a PoWa robot. Image used courtesy of ABB Robotics

High-Speed Robotic Automation

ABB estimates that the global market for collaborative robots will grow by 20% by 2028. The PoWa line was not designed for a specific industry, but is instead adaptable across a wide range of automated material and workpiece handling, regardless of product type. With an affordable starting cost, ABB has built its robot family for small and medium-sized production lines.

Ultimately, the ability to quickly unbox, teach, and run makes the CoWa robots a good entry point for those looking to add automation to an existing production line or start a new one. Furthermore, the ease of programming and flexibility make it a good investment for prototyping lines, as the cobot can be easily repurposed to meet changing market demands.