ABB Sends 800 Industrial Robots to Help Volkswagen Produce Next-Generation EVs
ABB provides Volkswagen with industrial robots to help the company achieve its e-mobility goals.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has commissioned world-leading technology company ABB to produce 800 industrial robots to help support Volkswagen’s next generation of electric vehicles (EVs).
The Hanover factory in Germany is where Volkswagen will commence the build and production of its all-electric ID. BUZZ van from 2022. By teaming up with ABB, Volkswagen hopes to transition to e-mobility.
Volkswagen’s all-electric ID. BUZZ van. Image courtesy of Volkswagen.
ABB and Volkswagen Partner
In a recent news release, Sami Atiya, President of ABB Robotics & Discrete Automation, expressed the excitement that the company as a whole felt toward contributing to Volkswagen’s e-mobility endeavor.
She went on to say that ABB aims to provide the car company with highly flexible robotic solutions so that they may respond to changing trends and customer needs.
“The dramatic expansion of the EV-segment requires new and innovative manufacturing solutions. With our deep experience in this sector, we are helping our automotive customers master this important and strategic transition towards more sustainable transportation,” said Atiya.
The ABB robots will go into Volkswagen’s body shop to carry out various body construction tasks.
ABB Offering Robotic and Software Solutions
ABB aims to provide effective hardware solutions and supply Volkswagen with more streamlined operations through its Ability platform’s digital services. Customers can benefit from services, including predictive maintenance, robot fleet management, and process optimization.
Robotic cells designed for industrial robots to manufacture new electric vehicles. Image courtesy of ABB.
ABB is also offering automotive industry standardized manufacturing cells and the planning and implementation of complete production lines.
ABB’s PixelPaint Solution
ABB has supported the automotive industry this year by providing a unique vehicle painting solution. The company introduced its PixelPaint automated, non-overspray technology to help automotive production lines achieve custom paint schemes for vehicles to meet consumer demands.
The solution incorporates a user-friendly programming tool, paint dosing package, high-precision robots, and high dots per inch (DPI) painting head. The PixelPaint solution comes with an application that allows two-tone painting without the need for masking or demasking. This reduces the time, manual labor, and material required for two-tone paint jobs.
When applying paint to the vehicle surface, overspray is eliminated, with 100% of the paint being used. This further reduces material costs and helps improve environmental performance.
ABB’s PixelPaint solution aims to provide the automotive industry with accurate, efficient, and cost-effective vehicle customization. Image courtesy of ABB.
In previous processes involving paint application, the addition of two colors would usually require a couple of runs to the paint shop, which means doubling cycle times and increasing the number of operators needed to carry out the job.
Now, PixelPaint enables users to apply two tones of paint in a single run. This means that companies can save on building an extra paint shop and increase utility savings by reducing power, compressed air, and water consumption.
