ABB launches three new robot series, supporting China in boosting advanced manufacturing

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On July 2, ABB launched three new robot series developed and manufactured at its Shanghai mega factory, expanding its automation portfolio to support the transformation of China's advanced manufacturing sector.

Designed to address growing automation demands in high-growth industries—including electronics, consumer goods, and general industrial applications—the new offerings range from basic material handling to highly precise tasks such as gluing and polishing.

Each robot is equipped with ABB's unified OmniCore™ controller platform, enabling seamless integration of AI, sensors, cloud computing, and edge computing technologies to deliver intelligent and autonomous robotic solutions.

Lite+ is tailored for basic pick-and-place and material handling operations. Compact and user-friendly, it lowers the entry barrier for automation among small businesses. Initially targeted at China and the broader Asian market, Lite+ integrates smoothly with ABB's new IRB 1200 and other IRB models, offering flexible, end-to-end production solutions for sectors like electronics.

PoWa, a new collaborative robot (cobot) series, is optimized for speed, efficiency, and safe human-robot interaction in compact environments. With industry-leading speeds of up to 5.8 meters per second, PoWa is ideal for high-throughput applications such as fast pick-and-place, palletizing, machine tending, arc welding, and screwdriving. The series debuts with two payload options (10 kg and 13 kg), with plans to expand to six variants ranging from 7 kg to 30 kg.

Aimed at the Chinese market, PoWa offers plug-and-play peripherals, no-code programming, and can be operational within 60 minutes of unboxing—features particularly appealing to small and mid-sized manufacturers.

"The collaborative robot market in China is growing at a breakneck pace," said Marc Segura, President, ABB Robotics. "Customers now expect not just speed and payload, but simplified operation, compact design, and high performance. The PoWa series meets these demands with a unique blend of plug-and-play functionality, lightweight structure, and trusted ABB quality and safety."

"PoWa's speed, reliability and agility come with an ease-of-use that lowers barriers to automation. It shows clearly our commitment to Chinese customers, being designed, engineered, manufactured and supported here in China, to meet their specific needs," said Henry Han, President of ABB Robotics in China.

The third model, the new-generation IRB 1200, is a compact industrial robot engineered for high-speed, high-precision tasks such as assembly, polishing, and adhesive dispensing. Roughly 20% lighter and more compact than its predecessor, it enables manufacturers to build space-efficient production cells while boosting throughput and operational efficiency. Designed for global markets, it reflects ABB's continued push for performance-driven, space-saving automation solutions.

All three robots run on the OmniCore™ platform and are compatible with ABB's full software suite, including RobotStudio®, ensuring seamless integration and scalable application development.

During the launch event in Shanghai, ABB also debuted a breakthrough AI-driven natural language teaching tool for robots. Built on the PoWa platform, the tool combines generative and analytical AI to allow users to train robots using three simple steps: "see, say, do." The robot perceives its surroundings through vision, interprets spoken commands in real time, and instantly translates them into accurate actions.

"ABB has led global robotics innovation for over half a century, and since entering the Chinese market in 1994, we've grown alongside China's manufacturing sector," said Henry Han, President of ABB Robotics in China. "Today, with a fully localized value chain covering R&D, production, and services, we're reinforcing our long-standing commitment to 'in China, for China,' while strengthening our global leadership and delivering transformative automation solutions to businesses of all sizes."

China remains the world's largest robotics market, accounting for more than half of all robot installations in 2023. Over 90% of ABB robots sold in China are now produced locally, and the introduction of these new robot lines highlights ABB's strategic commitment to supporting China’s shift toward smart, high-end manufacturing.