ABB to Manufacture Robots in the U.S.

Robot manufacturer ABB will start producing robots in the U.S. at its new robotics plant in Auburn Hills, Mich.

The new plant, the company’s third robotics production facility along with Shanghai and Västerås, Sweden, will manufacture ABB robots and related equipment for the North American market.

The U.S. is ABB’s largest market with US$7.5 billion in sales. The company has invested more than US$10 billion in local R&D, capital expenditure, and acquisitions since 2010, taking local employment from 11,500 to 26,300.

“Today, we are marking and celebrating the next stage of our commitment and growth in North America with the start of local robot manufacturing in Auburn Hills,” said ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer. “ABB is the first global automation company to open a robot manufacturing facility in the United States. Robotics is a fundamental enabler of the next level of North American industrial growth in an increasingly competitive world. With our continued commitment and investment, our local team is well positioned to support our customers with robotics solutions made in the United States. Our leading technology of web-enabled, collaborative, and safe robots will contribute to job security and quality of work.”

The portfolio of products manufactured at the new facility will expand in phases, with the goal that most ABB robots and robot controllers delivered in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico will be manufactured in Auburn Hills. Localized manufacturing streamlines the delivery process and results in significantly reduced robot lead times for customers, the company states.

“The new North American manufacturing presence elevates our offering and service to robotics customers in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, allowing us to achieve bestin- class delivery schedules and technical support in North America,” said Per Vegard Nerseth, managing director. “The expansion is consistent with our global strategy, which is to establish a local presence in key robotics growth markets to provide our leading technology to our customers.”