ABB launches new Cleanroom robot for flexible and compact production

Jan. 11, 2012 - PRLog -- ABB has launched an ISO 5 (Class 100) Cleanroom version of its smallest ever multipurpose industrial robot, the compact, agile and lightweight six-axis IRB 120. The new model has had all materials prone to particle generation modified to eliminate the potential for contamination of the manufacturing area and the components being processed.Specially painted smooth surfaces; Best-in class accuracy; Great flexibility and compactness

Speaking about the new Cleanroom version, Nicolas De Keijser, Product Manager for ABB’s small robots, comments, “In the development of our fourth-generation of multipurpose robots, we recognised a demand for a fast and compact robot that could work in the stringent cleanroom environments that are typically found in electronics, solar and medical industries". The IRB 120 Cleanroom variant has been tested and certified by the independent Fraunhofer-IPA institute as Clean Room ISO 5 (Class 100)

This agile robot is prepared with specially painted smooth surfaces and has unmatched accuracy while performing very short cycle times, and in certain conditions can achieve ISO 4 (Class 10) Cleanroom requirements. It can also be mounted at any angle, either in a cell, on top of a machine or close to other robots on the manufacturing line.

The robot comes with the ABB IRC5 Compact control bringing all the benefits of the world leading robot controller. This includes superior path motion, user friendly FlexPendant programming, RobotStudio offline programming, flexible RAPID language and powerful communication capabilities.


De Keijser concludes “While certain industries have suffered under the recent challenging economic conditions, those involved in cleanroom manufacturing continue to grow. We want to support those industries to ensure we help them realize the clear benefits available from robotic technology. The IRB 120 Cleanroom is a cost-effective and reliable choice for generating high production outputs in return for a minimal investment.”

The new robot and the IRC5 controller are fully supported by the ABB Robotics’ global sales and service organization in 53 countries and over 100 locations.

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About ABB
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 130,000 people.

About ABB Robotics
ABB Robotics (www.abb.com/robotics) is a leading supplier of industrial robots – also providing robot software, peripheral equipment, modular manufacturing cells and service for tasks such as welding, handling, assembly, painting and finishing, picking, packing, palletizing and machine tending. Key markets include automotive, plastics, metal fabrication, foundry, electronics, pharmaceutical and food and beverage industries. A strong customer focus helps manufacturers improve productivity, product quality and worker safety. ABB has installed more than 190,000 robots worldwide.