ABB, B&R launch fully integrated Machine-Centric Robotics solution

Fully integrating ABB’s robots into its automation systems means that B&R will now be able to supply machine builders with machine automation and robotics from a single source.

B&R, a unit of ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation business, announced the integration of ABB robots into its automation portfolio. With the ability to offer unprecedented levels of machine flexibility and precision, merging robotics with machine control into one unified architecture will enable manufacturers to embrace the trend of mass customisation and optimise their lot size one processes.

Fully integrating ABB’s robots into its automation systems means that B&R will now be able to supply machine builders with machine automation and robotics from a single source. Machine builders will be able to buy their robots from B&R along with all their control, I/O and drive components.

“The integration of ABB’s robot fleet into the B&R portfolio makes us a true one-stop-shop. We are the only company to offer industrial automation customers the entire range of integrated hardware and software solutions around control, actuation, robotics, sensing and analytics and electrification. Our strength lies in our ability to combine ABB and B&R products into one solution, supported by our deep application expertise. This will help manufacturers increase their flexibility, at all levels including machines, to support shorter product cycles and to make much smaller lots of greater variety,” said Sami Atiya, President of ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation business.

Machine builders will be able to choose from a wide range of ABB robots, including articulated arm, SCARA, delta and palletizer robots in various sizes and with various payloads. This is particularly important for machine applications where a high degree of synchronisation with other components is required, for example with picking solutions. With ABB robots integrated into the machine automation system, customers will benefit from an unprecedented level of synchronisation between robotics and machine control. Since the robot will no longer require a dedicated controller, all interfaces between the machine and the robot are eliminated, while the fact that all axes and sensors will now communicate on a common network increases precision to the previously unimaginable microsecond range.

Integrating robotics and automation also means only one controller and one engineering system will be needed for development, diagnostics and maintenance, so there will no longer be a need for an extra control cabinet just for the robot, which will save floor space.

More user-friendly programming is another decisive advantage that comes from combining robotics with machine control. Instead of programming a robotics application in one development environment and a machine application in another, there will only be one application and one development environment. This will help to reduce development times significantly. With the ready-made software components of mapp technology, developers can quickly set up and configure the machine application, including robotics, without any knowledge of special robotics languages.

“Our newly developed integrated solution enables us to support machine builders, enhancing their processes and future-proofing their automation investments. Traditionally, the robot is a self-contained system, with its own controller and its own control cabinet. Engineering, diagnostics and maintenance are all performed using dedicated systems, and with specific robotics language, you often need a specialist programmer,” said Hans Wimmer, Managing Director of B&R. “With the incorporation of ABB robots into one simple architecture we create a fully integrated automation system. For machine developers, it now makes no difference whether they must integrate a single motion control axis or an entire robot into the machine.”

Synchronisation between sensors and robot motion will also become easier with integration. For example the result of a quality inspection with a B&R vision camera can be converted into a control command for the ABB robot in less than a millisecond, so defective workpieces can be removed from the production process without manual intervention or slowing the manufacturing process. Since the machine builder no longer needs to use separate hardware, communication networks and applications, he is able to achieve much tighter synchronisation between the robot and other machine components. The movements of the robot and all of the machine’s motion control axes can be coordinated with unprecedented microsecond precision, boosting the productivity of the machine and the output of the process.

The robots are programmed in B&R’s universal engineering environment just like all other automation components, while in the digital twin the user can simulate and optimise the machine’s entire motion sequence, including the robotics, before the machine is built. This makes engineering and development both faster and cheaper, which in turn lowers the threshold for machine builders looking to implement robotics in their production machinery and increases their return on investment.

ABB is a technology leader that is driving the digital transformation of industries. With a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB has four customer-focused, globally leading businesses: Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, and Robotics & Discrete Automation, supported by the ABB Ability™ digital platform. ABB’s Power Grids business will be divested to Hitachi in 2020. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees.

ABB Robotics is a pioneer in industrial and collaborative robots and advanced digital services. As one of the world’s leading robotics suppliers, we are active in 53 countries and over 100 locations and have shipped over 400,000 robot solutions for a diverse range of industries and applications. We help our customers to improve flexibility, efficiency, safety and reliability, while moving towards the connected and collaborative factory of the future.

B&R introduces TSN machine switch for converged real-time networks

B&R has added a real-time Ethernet switch to its portfolio. The new machine switch can be used to set up networks using the vendor-agnostic communication solution OPC UA over TSN. Its design and form factor fit perfectly into the B&R portfolio for space-saving mounting in the control cabinet. The TSN machine switch allows cycle times under 50 µs. It offers four real-time capable TSN ports and one standard Ethernet port – to connect a display, for example. The switch also opens up the possibility of star, tree or ring topologies in addition to daisy-chaining. Multiple switches can be cascaded in order to reach remote cabinets or implement large, complex real-time networks. Non-TSN nodes can also be incorporated in the network via the switch. Implementing modular machine concepts is now faster and easier than ever.

The switch is completely integrated in B&R’s Automation Studio engineering environment. Configuration occurs automatically. The device fully supports a centralised approach to hardware and software management. Application development and machine-specific configurations can be performed either offline or online. The TSN switch can also be used as a conventional unmanaged switch for non-real-time networks. No special configuration is required.

Since the TSN machine switch is designed in the X20 form factor, it takes up minimal space in the control cabinet, mounted right alongside the X20 control and I/O system. The switch can be mounted in two different positions, depending on the cable outlet. This allows it to be installed in tight spaces.

B&R is an innovative automation company with headquarters in Austria and offices all around the world.