New Technology to Be Unveiled at Chicago's International Manufacturing Technology Show

Last update: 2:07 p.m. EDT Sept. 5, 2008

CHICAGO, Sep 05, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- ABB Robotics, a leading robotics manufacturer, has expanded its application range for robot automation with the introduction of robotic bin picking. Always at the forefront of new technology, ABB will conduct demonstrations of its newest development during the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS).

"ABB is expanding the application range of robot automation by demonstrating that our robots are now able to perform a random bin picking task. This is considered almost mundane work for a human, but is really quite a challenge for a robot, given the potential for collisions and the challenges associated with finding the right part to pick in a container with hundreds of parts," said Steven West, development manager for ABB Robot Automation.

Utilizing the vision guidance software of partner Braintech Inc. and the powerful IRC 5 robot controller developed by ABB, the robotic bin picking demo will be the first public demonstration of an ABB robot that can reliably locate and disseminate jumbled and randomly situated materials from bins.

"We encourage every company that has a need for intelligent material handling to stop by our exhibit and see it for themselves," said Jerry Osborn, vice president and general manager, ABB Robot Automation. "There are many benefits -- faster productivity, improved quality, reduced capital and maintenance costs, all leading to increased profitability." (ABB is at Booth B-6114, located in McCormick Place North, Hall B)

Rick Weidinger, chief executive officer of Braintech added, "We are excited to demonstrate our robotic bin picking technology at one of the largest industrial trade shows in the world. Working with ABB, we've developed a competitive advantage for our customers in cutting costs and increasing production in a multitude of plant applications."

Packaged as part of ABB's TrueView(TM) leading edge vision guidance product line, the new robotic bin picking will be installed on a pilot basis in October and December at two original equipment manufacturers. The technology will be released to partners and customers at the start of 2009.

For more information, visit www.abb.com/robotics.

About ABB, Inc.

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 115,000 people.

About ABB Robotics

ABB 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 solutions focus helps manufacturers improve productivity, product quality and worker safety. ABB has installed more than 150,000 robots worldwide.