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ABB rebrands AMR line-up following its purchase of Asti

23 September, 2022

Following its acquisition last year of the Spanish autonomous mobile robot (AMR) manufacturer Asti Mobile Robotics, ABB Robotics is rebranding its AMR portfolio under the Flexley name. The first models to be released, Flexley Tug and Flexley Mover, cover applications such as towing, trolley transportation for loads of up to 2,000kg, as well as lifting and transporting racks, containers, and pallets up to 1,500kg.

ABB is also planning to incorporate an AI-based navigation technology from the Swiss start-up Sevensense Robotics, in which it took a stake last year, to help its mobile robots to navigate complex and dynamic environments. It says that this technology – called Vslam (visual simultaneous localisation and mapping) – opens new possibilities for flexible manufacturing and will make its AMRs as autonomous as robotic arms, while making work safer and more productive.

“The market for autonomous mobile robots is set to grow significantly, with an annual growth rate of approximately 24% between 2021 and 2028,” says former Asti CEO Verónica Pascual, who is now global head of ABB’s AMR business. “The integration of the Asti AMR range and the creation of our global manufacturing and support network means we are well placed to address this growth, providing our customers with new ways to tackle their supply chain challenges and meet demands for greater flexibility and speed created by the continued rise in e-commerce.”

The integration of Asti into ABB involves a rebranding of all of its offices and facilities, as well as the launch of a new Web site. However, the Asti name will continue to be used for the Asti Foundation, founded in 2017 to equip young people with skills for the digital age.

ABB is already supplying AGVs to customers. It has worked with Expert Technology Group in the UK to deliver a complete assembly line based on AGVs for REE Automotive. The installation combines the use of ABB robots, vision packages and AGVs to transport products between robotic automation cells and manual assembly stations.

ABB claims that it is now the only company to offer an integrated portfolio of robots, AMRs and machine automation systems.

ABB’s AMRs will now be sold under the Flexley name

“This is a gamechanger for our customers,” says ABB Robotics president, Marc Segura. “They can work with one partner offering everything they need to adapt to the opportunities and challenges driven by individualisation, labour shortages and disrupted supply chains and our rebranding underscores the simplicity and benefit of the integrated solutions we offer to our customers.”

ABB Robotics:  Twitter  LinkedIn  Facebook

Sevensense RoboticsTwitter  LinkedIn  Facebook




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