Volkswagen orders 800 ABB robots to build electric vehicles

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is modernising its Hannover factory and is installing state-of-the-art facilities to build the all-electric ID.Buzz van, which will begin production in 2022. ABB’s robots will be installed in the body shop to undertake a range of body construction tasks.

“We’re excited to extend our longstanding business relationship with Volkswagen by supporting their expansion into e-mobility,” said Sami Atiya, President of ABB Robotics and Discrete Automation. “ABB’s robotic solutions will provide Volkswagen’s production processes with unprecedented levels of flexibility, to help them adjust to trends and changing customer requirements.

“The dramatic expansion of the EV segment requires new and innovative manufacturing solutions. With our deep experience in this sector, we are helping our automotive customers master this important and strategic transition towards more sustainable transportation.”

In addition to robots and application-specific equipment, ABB offers the automotive industry standardised manufacturing cells and the design, planning and implementation of complete production lines.

This year, ABB has launched a number of technologies that support automotive manufacturers in increasing productivity and improving their environmental performance, such as its PixelPaint solution for customised automotive painting, which uses an inkjet head to eliminate overspray. Two-tone paint and individual designs are applied in one pass, without masking and de-masking.