Industry Summary Articles

Digital technology leader ABB’s ground-breaking OmniCore range of robot controllers has been shortlisted for the 2019 Invention and Entrepreneurship in Robotics and Automation (IERA) award. IERA, considered one of the most important in the robotics industry, recognizes companies and inventers who turn innovative ideas into market-changing products. The award is presented by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) and the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society.

ABB’s robot controllers are already recognized for their best-in-class path accuracy and cycle times. In creating OmniCoreTM, ABB built upon these strengths while creating a robot controller that significantly increases manufacturing flexibility today, and is future-proofed for developments in the digital manufacturing age.

“Leadership in the robot controller market will be determined by how much flexibility we give customers for a more diverse and customized product mix. OmniCoreTM gives our customers the flexibility they need to meet the ‘new normal’ of manufacturing more diverse products in smaller lots while maintaining productivity,” said Sami Atiya, President of ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation business.

Offering greater flexibility from different controller sizes, and with greater mounting flexibility for adding applications to confined spaces and existing lines, OmniCoreTM is the perfect enabler for the digital manufacturing ecosystem.

Featuring “Power-on and Connect” and ABB AbilityTM, OmniCoreTM can be connected to advanced services that increase performance and reliability, while offering easy connection to a variety of fieldbus protocols, as well as vision and force control systems for complete solutions. OmniCoreTM includes cyber security enforcements to prevent any data loss, thereby closing the loop between connectivity, data and control and also includes SafeMove2, ABB’s software solution that transforms industrial robots into collaborative robots capable of working alongside humans safely while remaining productive.  

Despite all these advanced features, OmniCoreTM is simple and intuitive to use and is accessed through a newly designed FlexPendant human machine interface with simple touch screen for visual programming.  

Sami Atiya added: “After winning the IERA award in 2016 with YuMi®, the world’s first truly collaborative robot, we are really honored to be nominated again, which is recognition of our continued innovation and technology leadership in the area of robotics.”

To view the original press release, please click here.

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