ABB works to enhance sustainability with recycled and remanufactured robots

Summary

July 7, 2020 - As sustainability continues to grow in importance globally, ABB is committed to help create more environmentally friendly manufacturing facilities across the world. Remanufacturing enables existing robot users to sell inactive or legacy robots to ABB with an attractive buy back service, rather than scrapping them or leaving them unused in a corner of the factory. 

Over the last 25 years, thousands of robots have been refurbished and upgraded by ABB’s remanufactured robot teams, to give them a second life. As well as previously owned robots, peripheral equipment such as controllers and manipulators are refurbished to “like-new” conditions at one of ABB’s Global Remanufacture & Workshop Repair Centers.

Before being labelled as an ABB-certified remanufactured robot, every second-hand unit undergoes rigorous checks, including a detailed inspection and a minimum 16-hour functioning test. Each remanufactured robot comes with a two-year warranty and buyers of refurbished equipment enjoy the same level of support from local service teams, including installation and training, as they would with the purchase of a new ABB robot.

Each remanufactured robot can also be upgraded to the latest controller, which unlocks new functionalities such as ABB Ability Connected services or the latest version of RobotStudio®, ABB's simulation and offline programming software. Upgrades can also unlock the potential of collaborative robotics, with ABB’s SafeMove software providing businesses with the opportunity to enable robots to work alongside operators without the need for extensive guarding.

ABB’s network of global remanufacturing facilities includes centers in Ostrava in the Czech Republic, Auburn Hills in Michigan and Shanghai in China, as well as local remanufacturing service centers in Brazil, Mexico, Germany and Vietnam.