ABB Robotics opened its new packaging and logistics headquarters north of Atlanta in Alpharetta, Georgia. The new facility is dedicated to robotics automation in the logistics and packaging industries. It is located near a hub of packaging and logistics companies based in the area, facilitating collaboration between ABB customers and integration partners to design and develop the next generation of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled robots (Figure 1).
“We are delighted to open our new robotics packaging and logistics headquarters in Greater Atlanta, home to some of the world’s largest packaging and logistics companies,” said Sami Atiya, president, robotics & discrete automation at ABB. “With global mega trends, including direct-to-consumer commerce and labor shortages driving demand for robots as companies look to move their operations closer to home, there is a growing demand for dedicated support and expertise from our U.S. packaging and logistics customers. Our new facility, supported by our manufacturing facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan, will help us meet this need by providing our customers with the latest, AI-enabled robotic solutions that improve their flexibility and productivity, while strengthening their resilience and ability to operate more sustainably.”
At the facility, training will also be available for ABB employees, customers and integrators to help them develop the skills needed to program, operate and maintain robots in logistics and packaging applications. ABB’s plan for the ecosystem with ABB customers and some of the world’s largest packaging and logistics companies will be to transform the industry with next-gen technology, according to the company, in order to help U.S. companies meet new demand, build resilience and remain competitive.
The specialist robotics center is part of a wider $22 million investment by ABB Robotics to develop new solutions, products and technologies in the United States. The new facility will operate alongside the company’s Lifesciences and Healthcare Lab in Houston, ABB Robotics’ manufacturing facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and the ABB Robotics Research and Development lab in San Jose, California. The U.S. investment reflects ABB’s commitment to addressing the increasing demand for automation in the U.S., driven by re-shoring trends in manufacturing and distribution operations, the company said. ABB is also making a larger $170 million investment to accelerate its growth in the United States overall.
“The rising expectation of consumers for greater choice and faster delivery is causing companies to look at more flexible and efficient ways to produce and distribute their products. At the same time, a growing labor shortage is hampering their ability to make the necessary changes, particularly when it comes to meeting the demands of Omni-channel distribution,” said Daniel Navarro, managing director for consumer segments & service robotics at ABB Robotics. “Smarter automation and AI-enabled robots can help to address this challenge and energize the changes society demands. From collaborative solutions that are easy to program and deploy, to 3D vision technology that can recognize and sort objects or navigate warehouses autonomously, ABB’s robotic automation solutions provide a flexible end-to-end offering that can help companies to meet customer expectations while utilizing their existing workforces more effectively.”
