The Swiss robotic company ABB has revealed that it will invest $150 million in building a modern robot factory in Shanghai, which will use robots to build other robots.
The company will rely on its robots with one hand YuMi, which have so far been used to run an orchestra. The new job for the machine will be in the assembly of small parts necessary for the production of industrial robots. Furthermore, the ABB is planning to make extensive use of its SafeMove2 software in the facility which it considers to allow its YuMi models and other automated machines to work safely in close proximity to human personnel.
ABB says it aims to turn Shanghai into the most modern robot factory in the world. It will even have a research and development centre to speed up the work of the company in artificial intelligence. It will also expand the types and models of robots that the company can build for Chinese companies, including car manufacturers and electronics manufacturers.
China is the second largest ABB market after the United States and the new factory can significantly expand its presence on the market. The company expects to open the 75,000 square metres facility by the end of 2020.
ABB aims to increase its sales of robots in the country and to limit the risks arising from commercial disputes between the US and China. On the one hand, the duties they impose on both sides and, on the other hand, the expectation of delay in demand for electronics, autoparts and other elements that are required by the automated production and robots.
In China, the robot workforce is expanding as the tendency is to increase workers’ wages and the country seeks to compete with greater automation. In 2017, one of every three robots produced in the world was sold in China. This means that about 138000 automated workers are functioning there. In the country, robots already fulfil daily obligations such as supplies of goods, sales in supermarkets and even educators in kindergartens, where the youngest learn to communicate and convene with the machines.
