ABB Provides Robots for Nobia Kitchen Factory

ABB Robotics has been selected by Nobia – the leading kitchen specialist in Europe – to supply robotic automation solutions for their new factory in Jönköping, Sweden. By securing the contract, ABB Robotics furthers its expansion into new industry segments, helping to make production more efficient and sustainable.

“ABB’s contribution to Nobia’s new state-of-the-art factory clearly illustrates how we are helping companies unlock flexible automation to transform their business, supporting with unique global industry expertise and innovative, tailormade products,” said Andrea Cassoni, Managing Director, General Industry, ABB Robotics. “Working with Nobia, our robotics solutions will enable fast mass-production of customised kitchens, meeting consumers’ increased demand for tailored and personalised product choices”.

The supply of ABB robots will enable Nobia to achieve its vision for more flexible and more automated manufacturing that’s capable of producing customised products at scale. By taking on the dull, dirty and sometimes dangerous tasks, the range of robots will enable Nobia’s workers to take on safer, more rewarding work.

The robots included are IRB 7600, ideal for heavy applications, IRB 4600, a general-purpose robot that increases production capacity and improves productivity, and IRB 6700, the highest-performance robot in the 150–300-kilogram class which, on average, takes about 2.5 tons per day off the shoulders of an employee. The robots will enable the factory to produce customised cabinets with 75-80% higher efficiency (time) in comparison to non-automated processes.

Combining ABB’s technological leadership in automation with Nobia’s segment insights and knowledge of their customers’ needs, the relationship will lead to more flexible and digitalised manufacturing processes. Together, the companies strengthen the competence development within automation for the region around Jönköping. In the local area, ABB Robotics will support and educate Nobia’s existing and future employees as well as students at Jönköping University and neighboring Linköping University. The training will be held in ABB Robotics’ recently opened training center in Jönköping.

“We are very excited about this partnership with ABB. We are building a future-proof, high-capacity factory that will support our leading position,” said Jon Sintorn, CEO of Nobia. “It is a real game changer for the whole industry. The factory will manufacture customised, made-to-order kitchens at the highest speed and at the same time highest possible quality. The unique combination of technique solutions combined with our expertise will enable us to offer kitchens with leading design, and sustainability performance to customers in the Nordic region. To achieve this we will utilise ABB’s market leading technology for highly automated and flexible processes, and extensive logistics consolidation,”

The region around Jönköping is characterised by extensive know-how and expertise in manufacturing, with ABB Robotics further enhancing this through its work with Nobia. The factory will be fully operational in the course of 2024, to become one of Europe’s most modern kitchen factories.

ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimise how things are manufactured, moved, powered and operated. Building on more than 130 years of excellence, ABB’s ~105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation.

Find out more about ABB and Nobia.

Also, stay up to date with the most recent machine vision and image processing news right here on MVPro Media.