Industrial robots come in sizes big and small, but they don’t get much bigger than the monster that is ABB Robotic’s IRB 8700.
“The IRB 8700 is the latest edition to the ABB Robotics range and is the highest payload robot ABB has ever made,” said Nicolas De Keijser, assembly and test business line manager at ABB Robotics.
“We designed this robot specifically for heavier industries, like automotive, to handle things like complete car bodies. This robot can manage up to 800kg [1,764 lbs] in payload in any direction. Cranes can only lift up and down, but this robot can move that payload in a spherical way.”
The IRB 8700 has 4.2m (13.8 ft) of reach when operating with a payload of 550kg (1213 lbs) and 3.5m (11.5 ft) of reach at full capacity.
The IRB 8700 can be used to eliminate overhead cranes in some circumstances, De Keijser said. This also provides the opportunity for unique assembly applications, where smaller robots operate on the part supported by larger ones.
The IRB 8700 has Foundry Plus 2 protection for harsh environments, De Keijser added. All external plates are stainless steel and the wrist turning disk is coated with nickel-phosphorus.
“For heavy industries with dirty environments, like foundries, we have foundry protection on this robot, which gives the robot the ability to do very well using special seals and paints for protection across the entire robot.”
The IRB 8700 is the fastest in its class, according to the company, claiming a 25 percent speed advantage versus other models.
For more information, watch the video above and visit the ABB Robotics website.