The new robot can withstand harsh environments and meets the requirements of protection ratings IP66/67; ideal for foundry material handling and machine tending

CHICAGO (September 12, 2016) - ABB Robotics today unveiled its latest foundry robot for material handling and machine tending, the IRB 1200 Foundry Plus 2. The smallest foundry robot in its class, this compact robot can increase flexibility and reduce cycle times for precision die casting processes such as smart phone cases and other electrical components.

Now protected with Foundry Plus 2, ABBs optional protection system, the IRB 1200 can withstand harsh environments and meets the requirements of protection ratings IP66/67. The IRB 1200 Foundry Plus 2 is IP66/67 compliant from base to wrist, meaning that the robots electrical compartments are sealed against liquid and solid contaminants. ABB Foundry Plus 2 robots are also unique due to their superior resistance to corrosion and capability to withstand high-pressure steam washing.

"Foundry robots have long contributed to the productivity and speed of heavy-duty metal casting and automotive applications, and are now becoming increasingly important in consumer electronics applications to cast light weight metals," says Dr. Hui Zhang, head of product management, ABB Robotics. "This robot will allow our customers to increase productivity, deliver better work piece quality and reduce cycle times."

First introduced in 2014, the IRB 1200 comes in two variants which can handle a wide range of applications and are cost effective due to commonality of parts. The 700 mm reach variant can carry a payload of up to 7 kg, while the longer reach 900 mm variant can carry up to 5 kg of payload.

The IRB 1200 is also available with Clean Room protection.

About ABB
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 135,000 people.

About ABB Robotics
ABB Robotics (www.abb.com/robotics) is a leading supplier of industrial robots - also providing robot software, peripheral equipment, modular manufacturing cells and service for tasks such as welding, handling, assembly, painting and finishing, picking, packing, palletizing and machine tending. Key markets include automotive, plastics, metal fabrication, foundry, electronics, machine tools, pharmaceutical and food and beverage industries. A strong solutions focus helps manufacturers improve productivity, product quality and worker safety. ABB has installed more than 250,000 robots worldwide.

All ABB Robotics' products are fully supported by the ABB Robotics global sales and service organization in 53 countries and over 100 locations.