OREANDA-NEWS. Start of local robot manufacturing cements ABB's commitment to North American customers.

ABB, the global leader in power and automation technologies, announced today it will start production of robots in the United States, making it the first global industrial robotics company to fully commit to and invest in a North American robotics manufacturing footprint. The company made the announcement at the opening of a new robotics plant at an existing facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan, where it already has about 500 highly skilled employees. Production is to commence immediately.

The new plant is ABB's third robotics production facility, alongside Shanghai, China, and Vasteras, Sweden, and will manufacture ABB robots and related equipment for the North American market.

The United States is ABB's largest market with US\\$7.5 billion in sales. The company has invested more than US\\$ 10 billion in local R&D, capital expenditure and acquisitions since 2010, taking local employment from 11,500 to 26,300. Continued investment in the North American value chain and manufacturing constitutes a significant part of ABB's global growth plans reflecting the company's Next Level strategy.

The portfolio of products manufactured at the new facility will expand in phases, with the goal that most ABB robots and robot controllers delivered in the United States, Canada and Mexico will be manufactured in Auburn Hills. Localized manufacturing streamlines the delivery process and results in significantly reduced robot lead times for customers.