Press Release
ABB delivers high performance, cost-effective air flow controller for robotic paint application
Air Control Unit (ACU) is extremely accurate, reliable, and controls air flow to atomizers with millisecond response time—meaning less wasted paint, faster throughput and operational cost savings.
April 19, 2013
· Superior Control: Regulates air pressure and atomizer turbine speed with millisecond response time.
· Consistent: Droplet size remains incredibly consistent even when accommodating varying spray patterns and volumes.
· Easily Integrated: Lightweight and compact enough to be fully integrated on upper arm of ABB paint robots.
· Reliable: As part of ABB’s Integrated Process System the ACU provides fast and stable regulation.
· Cost Saving: Operates at a scant 6 bar of air pressure, saving greatly on energy costs. Its high accuracy conserves paint.
Supplying consistent droplet size, accurately controlling paint volume, and minimizing changeover time between brushes is key to achieving faster throughput, less wasted paint and, ultimately, significant operational cost savings on modern robotic paint lines. ABB’s new Air Control Unit (ACU) delivers all of those things and more in a tiny package that can be easily integrated into new and existing installations.
If multiple brush changes and paint volumes are required for a painted object, a slow response time can impact overall production as the robots wait for the bell speed and paint dosing to reach each new set point. The ACU’s fast millisecond response time allows spray patterns and volumes to be varied without impact on the speed of production. The end result is a consistent droplet size and high quality finish even when accommodating varying spray patterns and paint volumes on the same object or between multiple objects on the same line.
Operating at a scant 6 bar of pressure, the ACU saves significantly on energy usage. The high accuracy of the ACU will conserve paint and its millisecond response time means less time waiting for changeover between parts to be painted. Low pressures, high accuracy and speedy efficiency add up to significant cost savings.
The ACU is designed to be plug-and-play out of the box with pre-calibrated settings, yet still allow for easy fine tuning and customization. It is also lightweight and compact enough to allow for integration on the upper arm of an ABB paint robot such as the IRB 5500.
“The Air Control Unit can be placed in new and existing systems with ease and is optimized to work with ABB atomizers for an even better total solution,” said Steinar Riveland, ABB’s Global Product Manager for Paint. “In fact, within ABB’s Integrated Process System, the ACU controls air flow with the use of precision actuators as well as combining a pressure sensor and air flow sensors to achieve closed loop air control—must-have features for the modern painting operation.”
When operating in an integrated fashion, the compact and efficient nature of the ACU reduces much of the complexity of existing solutions. The ACU provides fast and stable regulation within ABB’s Integrated Process System (IPS) and its closed loop regulation enables constant monitoring of air flow to the atomizer and the ability to correct for any deviations.
All ABB Robotics' products are fully supported by the ABB Robotics’ global sales and service organization in 53 countries and over 100 locations—including comprehensive documentation, maintenance information and spare parts.
Visit www.abb.com/robotics for further information.
Further information for editors:
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 145,000 people.
ABB 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 200,000 robots worldwide.
For more information please contact:
Name: Steinar Riveland
Address: Nordlysvegen 7, N-4340, Bryne, NORWAY
Tel: +47 51 48 91 63
Email address: