ABB robots improve safety and sustainability in the industry

ABB Robotics will automate the construction industry with a new robotic automation solution to address critical challenges, including labor and skills shortages, to meet the demand for more affordable and environmentally friendly housing, and to reduce the environmental impact of construction.

ABB robots improve safety and sustainability in the industry

　　Robotic automation offers great potential to improve productivity, power, and manufacturing flexibility across the construction industry, including the production of modular homes and off-site construction components, as well as robotic welding, material handling, and 3D printing of houses and custom structures at construction sites. In addition to improving safety and cost-effectiveness, the use of robots can improve the sustainability of construction and reduce environmental impact through improved quality and waste reduction.

As the construction industry faces increasing environmental regulation and the need for more cost-effective construction, it is important that robotic automation reduces waste through improved production quality and consistency, as it is estimated that up to a quarter of the data transported to construction sites will eventually be disposed of as waste. With the help of automation and digital processing solutions, builders are also able to estimate the final amount of waste at the beginning of the project design through an efficient construction design and construction process.

In the second quarter of 2020, there were more than 200,000 job vacancies for low- and high-skilled workers in the EU alone. During this period, the shortage of labor in the construction industry has become increasingly prominent. Young people perceive the construction industry as very risky and are reluctant to pursue related jobs. Construction workers account for about 30% of work-related injuries and are four times more likely to die than other industries, with approximately 108,000 construction-related fatalities worldwide each year

Robots can improve safety in the construction industry by being able to move large heavy loads, work in at-risk areas, and choose new, safer construction methods. The use of robots to complete repetitive, risky missions that people are increasingly reluctant to do means that automation can help alleviate the labor and skills shortage crisis in the construction industry, making construction jobs more attractive to young people.

"The focus on health, safety and sustainability is driving investment in robotics skills, while a shrinking skilled workforce means that the construction industry needs robots to meet the challenges of urbanization and climate change." "We provide expertise, industry-leading robotics and digital stuff portfolios and place them at the center of the construction value chain, so that we can provide the industry with faster, more cost-effective and sustainable automated processing solutions to deal with the lack of labor in the industry by using robots to move large heavy loads, work in at-risk areas, and use new, safer construction methods." ”

ABB is committed to improving flexibility, power and quality in the construction industry, with pilot projects including automated assembly of walls, floors and roofs for multi-storey, multi-unit affordable housing in the United States in collaboration with Autovol, robotic elevator installations in collaboration with Schindler Elevator, and automated production of prefabricated modular homes for IntelligentCity. In the meantime, the collaboration with Smart City has increased its output by 15%, increased its speed by 38%, and reduced waste by 30%.

Skanska's robotic welding uses on-site automation to produce steel baskets, improving quality, productivity and safety. This treatment also reduces the cost and environmental impact of transporting bulky finished steel baskets to construction sites.

"It's getting harder and harder to find people to do these difficult and time-consuming jobs, which means we have to go further afield." Ulf Håkansson, Technical Director at Skanska, said, "Assigning these tasks to robots allows us to handle this and allow us to deploy our staff more efficiently. Automation is also very much in line with the experience and capabilities of the new generation of engineers. These engineers grow in their skills and will help us further expand the use of robots in our business. ”

Together, ABB is collaborating with leading universities, including Switzerland's leading research university, ETH Zurich (ETH), to develop new construction-related automation skills. At ETH, ABB supports workshops on robotics in construction and construction, and helped establish the world's first digital lab for collaborative robots in construction, which is located at ETH Zurich's Institute for Construction Skills.

At the 17th World Construction Biennale di Venice, the Austria Construction Agency MADEID presented the latest large-scale ABB robot 3D printing skills developed specifically for the construction industry, encouraging builders to explore the possibilities of automation and 3D printing, promote innovation and complete new construction methods.

ABB robots improve safety and sustainability in the industry

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