ABB opens Vietnam’s first robotics technical and service centre

Located within the premises of the Viglacera Vocational College at Yen Phong Industrial Park in Bac Ninh province, the first-of-its-kind centre in Vietnam has an area of approximately 500 square metres housing four main areas.

A service workshop will offer a full package of repair, maintenance, overhaul and refurbishment to robots with a five-ton overhead crane running along the workshop’s length. To support the workshop, a warehouse will store spare parts to support round-the-clock operations together with a demo and robot application solution development space and an office area.

The spacious demo area will feature a product showcase including the IRB6700 and IRB1200 industrial robots integrated with conveyor tracking and vision inspection.

With a fast growing economy and young population, Vietnam is shifting to a global manufacturing base. Although the need for robots is estimated to reach a million in 2020, most local industrial production firms are still lagging behind, with 61% of enterprises still untouched by Industry 4.0 and 21% just having started preparatory activities, according to a recent survey by Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Meanwhile, while striving to gain knowledge on new manufacturing technologies, businesses are facing a shortage of digital skilled workforce. ABB’s Robotics Technical and Service Centre in Bac Ninh will support customers for not only in implementing projects but also in facilitating adoption of advanced technologies in their plants.

“We are pleased to open the new Robotics Technical & Service Center to support our customers with easier project implementation and to address the market need for advanced manufacturing technologies,” said Dr. Brian Hull, country managing director of ABB in Vietnam. “This investment reinforces ABB’s focus to strengthen its presence in Vietnam and support the ongoing commitment to take local manufacturing to the next level.”

Employing a pool of around 30 engineers experienced in robotics technologies, the facility will develop robotics solutions to address users’ specific needs through ABB Connected Services which features a wide range of Industry 4.0 compatible portfolios such as conditioning monitoring & diagnostics, fleet assessment, asset optimization, and back-up management.

This will also ensure faster reaction time, higher efficiency and better service technician preparation for on-site calls and support, ultimately helping to keep robot systems running at optimal performance.

In the near future, the ABB Robotics Technical and Service Centre will serve as a training facility to help lecturers and students of engineering universities to gain hands-on experience of advanced robotics technologies.

ABB’s robots are widely used in Vietnam’s industries such as automotive, electronics, animal feed, food and beverage, chemicals, metal and brick fabrication. The company recently supplied thousands of robots to an electronics manufacturer and to VinFast - the first Vietnamese electric automobile maker.

ABB started its operations in the country in 1993. In the 25 years since, it has grown to be a reliable partner in the field of technology, providing turnkey solutions and services in the market. In addition, ABB facilities manufacture transformers, high voltage components and medium voltage power products for customers across the globe. It employs some 900 employees across Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Danang and Ho Chi Minh.