ABB Robotics introduces two new high-performance robots for precision manufacturing
- New, compact IRB 1700 and IRB 1700ID deliver up to 20% shorter cycle times with higher motion accuracy, higher payloads
- Meeting growing demand for high-speed and precision manufacturing, from electronics to automotive
- Lower total cost of ownership by reducing power consumption and increasing service intervals
ABB Robotics is expanding its industrial robot portfolio with two new compact, high-performance robots, the IRB 1700 and IRB 1700ID, delivering up to 20% shorter cycle times than comparable robots on the market.
“Precision manufacturing across sectors from electronics, automotive, to general industries is facing the pressure to produce more, while maintaining quality and reducing operating costs,” said Craig McDonnell, Managing Director, Business Line Industries, ABB Robotics. “The IRB 1700 family addresses these challenges with a new level of speed, accuracy, reliability and energy efficiency. It gives manufacturers and system integrators a flexible platform for high-performance automation.”
Offering payloads from 6 kg to 12 kg across five variants and powered by OmniCoreTM controllers, the new robots help manufacturers increase productivity, with up to 20% shorter cycle times, and improve uptime and reduce operating costs, with up to 15% lower power consumption[1] and service intervals of up to 20,000 hours between oil changes.
Precise path repeatability of down to 0.03 mm and joint speeds of up to 700 degrees per second make the new robots ideal for high-speed precision tasks such as material handling, arc welding, deburring, sanding, and machine tending. The high-performance robots are also suited to new electronics applications such as AI server rack assembly, meeting the surging demand for AI servers[2] and computing.
The new robot offers a footprint 50% smaller than its predecessor, and for even greater packaging efficiency, the IRB 1700ID model features ABB Robotics’ Integrated Dressing (ID) design, routing cables and hoses inside the robot arm, simplifying installation across industrial applications.
The IRB 1700 family extends ABB Robotics’ comprehensive mechatronics portfolio and ABB Robotics’ development of more autonomous and versatile robotics (AVRTM), with access to an expanding portfolio of programming and AI-powered software, including RobotStudio®, AI Robot Trainer, OmniCore EyeMotion and automatic collision-free path planning.
The IRB 1700 and IRB 1700ID made their public debut at China International Industry Fair (CIIF), Shanghai, October 12–16, 2026, with a demonstration featuring a fully functional arc welding and sanding application.
[1] Power consumption: IRB 1700 compared with its predecessor IRB 1600, running with the same payload on OmniCore
[2] According to a Market Research Future report, the AI server market has a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 34.46% during the forecast period 2025–2035. https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/ai-server-market-22588
