Shanghai is fully implementing the smart factory pilot plan to boost the construction of smart factories and digital infrastructure to lead the high-quality development of smart manufacturing. ABB Shanghai Robot Gigafactory is ABB’s largest robot R&D, production and application base in China, and is also one of the development engines of Shanghai’s high-end manufacturing industry. ABB Electric provided digital solutions for the Gigafactory, including ABB Ability™ EAM energy efficiency and asset health management cloud platform, Emax2 air circuit breaker, VD4 vacuum circuit breaker, IM302 intelligent power monitoring instrument, etc., to ensure the safe and stable operation of the power supply and distribution system of the Gigafactory. Help build energy-saving, efficient and green smart factories.

ABB Shanghai Robot Gigafactory, an investment of 150 million US dollars, covers an area of 67,000 square meters, integrating production and research and development, using automated flexible production, robot manufacturing robots, to triple ABB’s current production capacity, consolidating ABB’s market position in the field of robotics and automation in China. More than 90 percent of ABB’s robot products sold in China are manufactured here. As an intelligent and automated super factory, its power distribution room also embodies the wisdom of digitalization.

ABB Emax2 air circuit breaker is a comprehensive power manager, and its load management function can measure the power consumption according to the use of the branch circuit, optimize the power use, and achieve energy saving and efficiency. ABB Ability™ digital solutions, based on deep insights into real-time data, enable customers to provide proactive predictive maintenance for different equipment, enabling asset lifecycle management. Thanks to the plug&play, flexible and fast access to the ABB Ability™ EAM solution, the platform can be easily accessed from the three decentralized distribution rooms in the Gigafactory and the second and third level distribution boxes scattered on each floor. ABB Ekip E-Hub 2.0, together with 18 Emax2 intelligent circuit breakers and 243 IM302 intelligent power monitoring instruments, realizes comprehensive real-time monitoring of the power distribution room of the super factory through power monitoring, load statistics, data analysis, online control and other functions, replacing traditional manual inspection and reducing operation and maintenance costs. Optimize spare parts management mode. At the same time, the API function based on ABB Ability™ EAM platform, through the secondary development of digital partners in the later stage, more abundant digital analysis and page display can be realized, and better meet the customer’s use habits.

Based on the successful application of ABB Ability EAM in the Gigafactory, ABB Kangqiao’s original robot factory has completed a digital upgrade in July this year, and is managed under the same platform as the new Gigafactory, providing visual data support for the energy management of the overall facility and providing help for energy conservation and emission reduction.

Visual data signage and environmentally friendly materials unlock carbon reduction potential

The rapid development of modern industry has accelerated energy consumption, “double carbon” goal, double control of energy consumption has been the consensus of the industry, manufacturing factories as energy consumers need to focus on energy saving and consumption reduction, to achieve green production. With the ABB Ability™ EAM digital solution, it is possible to identify and analyze the power consumption of the equipment in the plant from multiple angles, forming a visual kanban for horizontal and vertical comparison and identifying opportunities for energy efficiency improvement. At present, ABB electrical engineers have completed the classification and summary of the existing energy efficiency data of the Gigafactory based on their rich experience in power distribution operation management, laying the foundation for the use of backup circuits in the future.

The VD4 vacuum circuit breaker uses an environmentally friendly PT solid seal pole, an environmentally degradable material that ensures that its manufacturing process emits only 40% of the carbon emissions of similar products, reflecting ABB’s commitment to sustainability and carbon reduction, combined with safe and reliable design and intelligent configuration to continue to create new value for customers.

Luo Jing, acting head of ABB’s Robotics Business unit in China, said: “ABB Robotics is committed to helping enterprises in different fields and sizes enhance development resilience, improve operational efficiency and improve production flexibility through the application of robot automation technology. ABB Electric’s digital power distribution solutions help our Gigafactory further achieve digital connectivity and efficient management from its own production and operations, creating a green benchmark factory.”

Zhao Yongzhan, president of ABB Electric China, said: “ABB takes the high-quality development path of digitization and electrification to decode the manufacturing industry, so that every hour of electricity and every energy consumption can achieve lean management, actively help high-end intelligent manufacturing, and enable carbon neutrality.