PRODUCT REVIEWS
Automation and digital solutions at MACH
ABB Robotics will be demonstrating a range of advanced automation technologies at MACH 2026( 20-24 April 2026 in Birmingham, UK). These technologies will highlight how manufacturers can boost productivity, improve flexibility and accelerate digital transformation through robotics, collaborative automation and intelligent software.
“ On our stand 18-640 in Hall 18, we will present a comprehensive portfolio of solutions including collaborative robots, industrial automation cells, digital engineering tools and lifecycle service and support offerings,” the manufacturer told ISMR.
“ Exhibits will include examples of the OmniVance collaborative Arc Welding and Machine Tending application cells. The arc welding cell will show how welding operations can be automated quickly and easily using a collaborative robot. Designed for high-mix, low-volume production environments, the cell enables operators to program welding sequences in minutes using an intuitive‘ Easy Teach’ Device, reducing programming time and making robotic welding accessible even to first-time users,” it continued.
The collaborative machine-tending solution will demonstrate how cobots can automate repetitive loading and unloading tasks. Based on standardised hardware and intuitive interfaces, the cell simulates a typical machinetending process, enabling operators to manage production through a simple teach-and-run approach.
Alongside the OmniVance cells will be ABB’ s FlexLoader™ FP800 robotic cell, highlighting how manufacturers can automate complex
OmniVance collaborative welding.
OmniVance Machine Tending cell.
material handling tasks while maintaining flexibility and high productivity. Using advanced 3D vision technology, the cell will demonstrate a semi-structured bin picking application, with robots identifying and picking components when they are randomly oriented.
The stand will also showcase ABB’ s digital capabilities with demonstrations of
RobotStudio ®, the offline simulation and programming software tool.
“ RobotStudio enables manufacturers to design, program and optimise robotic systems in a virtual environment before deployment, reducing commissioning time and improving production efficiency,” said ABB Robotics.
“ Supplementing these demonstrations will be a focus on ABB’ s Modernisation Services, showing how ABB Robotics can help manufacturers to combine robotics, digital engineering tools and lifecycle services, including upgrades and optimisation, to build smarter, more flexible factories and remain competitive in an increasingly automated manufacturing landscape,” it concluded. n
www
. abb. com / robotics
Hardox ® HiAce steel“ takes the heat”
Steelmaker, SSAB, has taken innovation in wear-resistant materials one step forward.
“ Hardox ® HiAce is engineered to outperform conventional abrasion-resistant( AR) steels, stainless steels and even ceramics in environments where wear, corrosion and elevated temperatures combine. It offers the same excellent hardness, yield strength and toughness as the well-known Hardox ® 450 wear plate,” it explained.
“ Unlike traditional materials that often excel only in one dimension, Hardox ® HiAce delivers a combination of superior hardness and strength, resistance to corrosive wear, high performance at high temperatures and workshop-friendly fabrication( with no special infrastructure needed),” it added.
Combating corrosive wear
High- or low-pH environments, combined with abrasion and impact, can create corrosive wear mechanisms that rapidly degrade conventional steels and damage equipment.
Acids, sulfates, ammonia and salts can oxidise steel surfaces, accelerate wear rates and dramatically reduce service life. In these conditions, higher hardness alone is often not enough.
“ Hardox ® HiAce was developed to resist this complex degradation scenario. It provides the hardness needed for abrasion resistance while maintaining structural integrity in chemically aggressive environments. Stainless steels perform well in purely corrosive environments. But when abrasion and impact are introduced, their lower hardness limits service life,” continued SSAB.
“ Equipment operating in elevated temperatures can experience damaging heat spikes that can negatively influence conventional AR steels. Where these steels rapidly lose hardness and wear resistance, Hardox ® HiAce maintains its excellent properties and resistance to wear— up to at least 400 ° C( 752 ° F). This gives users a dependable thermal buffer, long-term stability and reliable performance, even during prolonged exposure,” it concluded. n
www. ssab. com
54 | ismr. net | ISMR March 2026