ABB Robots: Complete Guide to the IRB Family, OmniCore Controllers, and Choosing the Right Model

If you work in automation, automotive, metal fabrication, packaging, or electronics manufacturing, you have come across ABB. It is one of the two giants of the global industrial robot market and ranks as the world’s second-largest industrial robot manufacturer after Japan’s FANUC. But “ABB robot” is not a single product. It is a complete ecosystem spanning dozens of hardware families, two controller generations, a dedicated programming language, and one of the strongest offline simulation environments in the industry. This article is a reference guide to ABB robots: model naming logic, the difference between the IRB and CRB families, an IRC5 versus OmniCore controller comparison, the RAPID language, RobotStudio, and finally a practical framework for selecting the right robot for your application.

1. ABB Robotics at a Glance

ABB is a Swiss-Swedish company with more than 140 years of history in electrification and automation. Its robotics division celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024 — ABB introduced the world’s first all-electric, microprocessor-controlled industrial robot, the IRB 6, back in 1974. That lineage is why ABB’s mechanical and software architecture is among the most mature and field-proven available. The robotics division employs roughly 7,000 people, with primary manufacturing hubs in Sweden, China, and the United States.

Ownership Change: From Planned Spin-Off to SoftBank Acquisition

One of the most significant developments in this space — and something any buyer or maintenance engineer should be aware of — is the change in ownership of ABB’s robotics business. ABB initially planned to separate the division into an independently listed company, but ultimately took a different route: ABB announced it had signed an agreement to divest its Robotics division to SoftBank Group at an enterprise value of $5.375 billion, and would not pursue its earlier intention to spin the business off as a separately listed company. The transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals in the European Union, China, and the United States, with closing targeted for mid-to-late 2026. What this means in practice: the ownership change has no short-term effect on production lines, spare part numbers, or software compatibility. The long-term product roadmap — particularly around AI and physical robotics — is more likely to shift.

2. How ABB Robot Model Names Work

Before getting into individual models, understanding ABB’s naming logic makes everything else easier:

IRB = Industrial Robot — the traditional, non-collaborative family.
CRB = Collaborative Robot — designed to work alongside an operator.
Model number: generally, the higher the number, the larger and heavier the robot (IRB 120 is tiny, IRB 8700 is enormous).
Numeric suffix such as IRB 6700-235/2.65: the first figure is payload in kilograms, the second is reach in meters.
S suffix (IRB 6650S, IRB 6750S): shelf-mounted variants, built for press lines and machine tending.
SC suffix (IRB 910SC): SCARA robots.
ID suffix: Integrated Dresspack — internal cable routing, common on arc welding robots.
LID / F variants: Foundry Plus and Foundry Prime versions for casting environments and high-pressure washdown.

Read the model name carefully and you can infer roughly 80 percent of a robot’s key specifications before opening the datasheet.

3. Six-Axis Articulated Robots

Six-axis articulated robots are the backbone of ABB’s portfolio. They divide naturally into small, mid-range, and heavy classes.

3.1 Small and Precise

IRB 120 — ABB’s smallest six-axis robot, weighing around 25 kg, with a 3 kg payload and 580 mm reach. Repeatability is in the region of 0.01 mm. Typical uses: electronics assembly, laboratory work, small machine tending, and training cells. IRB 1100 — more compact and faster, with a 4 kg payload. It comes in two variants with 475 mm and 580 mm reach, and ABB also offers an IP67-rated version for harsh, wet environments. A strong choice for lines with humidity, dust, or daily washdown. IRB 1200 — 5 kg payload with 900 mm reach, or 7 kg with 700 mm reach. The IRB 1200 Next Generation ships on the OmniCore controller and targets fast assembly, surface finishing, and food industry applications. IRB 1300 — a popular pick for heavier pick-and-place and assembly work, with payloads from 7 to 12 kg and reach up to roughly 1.4 m.

3.2 Mid-Range

IRB 2600 — 12 to 20 kg payload, 1.65 to 1.85 m reach. One of the most widely deployed robots for arc welding, material handling, and machine tending. IRB 4600 — 20 to 60 kg payload, reach up to about 2.55 m. The standard choice for light spot welding, body assembly, and medium palletizing. IRB 2400 and IRB 4400 — older generations, but present in enormous numbers on factory floors worldwide and still very active on the used and refurbished market.

3.3 Heavy Payload

IRB 6700 series and the next-generation 67xx models — the heart of automotive body shops. The newer generation includes the IRB 6710, IRB 6720, IRB 6730, and IRB 6740, covering payloads from 150 to 310 kg and reach from 2.5 to 3.2 m. The efficiency gain comes from the OmniCore controller combined with a lighter arm design, delivering energy savings of up to 20 percent, while TrueMove and QuickMove motion technologies achieve repeatability down to 0.03 mm — the kind of figure that makes them ideal for spot welding, laser welding, screwdriving, and riveting. IRB 7600 — the classic heavy-payload workhorse, handling roughly 500 to 630 kg. IRB 8700 — ABB’s heaviest robot at up to 800 kg payload (more in certain mounting configurations), used for moving car bodies, glass, and large structural parts. Shelf-mounted and press tending robots — models such as the IRB 660, IRB 760, and the newer IRB 6750S and IRB 6760. ABB states the IRB 6750S paired with an OmniCore controller delivers path accuracy down to 0.9 mm, and recommends the IRB 6760 press tending robot for automotive, electronics, and general manufacturing.

4. SCARA Robots

For high-speed planar applications — PCB assembly, vertical screwdriving, light packaging — ABB offers its SCARA family:

IRB 910SC with 6 kg payload and 450, 550, or 650 mm reach.
IRB 920 / IRB 920T, the newer generation with faster cycles and full OmniCore compatibility.

SCARA advantages over a six-axis arm: lower cost, higher speed in horizontal moves, and a smaller footprint. The trade-off: no free angular motion in three-dimensional space.

5. Delta (Parallel) Robots

The IRB 360 FlexPicker is the best-known delta robot in the world. With payloads of 1, 3, 6, and 8 kg and working diameters from 800 to 1600 mm, it can execute well over 100 picks per minute. Its home turf is food, pharmaceutical, and packaging lines, and stainless steel washdown versions are available. Newer models round out the family: the IRB 365 for light secondary packaging and the IRB 390 FlexPacker for heavier packing and layer building.

6. Collaborative Robots — the CRB Family

ABB’s collaborative robots are designed to operate next to a human without full safety fencing: YuMi (IRB 14000) — the world’s first genuinely commercial dual-arm collaborative robot. Each arm has seven axes and a 0.5 kg payload. Built for small parts electronics assembly. Single-Arm YuMi (IRB 14050) — the same architecture in a single-arm package, light enough to mount on a table, wall, or ceiling. GoFa (CRB 15000) — ABB’s mainstream collaborative robot for real industrial duty, with 5, 10, and 12 kg payload variants. Torque sensors in every joint, lead-through programming, and considerably higher working speed than the earlier generation. SWIFTI (CRB 1100) — a hybrid: it runs at conventional industrial robot speed but uses laser scanner-based safety and status lighting to permit operator collaboration. Payload around 4 kg. An important caveat: a robot being “collaborative” does not by itself make the cell safe. Risk assessment under ISO/TS 15066 and ISO 10218 is still mandatory — especially when the end effector itself (a gripper or welding torch) is the hazard.

7. Paint Robots and Mobile Robots

The IRB 5500 FlexPainter and IRB 5350 are explosion-proof robots for automotive paint booths, running on ABB’s dedicated IPS (Integrated Process System) controller. In logistics, ABB entered the AMR (autonomous mobile robot) market through its acquisition of ASTI and offers the Flexley family — from the Flexley Tug for cart towing to the Flexley Mover for rack transport.

8. Controllers: The End of IRC5 and the Rise of OmniCore

For anyone making a purchasing decision in 2026, this is the most consequential section of the article.

IRC5

The IRC5 was the industry standard for over a decade and has millions of operating hours behind it. But OmniCore has replaced it, and IRC5 was phased out in June 2026. ABB has stated it will continue supporting customers with spare parts and service through the remaining lifetime of installed robots. In practical terms: buying a used IRC5-based robot today is technically fine, but you are entering at the end of the product lifecycle, and sourcing certain boards will get slower and more expensive over time.

OmniCore

OmniCore delivers path accuracy below 0.6 mm with multiple robots running at speeds up to 1,600 mm per second, and enables operation up to 25 percent faster with up to 20 percent lower energy consumption compared to IRC5. The platform now supports most of ABB’s four- and six-axis industrial robots, its collaborative robots, and its SCARA and delta ranges. The OmniCore family has several main variants:

Model	Application	Key characteristic
OmniCore E10	Small and collaborative robots	Very compact, machine-integrable
OmniCore C30	Small to mid-range robots	Small footprint, most widely used
OmniCore C90XT	Harsh environments	Dust and moisture resistant
OmniCore V250XT / V400XT	Heavy robots and automotive	High power, multi-robot support

According to ABB, existing IRC5 users upgrading to OmniCore need only minimal re-engineering around connectivity, wiring, and the customized FlexPendant user interface — no additional equipment or mandatory retraining.

Buy RobotStudio License

9. Software: RAPID, RobotStudio, and Supporting Tools

The RAPID Language

RAPID is ABB’s proprietary robot programming language. Its structure resembles a conventional high-level language, and an engineer familiar with Pascal or C can pick up the fundamentals in a matter of days. Core concepts worth knowing:

MoveJ / MoveL / MoveC — joint, linear, and circular motion.
robtarget — the data type holding tool position and orientation.
tooldata — definition of the end effector, its center of gravity, and TCP.
wobjdata — the work object, i.e. the workpiece coordinate system.
zonedata and speeddata — corner accuracy and motion speed control.

A simple RAPID snippet:

MODULE MainModule
    CONST robtarget pHome := [[600,0,800],[0,0,1,0],[0,0,0,0],[9E9,9E9,9E9,9E9,9E9,9E9]];
    PROC main()
        MoveJ pHome, v1000, fine, tGripper;
        MoveL pPick, v500, z10, tGripper\WObj:=wobjTable;
        Set doGripperClose;
        WaitTime 0.3;
        MoveL pPlace, v800, z50, tGripper\WObj:=wobjTable;
    ENDPROC
ENDMODULE

RobotStudio

RobotStudio is ABB’s offline programming and simulation environment, and arguably the single biggest reason integrators favor ABB. With it you can:

Model a complete work cell in 3D;
Run RAPID programs on a Virtual Controller — literally the same software that runs on the physical controller;
Estimate cycle time before buying any hardware;
Check reachability and collisions;
Generate paths automatically from part CAD geometry.

The key point is what Virtual Controller actually means: RobotStudio simulation is not an approximation. Motion behavior and cycle times track reality closely, which is what makes offline commissioning viable.

Supporting Tools

Wizard Easy Programming — block-based programming for non-specialist operators, particularly on cobots.
PickMaster Twin — vision-guided picking software for packaging lines.
Absolute Accuracy — a calibration option that reduces absolute positioning error to a fraction of a millimeter. Essential for offline programming and for swapping a robot without reteaching every point.
FlexPendant — the teach pendant, fully redesigned with a modern touch interface in the OmniCore generation.

10. How to Choose the Right ABB Robot

A practical seven-step framework:

Calculate true payload. Payload means part weight plus gripper, flange, hoses, and cabling. The classic mistake: specifying a 6 kg robot for a 5 kg part when the gripper alone weighs 3 kg.
Do not ignore moment of inertia and center of gravity offset. A light but long part can saturate a robot faster than a heavy but compact one.
Match reach against your cell layout. The reach figure alone is not enough — study the working envelope diagram, because there are blind zones close to the robot base.
Repeatability versus absolute accuracy. Repeatability (RP) is how precisely the robot returns to a taught point. Absolute accuracy is how precisely it reaches a coordinate defined in CAD. For offline programming, the second matters more, and you need the Absolute Accuracy option.
Environment and protection rating. IP54 as standard, IP67 for moisture and dust, Foundry Plus for casting, and Cleanroom for pharmaceutical and semiconductor work.
Mounting orientation. Floor, wall, inverted, tilted, or on a linear track. Not every robot supports every orientation, and payload capacity drops in inverted mounting.
Controller and future-proofing. With IRC5 out of the product cycle, OmniCore is the logical choice for new projects — unless you are adding a robot to an existing IRC5-based line and spare parts commonality outweighs everything else.

Note: the technical figures in this article are indicative. Always obtain and verify the official datasheet and exact product specification for your specific model variant from ABB before ordering.

11. ABB Compared to Its Competitors

Criterion	ABB	FANUC	KUKA	Yaskawa
Core strength	Software and offline simulation	Reliability and market share	PC integration and German automation stack	Welding and arc robots
Programming language	RAPID	KAREL / TP	KRL	INFORM
Offline environment	RobotStudio (very strong)	ROBOGUIDE	KUKA.Sim	MotoSim
Current controller	OmniCore	R-50iA	KR C5	YRC1000
Typical positioning	Broad service network, strong in Europe	Dominant in Asian automotive	Popular in German-influenced industry	Competitive pricing

The realistic summary: if your project demands heavy simulation, offline programming, and complex CAD-derived paths, ABB with RobotStudio usually gives the best experience. If your priorities are maximum simplicity and parts availability across Asian supply chains, FANUC is a serious contender.

12. Common Industrial Applications

Spot welding — IRB 6700/6710 series with servo weld guns.
Arc welding — IRB 1520ID and IRB 2600ID with internal cable routing.
Palletizing — IRB 460, IRB 660, and IRB 760, four-axis and fast.
Machine tending — IRB 1300, IRB 2600, and IRB 4600 feeding CNC machines and injection molding.
Precision assembly — IRB 120, IRB 910SC, YuMi.
Packaging and high-speed picking — IRB 360 FlexPicker with PickMaster Twin.
Painting — IRB 5500 in explosion-proof paint booths.
Cutting, grinding, and finishing — with force sensing and active Force Control.

13. Maintenance Notes for Technical Teams

SMB battery: the Serial Measurement Board battery preserves the axis revolution counters. When it dies, you lose calibration and need a fresh fine calibration. Preventive replacement is far cheaper than line downtime.
Axis gearbox oil: change intervals are typically defined by operating hours and temperature — shorten the interval in hot environments.
Regular controller backups: take full backups via FlexPendant or RobotStudio. A healthy backup is the difference between 20 minutes and 2 days of lost production.
Revolution counter update: after disconnecting the battery or manually moving an axis, always update the revolution counters.
Document tooldata and wobjdata: keep these values separately from the backup as well — reconstructing them is slow, tedious work.

14. Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between IRB and CRB in ABB robots?

IRB is the classic industrial robot, designed to operate inside a fenced cell. CRB is the collaborative robot, which uses joint torque sensing and force limiting to allow operation alongside a human operator.

Is the IRC5 controller still supported?

IRC5 was phased out in June 2026, but ABB has committed to supplying spare parts and service through the remaining lifetime of installed robots. For new projects, OmniCore is the correct choice.

What does RobotStudio actually do?

RobotStudio is ABB’s offline programming and simulation environment. Using a Virtual Controller, it runs RAPID programs exactly as the physical controller would, allowing cycle time estimation and collision checking before any hardware is purchased.

Where should you start when learning ABB robots?

A sensible path: first get comfortable with coordinate systems and TCP concepts, then learn the core RAPID motion instructions, and finally build a simple cell in RobotStudio and run your program on the Virtual Controller.

What is the best ABB robot for a small workshop?

For small workshops handling light parts, the IRB 1200 or IRB 1300 strike a good balance between cost, reach, and payload. If you need to work alongside an operator without fencing, GoFa (CRB 15000) is the better fit.

How do you calculate robot payload?

Add the workpiece weight to the gripper, flange, and cabling weight, then check the moment of inertia and the center of gravity offset from the flange. As a practical rule, leave at least 20 to 30 percent headroom.

Conclusion

ABB’s portfolio spans everything from the 3 kg IRB 120 to the 800 kg IRB 8700, but what actually distinguishes the family is not the hardware alone. It is the combination of the OmniCore controller, the RAPID language, and the RobotStudio environment, which together compress the cycle from design to commissioning. 2026 is an inflection point for this ecosystem: the end of the IRC5 product lifecycle on one side, and the change of ownership of ABB’s robotics business on the other. For any purchase or line upgrade decision, define your payload, reach, and accuracy requirements precisely first, simulate the cell in RobotStudio second, and choose the model and controller last — not the other way around.