ABB Group acquires ASTI Mobile Robotics Group to expand AMR manufacturing

ABB Group announced the acquisition of autonomous mobile robots (AMR) and software provider, ASTI Mobile Robotics Group on Tuesday. The acquisition will allow ABB to expand its robotics and automation offerings.

The agreement was signed on July 19 and is expected to close in mid-summer, the company stated in a press note. 

Spain-based ASTI, collectively, employs over 300 people in Spain, France, and Germany. The company supplies AMRs to many European countries. It also has a broad customer base in automotive, logistics, food and beverage, and pharmaceuticals in 20 countries. The company has grown nearly 30% year-on-year, since 2015. It is targeting approximately $50 million in revenue in 2021. 

Sami Atiya, president, ABB’s Robotics & Discrete Automation business said in the company note, “With this acquisition, ABB will be the only company to offer a full automation portfolio of AMRs, robots, and machine automation solutions, from production to logistics to point of consumption.”

An autonomous mobile robot (AMR) is any robot that can understand and move through its environment without being overseen directly by an operator. AMRs can be used in production, logistics, and intralogistics, in retail and healthcare environments, the companies stated.

ABB and ASTI said their combination will allow customers to have AMRs autonomously navigate production lines and bring materials, parts, and finished products between workstations in factories, logistics centers, laboratories, shops, or hospitals.

ASTI’s headquarters in Burgos, Spain, will become ABB’s AMR business headquarters, headed by Pascual Boé, with core functions, including research and development, engineering, and product and project value chain, continuing at ASTI’s facilities. ABB plans to significantly expand production capacity at the AMR headquarters to support the expansion of its planned sales in Europe and the Americas.

“This is the next exciting stage of our journey, and together we will accelerate our innovation plans; expand our global customer service, partner network, production, and execution capacity; and leverage ABB’s market access globally and particularly in China,” stated Boé.

ABB intends to establish an Asia AMR hub in Shanghai in 2022. China, the world’s largest robotics market, is projected to account for $1.8 billion of AMR sales annually by 2025, according to the company.

Picture Credits: AnalyticsInsight