Car manufacturer Valmet Automotive has signed a contract with tech company ABB for the purchase of more than 250 industrial robots for use in the welding facilities of the Mercedes-Benz GLC model.
Manufacture of the SUV will begin in Uusikaupunki in early 2017.
The deal is the largest single purchase of robotics in Finnish history. The robots will be delivered to Valmet Automotive over the course of this year, raising the number of robots in use to more than 500 units.
ABB is also behind the 200 robots used in manufacturing Mercedes A Series cars. More robots will be utilised in making GLC units because of differences in the structure and compilation methods of the car series. The factory also endeavours to streamline its production line. The new welding facility is already 90 percent robot-operated.
"Scheduling concerns are the challenge," says the leader of the GLC project, Jyrki Nurmi. "We've learned a lot about planning and maintaining a highly automised system with the A Series. We now have the know-how to develop and run an even more effective system."
ABB's robotics business chief Janne Leinonen says he, too, is pleased with the deal, praising the global competitiveness of Valmet Automotive.
The new welding unit's perks include usability, fast programming, low component requirements and high functional flexibility.