Robotics and automation firm ABB Inc. has built a compact robotic interior painting system for the automotive manufacturing industry.

According to ABB, the Compact Interior Paint System reduces the current size of vehicle interior painting ports in original equipment manufacturer (OEMs) facilities by a third. This, according to ABB, was accomplished by combining 12 robots into one system.

The Compact Interior Paint System features: four IRB 5350 door-opening robots; two IRB 5500-22 robots to open the vehicle hood and trunk; and six IRB 5500-27 seven-axis robots that offer extended reach across the body of the vehicle to complete painting tasks.

This enhanced angle, according to ABB, means that the robots can better reach across the vehicle, thereby reducing the number of robots required for completing painting tasks. Additionally, the improved reach and the angles for the paint atomizer also helps to minimize paint overspray, thereby eliminating paint waste.

Likewise, the number of ventilators required for the system has been reduced in response to the reduced number of robots in the system and the robots can safely operate alongside one another thanks to the system’s SafeMove software. In the event that a human enters the system’s space, the software detects the human and the entire system will come to a halt.

For more on the system, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of ABB.