Key Notes
- ABB is supplying more than 1,700 large industrial robots for BMW’s Neue Klasse body shops in Munich and Tiexi, covering welding, gluing, riveting and assembly.
- The delivery includes IRB 6720–6740 models and the IRB 7720, whose highest-payload variant handles 620 kg rather than that rating applying to the entire fleet.
- All supplied robots use OmniCore controllers, linking coordinated motion with production equipment, sensors and manufacturing software.
ABB Robotics is supplying more than 1,700 large industrial robots for BMW’s Neue Klasse vehicle program, supporting body shops in Munich, Germany, and Tiexi, China. The systems will handle welding, gluing, riveting and assembly as BMW introduces its new vehicle generation.
The November 11 announcement covers several robot models and a common OmniCore control platform. ABB did not disclose the contract value, the allocation between the two plants or a complete delivery timetable.
Production Work Across Two Body Shops
The program focuses on the repeated operations that turn separate panels and structural components into a vehicle body. Accuracy has to hold across successive stations: positioning a part affects where the next weld, adhesive bead or fastener must land.
At this scale, the integration work matters alongside the robot count. Tooling, fixtures, conveyors, inspection and maintenance access have to fit a coordinated production sequence. A faster arm provides limited value if another station determines the line’s pace.
A Robot Range With Different Payloads
ABB’s supply includes the IRB 6720 through IRB 6740 and the larger IRB 7720. The IRB 7720 specifications list a 620 kg variant with 2.9 meters of reach and a 450 kg variant reaching 3.5 meters. The maximum payload and maximum reach therefore describe different configurations.
The platform uses standardized components across ABB’s large robot families. ABB presents that modular design as a way to simplify installation and changes between production lines. For a body shop, selecting an arm also means accounting for its tool, working envelope and access to each joining point.
OmniCore Coordinates Motion and Process Equipment
The OmniCore platform can coordinate robot motion with equipment such as spot-welders, glue dispensers and external axes. ABB also describes integration with sensors, cameras, conveyors and AI, cloud and edge systems.
Those capabilities provide connections for a production cell; they do not specify which optional AI applications BMW will use. ABB’s product-level speed and energy claims likewise should not be read as measured savings for these two plants. The release provides no plant-specific before-and-after figures.
Another Layer of BMW’s Factory Automation
Our earlier report on BMW’s Munich rebuild describes the wider factory transformation. This latest supply announcement identifies the industrial robot families and control system supporting part of that program.
Automation extends beyond body joining. Our automated vehicle-movement coverage follows a separate BMW workflow, illustrating how different robotic systems address individual stages of vehicle production and logistics.
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