ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has launched an ISO 5 (Class 100) cleanroom version of its smallest ever multipurposeindustrial robot, the compact, agile and lightweight six-axis IRB 120. The new model eliminates the potential for contamination of the manufacturing area and the components being processed.Speaking about the new cleanroom version, Olivier Coquerel, Head of Robotics for ABB in Australia, says, “We recognised a demand for a fast and compact robot that could work in the stringent cleanroom environments that are typically found in electronics and pharmaceutical industries”.The IRB 120 Cleanroom variant has been independently tested and certified by the Fraunhofer-IPA institute in Europe as cleanroom ISO 5 (Class 100). This agile robot with specially painted smooth surfaces has unmatched accuracy while performing very short cycle times. It can also be mounted at any angle, either in a cell, on top of a machine or close to other robots on the manufacturing line making it ideal for material handling and assembly applications.The robot comes with the ABB IRC5 compact control which brings all the benefits of the world leading robot controller. This includes superior path motion, user friendly FlexPendant programming, RobotStudio offline programming, flexible RAPID language and powerful communication capabilities. Coquerel concluded, “Cleanroom manufacturing is a challenging business. We want to support cleanroom teams throughout industry to ensure we help them realise the clear benefits available from robotic technology. The IRB 120 cleanroom robot is a cost-effective and reliable choice for generating high production outputs in return for a minimal investment.”The new robot and the IRC5 controller are fully supported by ABB’s Robotics’ global sales and service organisation in 53 countries and over 100 locations, including Australia.