How ABB solutions help keep Germany on the move

Germany’s  highly industrialised, export-driven, economy has for decades been hailed as a cornerstone of European prosperity¹.  Keeping it moving reliably and sustainably is of paramount importance to its multitude of transport providers, manufacturers and their suppliers, as they transition to more electrified and automated solutions.

The country’s famed automotive sector is navigating the challenges of shifting to greater electric vehicle (EV) production², while remaining one of Germany’s largest employers³.

German truck manufacturers are making rapid advances in megawatt charging for goods vehicles, while cities such as Hamburg are pioneering large-scale electrified public transport. The country’s mainline and light rail network is extensively electrified and German cruise-ship operators are adopting shore-to-ship power supply to reduce CO2 emissions. 

Across all these sectors, ABB is working with partners to provide sustainable and reliable solutions, all tailored to keeping Germany’s transport industry moving leaner and cleaner.

Zero-waste custom paint finishes for Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz is among Germany’s most fabled auto brands and under a new collaboration with ABB, our PixelPaint technology has been installed at the company’s Sindelfingen plant. 

PixelPaint consists of a paint head with more than 1,000 tiny, individually controlled nozzles, mounted on an ABB robot such as the IRB 5500 paint series. Combined with ABB’s 3D vision system and coordinated by ABB’s RobotStudio® software, the head tracks the vehicle body to ensure 100 percent of the paint is applied without overspray or airborne misting. This results in zero waste, reduced environmental treatment requirements, and lower overall emissions.

Since earlier this year, Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 models have been available with personalized paint finishes that are achievable only with the precision, accuracy and efficiency of PixelPaint.

Refurbished robots for motorbike production

One Berlin-based motorbike manufacturer is also enjoying the sustainability benefits of refurbished ABB robots in its production cycle. 

After eight years’ continuous use, 20 ABB IRB 5400 paint robots at the manufacturer’s plant were replaced last year by identical refurbished robots.

Benefits of this process:

Reducing carbon emissions in Hamburg with electric buses

In the north German industrial powerhouse of Hamburg, an electrified bus fleet is helping to reduce emissions.

Hamburg was one of the first cities in Germany to commit to emission-free local transport by 2030 and Hamburger Hochbahn partnered with ABB to deliver the country’s first fully electrified bus terminal, which serves 467 million passengers per year. Since the retro-fit of the existing terminal was completed in 2019, Hamburger Hochbahn’s fleet of 44 buses, each with a range of up to 260 km, can be simultaneously recharged in the central bus depot. 

On track with power solutions for German rail

Germany’s rail sector has long turned to ABB for traction and power solutions.

Among recent notable collaborations is the supply of our state-of-the-art traction technology to 76 of Deutsche Bahn’s flagship InterCityExpress (ICE 1) trains. 
We have upgraded existing 1990s power electronics with highly efficient IGBT (Insulated gate Bipolar Transistors) traction converters, extending the operating life of the locomotives beyond 2030. The latest project builds on a previous successful ICE modernization collaboration in 2010, which resulted in higher than anticipated energy savings. 

The ICE fleet forms the backbone of Germany’s high-speed rail network and our solution offers energy savings of at least eight percent – equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 5000 homes. In Berlin, where this weekend’s ABB Formula E races will be held, we have supplied traction converters for underground operator Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), as it replaces its 30-year-old metro fleet. 

Our equipment is in use on more than 600 new underground cars, built by Switzerland’s Stadler, and many fans travelling to this weekend’s showcase of sustainable technology at the Berlin E-Prix will be transported with the help of ABB technology. 
 

Sources:
1. KPMG: Economic key facts Germany
2. Car production in Germany
3. Automotive industry in Germany
4. Charging Network Ranking: an overview

Read more