ABB expands GoFa™ cobot family

ABB is expanding its GoFa cobot family with the introduction of two new variants, GoFa 10 and GoFa 12. These new models offer higher payloads, best-in-class reach, and market-leading repeatability, allowing companies to enhance efficiency through cobot automation. With the ability to handle payloads of up to 10 and 12 kilograms with exceptional repeatability, these cobots can perform a wider range of tasks in collaboration with workers, addressing labor shortages and improving safety and productivity. The new variants also feature straightforward programming and seamless integration into production environments, making them accessible to first-time users, SMEs, and educators.

Marc Segura, President of ABB Robotics, highlighted the company’s commitment to meeting the demand for safe and user-friendly automation solutions, citing the success of their YuMi cobot portfolio since its launch in 2015. The GoFa 10 and 12 cobots extend the benefits of automation to new industrial applications, providing higher payloads and longer reach for collaborative robots.

In addition to their enhanced capabilities, the GoFa 10 and 12 cobots excel in tool center point (TCP) speeds, offering exceptional repeatability with minimal deviation. They are IP67-certified against moisture and dust, enabling their use in demanding industrial environments for tasks such as machine tending, welding, parts handling, polishing, and assembly. The GoFa 10, with its 1.62-meter reach, surpasses others in its class by 14%, making it ideal for palletizing applications in the US.

ABB aims to lower barriers to automation for first-time users and SMEs with the GoFa 10 and 12 cobots. These models are designed for easy programming, deployment, and operation, simplifying the automation process. The lead-through programming and ABB’s Wizard easy programming software allow users, even non-specialists, to quickly automate their applications using graphical command blocks instead of complex programming code.

Safety is also a priority for ABB, and the GoFa 10 and 12 cobots come pre-installed with the ABB SafeMove app on the FlexPendant robot controller. This app ensures safe collaboration between robots and factory workers through features like safe speed limits, standstill monitoring, and orientation supervision, eliminating the need for bulky protective barriers or fencing.

Powered by ABB’s OmniCore controller, the GoFa 10 and 12 cobots benefit from class-leading motion control technologies, TrueMove and QuickMove, along with intelligent torque and position sensors. This combination enables smooth and precise movements for high-precision surface finishing, fastening, assembly, and testing tasks. Energy-saving features like power re-generation and brake energy recovery reduce power consumption by up to 20%, contributing to sustainability efforts.