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ABB restructures automation businesses to enhance growth

Industrial robotics company ABB has announced that it will re-organise its automation divisions to align their activities more closely with those of its customers; this will include the development of a new Discrete Automation and Motion division.

These changes will enable ABB to better tap growth opportunities in service, expand its presence in the discrete manufacturing sector and better respond to the increasing demand for energy efficient solutions, the company said.

Effective 1 January 2010, the business units currently making-up the Automation Products and Robotics divisions will be regrouped into two new divisions: Discrete Automation and Motion, and Low Voltage Products.

The Process Automation division will remain unchanged except for the addition of the instrumentation business from the Automation Products division.

“ABB’s automation businesses with their focus on productivity and energy efficiency have tremendous scope for growth,” said ABB chief executive officer, Joe Hogan.

“We have strengthened the market approach by grouping together businesses with similar customers, technologies and service models, which will help us accelerate the development of solutions for our customers.”

The new divisions will be comprised as follows:

The new Low Voltage Products division includes businesses producing mainly low-voltage electrical equipment that is sold to wholesalers, original equipment manufacturers as well as system integrators, and has moderate service requirements.

The new Discrete Automation and Motion division includes products and systems targeted at discrete manufacturing applications, such as robotics and programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and providing motion in plants, such as motors and drives.

Process Automation will remain unchanged except for the addition of ABB’s instrumentation business, currently part of the Automation Products division. The move will strengthen the division’s process automation platform as instruments measuring temperature, flow and pressure.

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