ABB Robots: IRB 1090, Industrial Arms, Pricing and Alternatives

What ABB Builds

ABB builds industrial robot arms, collaborative robots, robot controllers, and the software used to program them. The range runs from small bench-scale arms for assembly and lab work up to heavy arms that stack pallets and handle car-body parts in factories. Most ABB robots reach a factory as part of a larger cell. A system integrator, or ABB's own engineering team, adds the gripper, guarding, conveyors, and safety devices, then programs the job. The robot arm is one line item on that quote. ABB earns money at several points in a sale. It sells the arm and its controller, and it licenses RobotStudio, its offline programming software. RobotStudio lets an engineer build and test a robot program on a PC before touching the real arm, which cuts the hours a production line sits idle during a changeover. ABB also sells spare parts, service contracts, and operator training. Education is a separate market for ABB. Schools, colleges, and company training centers buy ABB robots so students learn on hardware that matches what nearby plants run. The IRB 1090 is the model ABB has positioned for that market. ABB does not list robot prices on its public product pages, so buyers request a quote.

ABB Robots and Models

These are the ABB models a buyer is most likely to be evaluating, and what each one actually does.

• IRB 1090 (announced education model) — ABB has announced the IRB 1090 as an addition to its education offering, for schools and training centers that teach industrial automation. The announcement as reported does not give its payload, reach, axis count, controller, or price. Treat each of those as an open question until ABB publishes a datasheet. Ask ABB whether the IRB 1090 runs the same programming environment as its factory robots, because that decides whether a student's skills carry straight onto a production line.
• Compact industrial arms (IRB 120 and IRB 1100) — The IRB 120 and IRB 1100 are ABB's small six-axis industrial arms for bench-scale work such as small-part assembly, machine tending, and product testing. Their small footprint lets them sit inside a compact cell next to a machine tool or on a lab bench, so a school or plant can install one without rebuilding floor space. ABB publishes payload and reach for each variant on its datasheets. For a school weighing the IRB 1090, these two arms are the closest in-house comparison.
• Collaborative robots (GoFa, SWIFTI, YuMi) — GoFa, SWIFTI, and YuMi are ABB's collaborative robots, built to work near people. They limit force and speed, so some applications can run with less fencing once a risk assessment under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 10218 standard supports it. Less fencing saves floor space and lets an operator load parts by hand beside the arm. YuMi is a dual-arm model for small-part assembly. ABB pitches SWIFTI at jobs that need more speed than a typical cobot delivers.
• Large industrial arms (IRB 460, IRB 6700 family) — ABB's larger arms, including the IRB 460 palletizer and the IRB 6700 family, carry heavy loads in automotive, logistics, and general manufacturing plants. One arm can stack full cases onto pallets or move car-body parts across every shift, which takes the most physically demanding lifting off the line workers. These arms need full guarding, floor anchoring, and a trained integrator to install. Their size and guarding needs make them a poor fit for most teaching labs.
• OmniCore controllers and RobotStudio software — OmniCore is ABB's controller family, the cabinet that drives the arm's motors, runs the robot program, and connects to a plant's programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and safety systems. One controller family across many arm sizes means a programmer trained on one ABB robot can work on another. RobotStudio simulates the full cell on a PC, so engineers can catch collisions and check cycle time before installation. The reported announcement does not confirm whether the IRB 1090 uses OmniCore.

ABB Pricing and Availability

ABB has not published a price for the IRB 1090. ABB also does not list prices for its industrial arms on its [robotics product pages](https://new.abb.com/products/robotics), so every purchase starts with a quote from ABB or an authorized partner. The arm is only part of the bill. A complete quote covers the arm, controller, teach pendant, and software licenses. It also covers end-of-arm tooling, safety guarding, installation, training seats, and a service contract. For a school, classroom costs can rival the hardware. Ask how many RobotStudio seats come with the arm, what extra seats cost, and whether curriculum material is included or sold separately. Lead time for the IRB 1090 has not been disclosed. Industrial robot delivery depends on the model, configuration, and local stock, so ask ABB for a committed ship date in writing before you plan a course start around it. ABB sells robots in many countries through its own offices and partners. The announcement does not say which regions get the IRB 1090 first. Outright purchase is the standard route for ABB arms, and ABB has not published leasing terms for this model. Ask ABB whether it or a finance partner offers leasing, academic pricing, or an education bundle before you set a budget.

Who ABB Robots Are For

The IRB 1090 suits technical colleges, universities, vocational schools, and company training centers that teach robot programming and cell design. The case is strongest where local employers already run ABB robots, because graduates arrive knowing the controller and programming tools those plants use. ABB's wider range suits manufacturers that want one supplier for small arms, collaborative robots, and heavy arms. Standardizing on one brand means one spare-parts stock, one training track, and one programming language across a plant. Some buyers should look elsewhere. A kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) classroom or a hobbyist on a small budget is usually better served by a desktop educational arm such as the Dobot Magician or the Niryo Ned2, which is built for classroom use and fits on a table. A college whose regional employers mostly run FANUC or KUKA robots should train on those brands instead, since their programming environments differ from ABB's. Buyers who need a robot that drives between rooms or walks on legs are outside ABB's arm lineup and should look at mobile robot and humanoid makers. Until ABB publishes IRB 1090 specs, no buyer can confirm that it handles a particular lab exercise, so request the datasheet first.

• Get the IRB 1090 datasheet before you commit. The reported announcement does not state payload, reach, axis count, or controller, and each one decides which lab exercises the arm can run and which grippers and fixtures you can mount on it.
• Confirm the programming stack. Ask whether the IRB 1090 uses the same controller and RobotStudio environment as ABB's factory robots, so students practice the workflow a plant uses and programs written in class run on production hardware without rework.
• Check safety requirements for your setting. Ask which parts of ISO 10218 the IRB 1090 meets, whether it needs fencing or a safety-rated enclosure, and what risk assessment your school or plant must complete before anyone stands within the arm's reach.
• Price the total cost of ownership (TCO), meaning every cost over the robot's working life. Add the controller, teach pendant, software licenses, gripper, guarding, installation, training, and service contract to the arm price. For a classroom, count software seats for every student programming at once.
• Ask about service and spares. Find out where the nearest ABB service office is, how fast replacement parts ship to your region, and what a service contract covers. A lab arm out of action mid-term costs students weeks of practice time.
• Match the brand to local jobs. Ask employers within hiring distance which robot brands they run. If most run ABB, the IRB 1090 gives graduates a direct head start. If they run another brand, weigh that before you buy.
• Plan for student wear and tear. Ask ABB what maintenance schedule the IRB 1090 needs, how it handles repeated collisions and emergency stops from programming errors, and which protective features limit damage when a student's program drives the arm into a fixture.

ABB Alternatives

Robots and vendors a buyer typically cross-shops against ABB.

• FANUC — FANUC makes industrial arms and collaborative robots and is a common alternative to ABB in factories. FANUC robots use their own controller and programming language, so skills do not transfer directly between the two brands. A school should choose FANUC over ABB where regional employers mainly run FANUC lines. Compare education packages, software seats, and local service coverage side by side.
• KUKA — KUKA builds industrial arms from small bench models to heavy-payload robots and is widely used in automotive plants. KUKA.Sim handles offline simulation in a role similar to RobotStudio. As with FANUC, the deciding factor for a training buyer is which brand nearby employers run, because KUKA's programming environment differs from ABB's.
• Niryo Ned2 — The Niryo Ned2 is a six-axis educational arm built for classrooms and research labs. It fits on a desk and runs open software based on the Robot Operating System (ROS), which suits courses on coding and robot motion. It does not reproduce the controller and tools of an ABB production arm, so it prepares students less directly for ABB-equipped plants.
• Dobot Magician — The Dobot Magician is a desktop arm aimed at schools and hobbyists, with attachments for drawing, laser engraving, and pick-and-place. It sits in a different price class from industrial arms and suits introductory courses where every student needs an arm. It does not replace training on factory hardware for students heading into manufacturing jobs.
• Epson Robots — Epson Robots makes Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA) and six-axis arms for electronics and small-part assembly. A SCARA arm moves quickly in a flat plane, which fits fast pick-and-place jobs. A buyer comparing ABB's compact arms for precise bench work should include Epson and compare programming software and regional support.

Recent news

A dated log of developments, each tied to its primary source.

• 2026-10 — ABB launched the IRB 1090 robot as an expansion of its education offering, according to a headline published by A3 (Association for Advancing Automation). The available source text does not include specs, pricing, or availability details, so buyers should check ABB's own announcement for those. Home & consumer robots
• ABB publishing a full IRB 1090 datasheet with payload, reach, axis count, and controller
• Which countries get the IRB 1090 first, and whether ABB offers academic pricing or bundles
• Whether ABB ties the IRB 1090 to a curriculum or certification that employers recognize