Asea Brown Boveri

Encyclopedia : A : AS : ASE : Asea Brown Boveri

ABB, formerly Asea Brown Boveri, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, operating mainly in the power and automation technology areas. It operates in around 100 countries, with about 104,000 employees.

Contents

1 CEO
2 Business sectors

2.1 Power Products
2.2 Power Systems
2.3 Automation Products
2.4 Process Automation
2.5 Robotics
2.6 Telecommunications
2.7 ABB Lummus

3 History

3.1 Former CEOs
3.2 Former board members

4 External links
5 See also

CEO

Fred Kindle assumed the role of President and CEO on January 1, 2005. Kindle's most recently served as CEO of Sulzer Ltd. in 2004. Kindle received an engineering degree from ETH Zurich, and received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Illinois, U.S..

Business sectors

ABB is active in many sectors:

Power Products

The division incorporates ABB's manufacturing network for transformers, switchgear, circuit breakers, cables and associated equipment. Power Products are the key components to transmit and distribute electricity. It also offers all the services needed to ensure products' performance and extend their lifespan. The division is subdivided into three business units - High Voltage Products, Medium Voltage Products and Transformers.

Power Systems

Power Systems offers turnkey systems and services for power transmission and distribution grids, and for power plants. Substations and substation automation systems are key areas. Additional highlights include flexible alternating current transmission systems (FACTS), high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems and network management systems. In power generation, Power Systems offers the instrumentation, control and electrification of power plants. The division is subdivided into four business units - Grid Systems, Substations, Network Management and Power Generation.

Automation Products

It provides products to improve customers' productivity, including drives, motors and generators, low voltage products, instrumentation and analytical, and power electronics. The customer profile of this division includes a wide range of industry and utility operations, plus commercial and residential buildings.

Process Automation

The main focus of this ABB business is to provide customers with integrated solutions for control, plant optimization, and industry-specific application knowledge. The industries served include oil and gas, power, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper, metals and minerals, marine and turbocharging.

Robotics

ABB has the world's largest installed base of industrial robots also providing robot software, peripheral equipment and modular manufacturing cells for tasks such as assembly, painting and finishing, and machine tending. Key markets include automotive, foundry, packaging, material handling and consumer industries. A strong solutions focus leverages thousands of successful applications for manufacturers worldwide.

Telecommunications

In Australia, ABB plays a major role in the installation and maintenance of the country's copper-wire telephone network or 'local loop' (owned by Telstra). ABB Telecommunications is a company that handles contract work for Telstra, mainly sub-contracting jobs to small business operators in major centres around the nation. Responsibilities of an ABB sub-contractor include fault finding, line building, pre-provisioning or new installations, ADSL broadband provisioning and network expansion projects.

ABB Lummus

In addition to ABB's automation activities directed at the oil and gas industries, ABB Lummus Global continues to design and supply production facilities, refineries and petrochemical plants.

History

ABB resulted from the 1987 merger of Swedish and Swiss corporations ASEA and BBC Brown Boveri.
In 1987 the corporation had 170,000 employees.
In 2000 the company delivered equipment and services for North Korean nuclear powerplants.