ABB

History

Year	Detail
1883	Ludvig Fredholm established Elektriska Aktiebolaget in Stockholm as a manufacturer of electrical lighting and generators.
1890	Elektriska Aktiebolaget merges with Wenstroms & Granstroms Elektriska Kraftbolag to form Allmanna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget, later shortened to ASEA.
1891	Charles E. L. Brown and Walter Boveri established Brown, Boveri & Cie in Baden, Switzerland.
1893	BBC supplies Europe's first large-scale combined heat and power plant producing alternating current.
1893	ASEA builds the first three-phase transmission system in Sweden.
1901	BBC builds the first steam turbine in Europe.
1926	ASEA supplies locomotives and power converters for the new Stockholm to Gothenburg railway.
1932	ASEA builds the world's largest self-cooling transformer, rated at 2,500 kVA (kilovolt ampere).
1933	BBC obtains the patent for turbine rotors constructed from individual steel disks that are welded together.
1939	BBC built the first combustion gas turbine to generate electricity.
1942	ASEA builds the world's first 120 MVA, 220 kV transformer in the Stockholm Elverks Värtanstation.
1943	BBC builds the first 110 kV high-speed air blast circuit breaker.
1944	BBC develops the first high-speed locomotive with drive shafts fitted exclusively in bogies.
1953	ASEA becomes the first company in the world to manufacture synthetic diamonds.
1954	ASEA installs the world's first HVDC transmission line, providing 20 MW, 100 kV to the Isle of Gotland over a distance of 96 km.
1965	BBC builds the first 110 kV Gas-insulated switchgear, allowing circuit breakers to operate safely in a confined space.
1969	BBC develops the first gearless cement drive in the world.
1971	BBC builds the most powerful transformer in the world at 1,300 Megavolt ampere.
1978	ASEA launches one of the first industrial robots.
1988	ASEA and BBC merged to form the new company, with headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.
1990	ABB launches Azipod, a family of electric propulsion systems that are fixed to the outside of ships providing both thrust and steering functions. They increase maneuverability, efficiency and the space available on board.
1998	ABB launched the FlexPicker, a delta robot uniquely designed for the picking and packing industry.
2000	ABB delivers the world's first commercial high-voltage shore-to-ship electric power, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships berthed at the Swedish port of Gothenburg.
2004	ABB launched its Extended Automation System 800xA, providing a process automation system that has since been installed in thousands of applications, delivering continuous productivity improvements.
2012	ABB has developed a hybrid DC breaker that is suitable for the creation of large inter-regional DC grids.
2015	ABB introduced the collaborative robot: YuMi. The innovative human-friendly dual arm robot with breakthrough functionality unlocks vast global additional automation potential in industry.
2017	ABB launches ABB Ability, its digital solutions offering, connecting customers to the power of the Industrial Internet of Things.
2019	ABB revolutionizes the low-voltage switchgear The bus plate technology combined with the connectivity of the ABB Ability platform mark the next innovation leap, making ABB's NeoGear the safest option for operators, maximizing efficiency and reducing costs for digitalized industries.
2021	ABB launches the world's fastest electric vehicle charger, capable of delivering enough power for 100km of range in less than three minutes.
2022	ABB launched a solid-state circuit breaker to enable marine vessels to run on direct current power grids, which improves fuel efficiency by up to 20 percent. The SACE Infinitus circuit breaker uses semiconductors to detect and clear short circuit faults, making it 100 times faster than a traditional mechanical circuit breaker.
2023	ABB unveils Dynafin, a revolutionary new electrical propulsion concept for small and medium-sized vessels that mimics the movement of a whale's tail.