ABB IRB-2600 vs KR 70 R2100 HO
Side-by-side comparison of ABB IRB-2600 (ABB) and KR 70 R2100 HO (KUKA Robotics) — specs, pricing, Robo Score, and verified deployments. Updated daily.
Optimize comparison for buyer
Optimized for Healthcare & Hospitals buyers. Priority specs lifted to the top and marked with a target.
Layer 1: Identity & Trust
Manufacturer Country
- ABB IRB-2600Switzerland
- KR 70 R2100 HOGermany
Year First Available
- ABB IRB-26002015
- KR 70 R2100 HO—
Verified Deployments
- ABB IRB-26000 Deployments
- KR 70 R2100 HO0 Deployments
Layer 2: Operational
Price
- ABB IRB-2600$11,000–$20,999 USD
- KR 70 R2100 HO$52,000 USD
Availability Status
- ABB IRB-2600ACTIVE
- KR 70 R2100 HOACTIVE
Arm Mechanics
Repeatability
- ABB IRB-2600±0.04 mm
- KR 70 R2100 HO±0.05 mm
IP Rating (Arm)
- ABB IRB-2600IP67
- KR 70 R2100 HOIP65
Reach
- ABB IRB-26001,850 mm
- KR 70 R2100 HO2,101 mm
Payload
- ABB IRB-260020 kg
- KR 70 R2100 HO70 kg
Degrees of Freedom
- ABB IRB-26006
- KR 70 R2100 HO6
Path Accuracy
- ABB IRB-2600±0.5 mm
- KR 70 R2100 HO—
Robot Weight
- ABB IRB-2600235 kg
- KR 70 R2100 HO536 kg
IP Rating (Wrist)
- ABB IRB-2600IP67
- KR 70 R2100 HOIP65/IP67
Performance
Cycle Time (25/305/25)
- ABB IRB-26000.4 s
- KR 70 R2100 HO—
MTBF
- ABB IRB-2600100,000 hrs
- KR 70 R2100 HO—
Duty Cycle
- ABB IRB-2600continuous 24 7
- KR 70 R2100 HOcontinuous 24 7
Vibration Damping
- ABB IRB-2600active model based
- KR 70 R2100 HO—
Safety
Safety Category
- ABB IRB-2600Cat.3 PLd
- KR 70 R2100 HO—
Dual Check Safety
- ABB IRB-2600Yes
- KR 70 R2100 HOYes
E-Stop Response
- ABB IRB-260015 ms
- KR 70 R2100 HO—
Safe Zone Count
- ABB IRB-26008
- KR 70 R2100 HO—
Controller & Programming
Controller Model
- ABB IRB-2600OmniCore V250XT/V400XT or IRC5
- KR 70 R2100 HOKR C5; KR C4
Programming Languages
- ABB IRB-2600KAREL, TP
- KR 70 R2100 HOKRL
Teach Pendant Type
- ABB IRB-2600smart pad
- KR 70 R2100 HOwired touch
Offline Programming
- ABB IRB-2600ROBOGUIDE
- KR 70 R2100 HOKUKA.Sim
Connectivity
ROS-Industrial Support
- ABB IRB-2600vendor supported
- KR 70 R2100 HOcommunity
IoT / Cloud Platform
- ABB IRB-2600FANUC ZDT
- KR 70 R2100 HOKUKA Connect
Predictive Maintenance
- ABB IRB-2600ml based
- KR 70 R2100 HOthreshold based
End-Effector
Tool Flange Standard
- ABB IRB-2600ISO 9409-1
- KR 70 R2100 HOISO 9409-1
Tool Changer (ISO)
- ABB IRB-2600—
- KR 70 R2100 HOStäubli
Internal Cable Routing
- ABB IRB-2600through arm and wrist
- KR 70 R2100 HOthrough arm and wrist
Pneumatic Lines
- ABB IRB-26002
- KR 70 R2100 HO—
Electrical Lines
- ABB IRB-260012
- KR 70 R2100 HO—
Commercial
Price (USD)
- ABB IRB-2600$11,000–$20,999 USD
- KR 70 R2100 HO$52,000 USD
Warranty
- ABB IRB-26003 yrs
- KR 70 R2100 HO1 yrs
Service Network
- ABB IRB-2600global
- KR 70 R2100 HOglobal
Spare Parts Lead Time
- ABB IRB-260014 days
- KR 70 R2100 HO—
Expected Service Life
- ABB IRB-260010 yrs
- KR 70 R2100 HO—
| | |
|---|---|---|
| Layer 1: Identity & Trust | ||
| Manufacturer Country (values differ) | Switzerland | Germany |
| Year First Available (values differ) | 2015 | — |
| Verified Deployments | 0 Deployments | 0 Deployments |
| Layer 2: Operational | ||
| Price (values differ) | $11,000–$20,999 USD | $52,000 USD |
| Availability Status | ACTIVE | ACTIVE |
| Layer 3: Category Specific | ||
| Arm Mechanics | ||
| Repeatability (priority for Healthcare & Hospitals buyers) (values differ) | ±0.04 mm | ±0.05 mm |
| IP Rating (Arm) (priority for Healthcare & Hospitals buyers) (values differ) | IP67 | IP65 |
| Reach (priority for Healthcare & Hospitals buyers) (values differ) | 1,850 mm | 2,101 mm |
| Payload (values differ) | 20 kg | 70 kg |
| Degrees of Freedom | 6 | 6 |
| Path Accuracy (values differ) | ±0.5 mm | — |
| Robot Weight (values differ) | 235 kg | 536 kg |
| IP Rating (Wrist) (values differ) | IP67 | IP65/IP67 |
| Performance | ||
| Cycle Time (25/305/25) (values differ) | 0.4 s | — |
| MTBF (values differ) | 100,000 hrs | — |
| Duty Cycle | continuous 24 7 | continuous 24 7 |
| Vibration Damping (values differ) | active model based | — |
| Safety | ||
| Safety Category (values differ) | Cat.3 PLd | — |
| Dual Check Safety | Yes | Yes |
| E-Stop Response (values differ) | 15 ms | — |
| Safe Zone Count (values differ) | 8 | — |
| Controller & Programming | ||
| Controller Model (values differ) | OmniCore V250XT/V400XT or IRC5 | KR C5; KR C4 |
| Programming Languages (values differ) | KAREL, TP | KRL |
| Teach Pendant Type (values differ) | smart pad | wired touch |
| Offline Programming (values differ) | ROBOGUIDE | KUKA.Sim |
| Connectivity | ||
| ROS-Industrial Support (values differ) | vendor supported | community |
| IoT / Cloud Platform (values differ) | FANUC ZDT | KUKA Connect |
| Predictive Maintenance (values differ) | ml based | threshold based |
| End-Effector | ||
| Tool Flange Standard | ISO 9409-1 | ISO 9409-1 |
| Tool Changer (ISO) (values differ) | — | Stäubli |
| Internal Cable Routing | through arm and wrist | through arm and wrist |
| Pneumatic Lines (values differ) | 2 | — |
| Electrical Lines (values differ) | 12 | — |
| Commercial | ||
| Price (USD) (values differ) | $11,000–$20,999 USD | $52,000 USD |
| Warranty (values differ) | 3 yrs | 1 yrs |
| Service Network | global | global |
| Spare Parts Lead Time (values differ) | 14 days | — |
| Expected Service Life (values differ) | 10 yrs | — |
Insufficient data for full comparison
The following fields had no data for any of the selected robots: Battery / Shift Runtime, Max TCP Speed, Safety I/O Pairs, Digital Twin Support, Communication Protocols, Cybersecurity Certs
ROI Comparison
Same operating assumptions across every robot — the only difference is price. Set your numbers once to see which pays back fastest.
Annual labor displaced (per robot): $50,000
| Metric | ABB IRB-2600 | KR 70 R2100 HO |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | $16,000 | $52,000 |
| Payback period | 3.8 mo | 12.5 mo |
| Net savings (5 yr) | $234,001 | $198,000 |
| ROI (5 yr) | +1463% | +381% |
Estimates labor-cost displacement only — not a full total cost of ownership. Actual ROI depends on integration, maintenance, training, downtime, and task fit. Converted currencies are indicative; USD is the price of record.
Trade-offs at a glance
Frequently asked
Who makes ABB IRB-2600 and KR 70 R2100 HO?
ABB IRB-2600 is made by ABB, based in CH. KR 70 R2100 HO is made by KUKA Robotics, based in DE.
How do ABB IRB-2600 and KR 70 R2100 HO compare on the Robo Score?
ABB IRB-2600 scores 80.7 on the Robo Score. KR 70 R2100 HO scores 60.5. The Robo Score is a 0–100 credibility figure blending commercial maturity, verified deployments, company standing, and independent coverage — see methodology for the full breakdown.
How does the reach of ABB IRB-2600 compare to KR 70 R2100 HO?
ABB IRB-2600 has a reach of 1811 mm. KR 70 R2100 HO has a reach of 2101 mm.
Are ABB IRB-2600 and KR 70 R2100 HO in the same category?
Both robots are classified as Industrial Arm on Robolist. Filters and ranking treat them as direct alternatives.
What is the realistic total cost of ownership for Industrial Arm robots?
Hardware cost is one input. Industrial Arm TCO also includes integration, training, downtime, and end-of-life. Our breakdown: TCO of a 6-Axis Arm Cell: Hardware, EOAT, Integration, Programming.
What should a buyer ask vendors when choosing between ABB IRB-2600 and KR 70 R2100 HO?
Spec sheets only show part of the story. Useful vendor questions cover support, lifecycle, integration cost, and references. We have a buyer-focused checklist: Industrial Arm Vendor Selection: Capability Matrices and Proof Points.
Going deeper — picking the right robot
TCO of a 6-Axis Arm Cell: Hardware, EOAT, Integration, Programming
7 min readIndustrial Arms
Industrial Arm Vendor Selection: Capability Matrices and Proof Points
9 min readIndustrial Arms
Programming Approaches: Teach Pendant, Offline, AI-Assisted — What Each Costs You
8 min readIndustrial Arms
Build vs buy vs lease: which model fits a first deployment
8 min readChoosing Your First Robot
The hidden specs vendors hope you'll miss
10 min readReading the Spec Sheet
Want to be notified when specs or pricing change for these robots? Drop your email.
Other comparisons
About this comparison
ABB IRB-2600 vs KR 70 R2100 HO compares two robots in the industrial-arm category. All data is sourced from manufacturer spec sheets, verified deployments, and third-party filings; see our methodology for how the Robo Score is calculated.