ABB IRB-4600 vs KR 420 R3100-2
Side-by-side comparison of ABB IRB-4600 (ABB) and KR 420 R3100-2 (KUKA Robotics) — specs, pricing, Robo Score, and verified deployments. Updated daily.
Optimize comparison for buyer
Optimized for Hospitality & F&B buyers. Priority specs lifted to the top and marked with a target.
Layer 1: Identity & Trust
Manufacturer Country
- ABB IRB-4600Switzerland
- KR 420 R3100-2Germany
Year First Available
- ABB IRB-46002015
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Verified Deployments
- ABB IRB-46000 Deployments
- KR 420 R3100-20 Deployments
Layer 2: Operational
Availability Status
- ABB IRB-4600ACTIVE
- KR 420 R3100-2ACTIVE
Arm Mechanics
Payload
- ABB IRB-460060 kg
- KR 420 R3100-2420 kg
Robot Weight
- ABB IRB-4600235 kg
- KR 420 R3100-21,704 kg
Reach
- ABB IRB-46002,550 mm
- KR 420 R3100-23,100 mm
Degrees of Freedom
- ABB IRB-46006
- KR 420 R3100-26
Repeatability
- ABB IRB-4600±0.05 mm
- KR 420 R3100-2±0.08 mm
Path Accuracy
- ABB IRB-4600±0.5 mm
- KR 420 R3100-2—
IP Rating (Arm)
- ABB IRB-4600IP67
- KR 420 R3100-2IP65/IP67
IP Rating (Wrist)
- ABB IRB-4600IP67
- KR 420 R3100-2IP67
Performance
Cycle Time (25/305/25)
- ABB IRB-46000.4 s
- KR 420 R3100-2—
MTBF
- ABB IRB-4600100,000 hrs
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Duty Cycle
- ABB IRB-4600continuous 24 7
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Vibration Damping
- ABB IRB-4600active model based
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Safety
Safety Category
- ABB IRB-4600Cat.3 PLd
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Dual Check Safety
- ABB IRB-4600Yes
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Safety I/O Pairs
- ABB IRB-46008
- KR 420 R3100-2—
E-Stop Response
- ABB IRB-460010 ms
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Safe Zone Count
- ABB IRB-46003
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Controller & Programming
Controller Model
- ABB IRB-4600OmniCore
- KR 420 R3100-2KR C5 basiccab
Programming Languages
- ABB IRB-4600TP, KAREL
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Teach Pendant Type
- ABB IRB-4600smart pad
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Offline Programming
- ABB IRB-4600ROBOGUIDE
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Digital Twin Support
- ABB IRB-4600Yes
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Connectivity
ROS-Industrial Support
- ABB IRB-4600vendor supported
- KR 420 R3100-2—
IoT / Cloud Platform
- ABB IRB-4600FANUC ZDT
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Cybersecurity Certs
- ABB IRB-4600IEC 62443 SL1
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Predictive Maintenance
- ABB IRB-4600threshold based
- KR 420 R3100-2—
End-Effector
Tool Flange Standard
- ABB IRB-4600ISO 9409-1
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Tool Changer (ISO)
- ABB IRB-4600ATI
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Internal Cable Routing
- ABB IRB-4600through arm and wrist
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Pneumatic Lines
- ABB IRB-46002
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Electrical Lines
- ABB IRB-460012
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Commercial
Warranty
- ABB IRB-46001 yrs
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Service Network
- ABB IRB-4600global
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Spare Parts Lead Time
- ABB IRB-460014 days
- KR 420 R3100-2—
Expected Service Life
- ABB IRB-460010 yrs
- KR 420 R3100-2—
| | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Availability Status | ACTIVE | ACTIVE |
| Layer 3: Category Specific | ||
| Arm Mechanics | ||
| Payload (priority for Hospitality & F&B buyers) (values differ) | 60 kg | 420 kg |
| Robot Weight (priority for Hospitality & F&B buyers) (values differ) | 235 kg | 1,704 kg |
| Reach (values differ) | 2,550 mm | 3,100 mm |
| Degrees of Freedom | 6 | 6 |
| Repeatability (values differ) | ±0.05 mm | ±0.08 mm |
| Path Accuracy (values differ) | ±0.5 mm | — |
| IP Rating (Arm) (values differ) | IP67 | IP65/IP67 |
| IP Rating (Wrist) | IP67 | IP67 |
| Performance | ||
| Cycle Time (25/305/25) (values differ) | 0.4 s | — |
| MTBF (values differ) | 100,000 hrs | — |
| Duty Cycle (values differ) | continuous 24 7 | — |
| Vibration Damping (values differ) | active model based | — |
| Safety | ||
| Safety Category (values differ) | Cat.3 PLd | — |
| Dual Check Safety (values differ) | Yes | — |
| Safety I/O Pairs (values differ) | 8 | — |
| E-Stop Response (values differ) | 10 ms | — |
| Safe Zone Count (values differ) | 3 | — |
| Controller & Programming | ||
| Controller Model (values differ) | OmniCore | KR C5 basiccab |
| Programming Languages (values differ) | TP, KAREL | — |
| Teach Pendant Type (values differ) | smart pad | — |
| Offline Programming (values differ) | ROBOGUIDE | — |
| Digital Twin Support (values differ) | Yes | — |
| Connectivity | ||
| ROS-Industrial Support (values differ) | vendor supported | — |
| IoT / Cloud Platform (values differ) | FANUC ZDT | — |
| Cybersecurity Certs (values differ) | IEC 62443 SL1 | — |
| Predictive Maintenance (values differ) | threshold based | — |
| End-Effector | ||
| Tool Flange Standard (values differ) | ISO 9409-1 | — |
| Tool Changer (ISO) (values differ) | ATI | — |
| Internal Cable Routing (values differ) | through arm and wrist | — |
| Pneumatic Lines (values differ) | 2 | — |
| Electrical Lines (values differ) | 12 | — |
| Commercial | ||
| Warranty (values differ) | 1 yrs | — |
| Service Network (values differ) | 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: Price, Battery / Shift Runtime, Max TCP Speed, Communication Protocols, Price (USD)
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-4600 | KR 420 R3100-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | No price | No price |
| Payback period | — | — |
| Net savings (5 yr) | — | — |
| ROI (5 yr) | — | — |
ABB IRB-4600, KR 420 R3100-2 have no listed price, so payback can't be computed. Contact the manufacturer for a quote.
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-4600 and KR 420 R3100-2?
ABB IRB-4600 is made by ABB, based in CH. KR 420 R3100-2 is made by KUKA Robotics, based in DE.
How do ABB IRB-4600 and KR 420 R3100-2 compare on the Robo Score?
ABB IRB-4600 scores 72.8 on the Robo Score. KR 420 R3100-2 scores 64.4. 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-4600 compare to KR 420 R3100-2?
ABB IRB-4600 has a reach of 1811 mm. KR 420 R3100-2 has a reach of 2800 mm.
Are ABB IRB-4600 and KR 420 R3100-2 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-4600 and KR 420 R3100-2?
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-4600 vs KR 420 R3100-2 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.