ABB IRB-4600 vs SCARA Robot AR Series
Side-by-side comparison of ABB IRB-4600 (ABB) and SCARA Robot AR Series (STEP Robotics) — specs, pricing, Robo Index, and verified deployments. Updated daily.
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Layer 1: Identity & Trust
Manufacturer Country
- ABB IRB-4600Switzerland

- SCARA Robot AR SeriesChina

Year First Available
- ABB IRB-46002015

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Verified Deployments
- ABB IRB-46000 Deployments

- SCARA Robot AR Series0 Deployments

Layer 2: Operational
Availability Status
- ABB IRB-4600ACTIVE

- SCARA Robot AR SeriesACTIVE

Arm Mechanics
Payload
- ABB IRB-460060 kg

- SCARA Robot AR Series20 kg

Reach
- ABB IRB-46002,550 mm

- SCARA Robot AR Series1,000 mm

Degrees of Freedom
- ABB IRB-46006

- SCARA Robot AR Series4

Repeatability
- ABB IRB-4600±0.05 mm

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Path Accuracy
- ABB IRB-4600±0.5 mm

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Robot Weight
- ABB IRB-4600235 kg

- SCARA Robot AR Series46.3 kg

IP Rating (Arm)
- ABB IRB-4600IP67

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

IP Rating (Wrist)
- ABB IRB-4600IP67

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Performance
Cycle Time (25/305/25)
- ABB IRB-46000.4 s

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

MTBF
- ABB IRB-4600100,000 hrs

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Duty Cycle
- ABB IRB-4600continuous 24 7

- SCARA Robot AR Seriescontinuous 24 7

Vibration Damping
- ABB IRB-4600active model based

- SCARA Robot AR Seriesactive model based

Safety
Safety Category
- ABB IRB-4600Cat.3 PLd

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Dual Check Safety
- ABB IRB-4600Yes

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Safety I/O Pairs
- ABB IRB-46008

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

E-Stop Response
- ABB IRB-460010 ms

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Safe Zone Count
- ABB IRB-46003

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Controller & Programming
Controller Model
- ABB IRB-4600OmniCore

- SCARA Robot AR SeriesIntegrated drive and controller

Programming Languages
- ABB IRB-4600TP, KAREL

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Teach Pendant Type
- ABB IRB-4600smart pad

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Offline Programming
- ABB IRB-4600ROBOGUIDE

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Digital Twin Support
- ABB IRB-4600Yes

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Connectivity
ROS-Industrial Support
- ABB IRB-4600vendor supported

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

IoT / Cloud Platform
- ABB IRB-4600FANUC ZDT

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Cybersecurity Certs
- ABB IRB-4600IEC 62443 SL1

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Predictive Maintenance
- ABB IRB-4600threshold based

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

End-Effector
Tool Flange Standard
- ABB IRB-4600ISO 9409-1

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Tool Changer (ISO)
- ABB IRB-4600ATI

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Internal Cable Routing
- ABB IRB-4600through arm and wrist

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Pneumatic Lines
- ABB IRB-46002

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Electrical Lines
- ABB IRB-460012

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Commercial
Warranty
- ABB IRB-46001 yrs

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Service Network
- ABB IRB-4600global

- SCARA Robot AR Seriesglobal

Spare Parts Lead Time
- ABB IRB-460014 days

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

Expected Service Life
- ABB IRB-460010 yrs

- SCARA Robot AR Series—

![]() | ![]() | |
|---|---|---|
| Layer 1: Identity & Trust | ||
| Manufacturer Country (values differ) | Switzerland | China |
| 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 (values differ) | 60 kg | 20 kg |
| Reach (values differ) | 2,550 mm | 1,000 mm |
| Degrees of Freedom (values differ) | 6 | 4 |
| Repeatability (values differ) | ±0.05 mm | — |
| Path Accuracy (values differ) | ±0.5 mm | — |
| Robot Weight (values differ) | 235 kg | 46.3 kg |
| IP Rating (Arm) (values differ) | IP67 | — |
| IP Rating (Wrist) (values differ) | 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 | active model based | 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 | Integrated drive and controller |
| 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 | 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: 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 | SCARA Robot AR Series |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | No price | No price |
| Payback period | — | — |
| Net savings (5 yr) | — | — |
| ROI (5 yr) | — | — |
ABB IRB-4600, SCARA Robot AR Series 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 SCARA Robot AR Series?
ABB IRB-4600 is made by ABB, based in CH. SCARA Robot AR Series is made by STEP Robotics, based in CN.
How do ABB IRB-4600 and SCARA Robot AR Series compare on the Robo Index?
ABB IRB-4600 grades AA on the Robo Index. SCARA Robot AR Series grades BBB. The Robo Index is a credibility grade (AAA … C) that blends 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 SCARA Robot AR Series?
ABB IRB-4600 has a reach of 1811 mm. SCARA Robot AR Series has a reach of 1000 mm.
Are ABB IRB-4600 and SCARA Robot AR Series 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 SCARA Robot AR Series?
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
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About this comparison
ABB IRB-4600 vs SCARA Robot AR Series 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 Index is calculated.