ABB IRB 1300 Lab – Training B: portable box, RAPID, PROFINET and RobotStudio

Lab objectives

The lab is designed with the following educational and professional objectives:

• Introduce students to industrial robotics through a real, safe and portable robotic system.
• Develop skills in programming, configuring and simulating ABB articulated robots.
• Promote interaction with digital systems and industrial fieldbuses (PROFINET) using integrated I/O boards.
• Encourage learning through hands-on activities, 3D simulations and practical Pick&Place applications.
• Support teachers in technical training with video lessons, structured content and certified work-based learning (PCTO) pathways.

Educational aims

The lab is an advanced teaching tool for technical and scientific learning in the following areas:

• Robotics and mechatronics: understanding the structure and operation of the ABB IRB 1300 robot, with a focus on kinematics, trajectories and operational safety.
• Industrial programming: learning the RAPID language using the teach pendant, with exercises on movements, conditional logic and I/O signal handling.
• Simulation and design: using RobotStudio software with a server licence (up to 100 workstations) to build virtual cells, debug and verify offline.
• Automation and interfacing: simulating and handling digital signals, interacting with PROFINET fieldbuses, developing control logic for automated systems.
• Teacher training and professional development: video lessons on basic and advanced robotics, complemented by an in-person training course to pass on effective teaching methods and tools.
• Work-oriented learning (PCTO): pathways designed to build skills that can be applied in the world of production, through operational simulations and application cases.

Conclusion

The lab based on the IRB 1300 with portable box is a compact, certified and versatile solution for bringing industrial robotics into the school environment.

Thanks to the complete package – including real components, professional software, teaching materials and teacher training – students have the opportunity to follow a learning pathway that meets the needs of the world of work, in line with the principles of Industry 4.0 and the technical and professional skills required by the manufacturing sectors.