ABB IRB 1100 vs Yaskawa Motoman GP4: Robot Comparison
Updated: 11 hours ago
IN A NUTSHELL
🔎 THE KEY DIFFERENCE Both are compared at 4 kg. ABB IRB 1100 has the longer stated reach, which may help reach separated fixtures; it does not guarantee access at every tool angle. |
→ CONSIDER ABB IRB 1100 Consider it when extra reach is useful while the compared load capacity is the same. This article compares 4 kg with a published reach of 580 mm; include the gripper and part in the load. |
→ CONSIDER Yaskawa Motoman GP4 Consider it when its stated load and reach already cover your task and its controls fit your equipment. This article compares 4 kg with a published reach of 550 mm; include the gripper and part in the load. |
💡 THE TAKEAWAY Choose the robot that handles your actual tool and part through the required path, with controls and support your team can use. Compare complete installation quotes, rather than arm-only prices. |
ABB IRB 1100 vs Yaskawa Motoman GP4 is an engineering buying comparison for industrial handling. The worked comparison is IRB 1100-4/0.58 with 4 kg and 580 mm, against Yaskawa Motoman GP4 with 4 kg and 550 mm. Select around the complete tool load and required poses; a larger payload or longer radius is valuable only if it removes a real process constraint.
The starting-price references in the linked reviews are USD 19,000 for ABB IRB 1100 and USD 13,000 for Yaskawa Motoman GP4. The ABB figure is a family starting reference, not a quotation for the worked variant. The analysis distinguishes tool load, geometry, process equipment, controller ownership and installed cost. Neither a review price nor a robot-only specification defines a complete commissioned cell.
Quick verdict
ABB IRB 1100: Compact industrial assembly and testing with a 4 kg complete attached load. The 475 and 580 mm versions share a family name but have different working envelopes. Standard IP40 and optional IP67 or cleanroom packages must remain distinct.
Yaskawa Motoman GP4: General industrial handling and tending with 4 kg capacity and 550 mm horizontal reach. The specified GP variant must be retained; load, reach and mounting data from a different suffix or family member do not transfer.
ABB IRB 1100 vs Yaskawa Motoman GP4: technical specifications
Specification | ABB IRB 1100 | Yaskawa Motoman GP4 |
|---|---|---|
Configuration used | IRB 1100-4/0.58 | Yaskawa Motoman GP4 |
Attached-load reference | 4 kg | 4 kg |
Horizontal reach / arm length | 580 mm | 550 mm |
Position repeatability | ±0.01 mm | ±0.01 mm |
Controlled axes | 6 | 6 |
Arm / installation mass reference | Variant-specific mass: confirm exact order code | 28 kg |
Arm protection | IP40 standard; IP67 / cleanroom options | Confirm exact protection package |
Controller | ABB OmniCore | YRC1000 / YRC1000micro |
Indicative review starting reference | USD 19,000 (family reference) | USD 13,000 |
The table uses IRB 1100-4/0.58 as the worked ABB configuration. It is one documented configuration for explaining the tradeoffs, not an automatic recommendation or a claim that the family has only this version. The linked reviews describe the underlying data. Confirm the exact mechanical generation, controller revision, installation orientation, environmental package and load chart against the supplied order code.
ABB variant map: keep load and reach together
Documented configuration / example | Payload and reach | Repeatability reference |
|---|---|---|
IRB 1100-4/0.475 | 4 kg / 475 mm | ±0.01 mm |
IRB 1100-4/0.58 | 4 kg / 580 mm | ±0.01 mm |
The 475 and 580 mm versions share a family name but have different working envelopes. Standard IP40 and optional IP67 or cleanroom packages must remain distinct. The starting price does not establish the price of every listed configuration. Where the review gives only a family precision range, this article leaves the exact-variant value for supplier confirmation rather than assigning the best family figure to every arm.
Start with the process, not the payload headline
The worked comparison is IRB 1100-4/0.58 with 4 kg and 580 mm, against Yaskawa Motoman GP4 with 4 kg and 550 mm. Select around the complete tool load and required poses; a larger payload or longer radius is valuable only if it removes a real process constraint. The acceptance case for this pair should be: The production pickup, machine-entry, processing or placement path with representative part variation and the actual tool. The useful outcome to measure is accepted parts per hour, reliable pickup, changeover and recovery time. A supplier demonstration must use the same workpiece range, tool mass, fixtures and normal operating conditions for both proposals.
A dedicated process arm and a general-purpose manipulator can sometimes perform similar motions, yet require very different integration. A torch needs process utilities and seam access; a spot gun imposes mass, inertia and clamp requirements; a pallet tool needs stable grip and stack coverage. Include those differences before comparing robot-only prices.
Payload, wrist moments and the complete end effector
For the worked configurations, the load references are 4 kg and 4 kg. Count fingers, adapters, cameras, valves, cables carried by the wrist and the actual workpiece. A nominally permitted part can become an excessive load once its gripping hardware is added. Use the relevant load diagram rather than assuming the maximum payload is allowed at every centre of gravity.
Check moments and inertia at the worst tool orientation and during the required acceleration. Long, offset parts can create a wrist problem while staying below the mass limit. For a welding gun, include the complete utilities and balancing arrangement. For a pallet gripper, include the full layer or multiple picked cases and a credible grip-loss condition.
Workspace, axis count and required orientation
ABB IRB 1100 has 6 controlled axes and the worked reach is 580 mm; Yaskawa Motoman GP4 has 6 axes and 550 mm. Equal axis counts do not guarantee equal joint limits, elbow clearance or singularity-free access. Check every required pickup, process, reject and recovery pose with the tool attached.
Use a tool-centre-point layout and include the carried-part envelope, machine doors, fixture walls, hose loops and neighboring equipment. Horizontal reach is not the same as vertical reach or useful reach below a shelf. A reachable endpoint can still fail because the wrist cannot attain the required approach angle or retreat without a collision.
ABB IRB 1100: engineering assessment
Select the shortest arm that reaches all required poses with the tool attached. A larger sweep can consume more cell space without improving output, while a short arm can fail a deep machine-access requirement. In this comparison, the worked configuration is IRB 1100-4/0.58, with 4 kg, 580 mm and the stated repeatability reference of ±0.01 mm. Its practical benefit should be demonstrated at the intended operating load rather than inferred from the family label.
The 475 and 580 mm versions share a family name but have different working envelopes. Standard IP40 and optional IP67 or cleanroom packages must remain distinct. Identify who owns the final RAPID program, RobotStudio project, safety settings and backups. Existing ABB experience is useful when the actual maintenance team can restore a stopped application, identify a failed component and keep the cell supported through its planned service life.
Yaskawa Motoman GP4: where the alternative adds value
Build the layout around the actual fixture, grip point and machine door. Yaskawa Motoman GP4 should demonstrate a collision-free loaded path, useful throughput and maintainable error recovery on the quoted controller. Its reviewed combination is 4 kg, 550 mm and ±0.01 mm positioning repeatability. The specified GP variant must be retained; load, reach and mounting data from a different suffix or family member do not transfer. Establish what that configuration adds to the actual task: a useful orientation, smaller workspace, longer path coverage, specific process equipment or a more familiar controller.
The source identifies YRC1000 / YRC1000micro for Yaskawa Motoman GP4. INFORM and MotoSim form the programming and simulation route described in the review. Compare the local team's ability to create, diagnose, back up and recover the finished application rather than judging software only by a short sales demonstration.
Precision and process quality
The two positioning references are ±0.01 mm and ±0.01 mm. These concern returning to a pose under stated conditions; they are not a finished-part tolerance guarantee. Absolute accuracy, path behavior, fixture stiffness, calibration, tool wear, thermal change and workpiece variation remain separate. Where a variant-specific precision value is not documented, obtain it for the quoted order code.
Measure accepted parts per hour, reliable pickup, changeover and recovery time. For welding, inspect the accepted seam or spot result using a qualified process. For handling, count stable pickup and placement throughout the fixture range. For palletizing, test stack stability and top-layer clearance. A faster unloaded movement or one successful prepared sample does not establish sustained production quality.
Controller, interfaces and error recovery
ABB OmniCore and YRC1000 / YRC1000micro are the controller references for the reviewed configurations. Controller generation affects the program format, available interfaces and support plan. Confirm the actual pendant, network roles, protocol options, external-axis support and software licences; a capability mentioned in a brochure is not proof that it is enabled in the starting package.
Prepare an I/O and network schedule for the PLC, gripper, machine, process equipment, vision and protective devices. Specify acknowledgement timeouts, safe state and restart sequence. Demonstrate a lost grip, missing part, rejected result, interrupted machine cycle and communication loss. Retain editable programs, calibration files, controller backups and a recovery guide suitable for the intended operators.
Guarding, environment and installation
These are industrial robot applications. Design the complete safeguarding concept around the robot, tools, carried part, stored energy, machine and process hazards. Safe access, stopping behavior, interlocks, isolation and restart belong in the cell design. A newer controller or an additional axis does not make an industrial application suitable for unrestricted human access.
The arm protection references are IP40 standard; IP67 / cleanroom options for the reviewed ABB package and Confirm exact protection package for Yaskawa Motoman GP4. An unspecified value requires exact-package confirmation. Check the cabinet, tool, connectors and dress pack separately. Ingress protection alone does not approve every coolant, abrasive exposure, chemical or high-pressure cleaning method.
Obtain the installation mass and floor reactions for IRB 1100-4/0.58; the alternative's review gives 28 kg. Keep carried payload separate from installation mass and cabinet weight. Design the support, anchoring, lifting plan, cooling space and service route using the exact drawings. Shelf-mounted and very heavy arms can make structural work a significant part of total installed cost.
Starting price and installed-cost comparison
The numerical starting references are USD 19,000 and USD 13,000. The first is a family-level review reference; it is not assigned to the selected variant as a firm offer. New, legacy, refurbished and process-package quotations can have different scope and condition. Confirm the supplied revision, warranty, support, delivery and commissioning responsibilities before using either number in a payback calculation.
Request comparable bills of materials covering robot and controller, tool, fixtures, process utilities, sensing, safeguarding, machine interfaces, support structure, integration, simulation, commissioning and training. Include freight, tax and on-site work where applicable. Assign responsibility for faults spanning vendors. A lower arm price can be outweighed by an extra positioner, unsuitable fixture, structural change or software maintenance burden.
Decision gates for the actual cell
Gate | This pair | Evidence to require |
|---|---|---|
Process fit | Industrial handling | The production pickup, machine-entry, processing or placement path with representative part variation and the actual tool. |
Configuration | IRB 1100-4/0.58 versus Yaskawa Motoman GP4 | Full order code and matched load drawing |
Load | 4 kg versus 4 kg | Tool, part, moments and inertia |
Workspace | 580 mm versus 550 mm | All required orientations and a loaded path |
Quality | ±0.01 mm versus ±0.01 mm | Accepted parts per hour, reliable pickup, changeover and recovery time. |
Installed value | USD 19,000 versus USD 13,000 | Aligned quotation, scope and support plan |
Begin with the actual process: industrial handling. Compact industrial assembly and testing with a 4 kg complete attached load. General industrial handling and tending with 4 kg capacity and 550 mm horizontal reach. Eliminate a candidate if it cannot meet the complete load, pose, quality or safeguarding requirement. If both pass, compare useful throughput, operator changeover and the maintenance burden of the supplied system. A different robot category can be appropriate only when the whole cell concept changes with it.
Give both suppliers the same tool CAD, part range, fixture model, target output and access pattern. Agree measurable pass criteria before the trial. Use representative variation and normal safety settings; include replenishment, rejects, process interruptions and recovery after power loss. Keep the tested configuration, program and acceptance record as part of the delivered system.
Complete product reviews
Frequently asked questions
Which should I choose: ABB IRB 1100 or Yaskawa Motoman GP4?
The worked comparison is IRB 1100-4/0.58 with 4 kg and 580 mm, against Yaskawa Motoman GP4 with 4 kg and 550 mm. Select around the complete tool load and required poses; a larger payload or longer radius is valuable only if it removes a real process constraint. Choose the complete proposal that passes the real load, process-quality, workspace and safeguarding requirements, then compare installed cost and the skills needed to maintain it.
Which ABB configuration is compared with Yaskawa Motoman GP4?
IRB 1100-4/0.58 is used as the worked configuration, with 4 kg and 580 mm. The 475 and 580 mm versions share a family name but have different working envelopes. Standard IP40 and optional IP67 or cleanroom packages must remain distinct. Confirm the full order code and generation with the supplier.
What starting prices are used?
The linked review references are USD 19,000 for ABB IRB 1100 and USD 13,000 for Yaskawa Motoman GP4. The ABB value is a family starting reference, not a quote for every variant. Confirm the current supplied package, condition, controller, process equipment, safeguarding, delivery and integration scope.
Does payload include the tool?
Yes. Include the complete end effector, adapters, attached equipment and workpiece, then verify the permitted centre of gravity, wrist moments and inertia. The worked references are 4 kg and 4 kg. A part below the mass headline can still violate an eccentric-load or inertia limit.
Are the reach and axis counts directly interchangeable?
No. The comparison uses 580 mm with 6 axes and 550 mm with 6 axes. Check tool offset, required orientation, joint limits, vertical or below-base access and the full loaded path. A four-axis or five-axis mechanism does not offer every six-axis orientation.
Does repeatability guarantee process quality?
No. The positioning references are ±0.01 mm and ±0.01 mm. Measure the finished result with representative fixtures, tooling and part variation. For this comparison, the process criterion is accepted parts per hour, reliable pickup, changeover and recovery time.
What is the main limitation of Yaskawa Motoman GP4?
The specified GP variant must be retained; load, reach and mounting data from a different suffix or family member do not transfer. Build the layout around the actual fixture, grip point and machine door. Yaskawa Motoman GP4 should demonstrate a collision-free loaded path, useful throughput and maintainable error recovery on the quoted controller.
What should be demonstrated before purchase?
The production pickup, machine-entry, processing or placement path with representative part variation and the actual tool. Include machine or process interlocks, normal guarding, missed grip or rejected part, communication loss, changeover and safe restart. Retain the exact configuration, controller backup, program and agreed acceptance record from the trial.
