Rotterdam, Netherlands – A major Dutch automotive assembly plant has reported a 28% reduction in operator response time to process alerts after upgrading to the ABB TP867 3BSE043664R1 HMI panel. The upgrade, completed in Q1 2025, has also reduced manual data entry errors by 35%—a significant win for a facility producing 500+ vehicles daily, where even small delays can disrupt production schedules.
Automotive assembly lines operate at breakneck speed, requiring operators to quickly address issues like equipment jams or quality deviations. Prior to adopting the ABB TP867 3BSE043664R1, the Dutch plant used outdated 10-inch HMIs with low resolution and unresponsive touchscreens. Operators often struggled to read alert details or access control functions quickly, leading to extended downtime for line adjustments.
“Our old HMIs were a bottleneck,” said Pieter Visser, Plant Operations Supervisor at the automotive facility. “When a robot arm misaligned, an operator would spend 30+ seconds navigating menus to reset it—time that adds up when you have 10+ alerts a day. With the TP867 3BSE043664R1, they can tap a custom alert button and fix the issue in 10 seconds flat. It’s transformed how we handle real-time problems.”
The panel’s impact spanned three critical areas of the plant’s operations: Faster Alert Resolution: The high-def display and intuitive dashboards let operators identify alert details (e.g., which robot, specific error code) at a glance, cutting response time by 28% and reducing line downtime by 15 hours per week. Reduced Data Errors: Customizable data entry forms on the TP867 eliminated manual typos (common with old HMIs’ small keyboards), lowering quality control rechecks by 35% and saving 8 hours of staff time weekly. Simplified Integration: The panel’s compatibility with the plant’s existing ABB AC 500 PLCs and robotic systems allowed the upgrade to be completed during night shifts—no production downtime was needed, a key requirement for the facility.
“Automotive manufacturing demands speed, precision, and reliability—qualities the TP867 3BSE043664R1 is built for,” said Marco van der Meer, ABB’s Regional Sales Director for Benelux. “This success story shows how the right HMI can turn operators into more efficient problem-solvers. We worked with the plant to tailor dashboards to their specific assembly line needs, and the results speak to that collaboration.”
The Dutch automotive plant plans to roll out the ABB TP867 3BSE043664R1 to its remaining 12 assembly lines by Q3 2025. For more details on how the panel supports automotive and other industries, visit ABB’s customer success page.
