Editing ABB (section)

===1990s===
During 1990, ABB bought the robotics business of Cincinnati Milacron in the US. The acquisition expanded ABB's presence in automated spot-welding and positioned the company to better serve the American automotive industry. ABB's 1991 introduction of the IRB 6000 robot, demonstrated its increased capacity in this field. The first modular robot, the IRB 6000, can be reconfigured to perform a variety of specific tasks. At the time of its launch, the IRB 6000 was the fastest and most accurate spot-welding robot on the market.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

In the early 1990s, ABB started expanding in [[Central Europe|Central]] and [[Eastern Europe]]. By the end of 1991, the company employed 10,000 people in the region. The following year, that number doubled. A similar pattern played out in Asia, where [[Chinese economic reform|economic reforms in China]] and the lifting of some [[economic sanctions]], helped open the region to a new wave of outside investment and industrial growth. By 1994, ABB had 30,000 employees and 100 plants, engineering, service and marketing centers across Asia; numbers that would continue to grow. Through the 1990s, ABB continued its strategy of targeted expansion in Eastern Europe, the [[Asia–Pacific]] region and the Americas.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

In 1990, ABB also expanded into Australia when it acquired [[Commonwealth Engineering]]'s (Comeng) [[Dandenong rolling stock factory|plant in Dandenong]], Melbourne.<ref>Here & There, ''[[Australian Railway History|Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin]]'', issue 633, July 1990, page 176</ref><ref>ASEA Brown Boveri ''[[Continental Railway Journal]]'' issue 84 December 1990 page 451</ref> ABB continued to manufacture Comeng's [[B-class Melbourne tram]] at the plant. However, it did not continue manufacturing Comeng's Adelaide [[3000 class railcar]], which was manufactured by [[Clyde Engineering]] instead.<ref>{{cite book|last=Dunn|first=John|title=Comeng: A History of Commonwealth Engineering Volume 5: 1985-2012|year=2012|publisher=Rosenberg Publishing|location=Kenthurst|pages=77–86|isbn=978-1-922013-52-1}}</ref>

During 1995, ABB agreed to merge its rail engineering unit with that of [[Mercedes-Benz Group|Daimler-Benz]] of Germany; the goal of this arrangement was to create the world's largest maker of locomotives and railway cars. The new company, ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation ([[Adtranz]]), had an initial global market share of nearly 12 percent.<ref>{{cite magazine |title = ABB joins forces with Daimler-Benz |magazine = [[Rail (magazine)|Rail]] |issue = 249 |date = 29 March 1995 |page = 6}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= Rivals to merge |magazine= [[Railway Gazette International]] |issue= 1 January 1996 |page= 197}}</ref> The merge took effect on 1 January 1996.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Merger approved |magazine= [[Railway Gazette International]] |issue= December 1995 |page= 818}}</ref>

A few months following the start of the [[1997 Asian financial crisis]], ABB announced plans to accelerate its expansion in Asia as well as to improve the productivity and profitability of its Western operations. The firm took an $850 million restructuring charge and shed 10,000 jobs as the firm shifted more resources towards emerging markets and scaled back some of its facilities in higher-cost countries.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.business-standard.com/article/specials/abb-cuts-10-000-jobs-takes-850m-charge-197102301032_1.html |title = Abb Cuts 10,000 Jobs, Takes $850m Charge |work=Business Standard |date = 23 October 1997 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.marketwatch.com/story/abb-to-take-850-million-charge-slash-costs-as-orders-weaken |title = ABB to take $850 million charge, cut costs |work=Market Watch |date = 19 December 2008 |first = Barbara |last = Kollmeyer}}</ref>

In June 1998, ABB announced that it would acquire Sweden-based Alfa Laval's automation unit, which at the time was one of Europe's top suppliers of process control systems and automation equipment.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://new.abb.com/news/detail/13470/abb-acquires-alfa-laval-automation |title= ABB acquires Alfa Laval Automation |website= ABB Ltd |date= 17 June 1998}}</ref>

During 1999, as a final step in the integration of the companies formerly known as ASEA and BBC, the directors unanimously approved a plan to create a unified, single class of shares in the group.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

That same year, ABB completed its purchase of Elsag Bailey Process Automation, a Netherlands-based maker of industrial control systems, in exchange for $2.1 billion.<ref name="Bloomberg Elsag Bailey reference">{{cite news |url= https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=328241 |title= Elsag Bailey was acquired by ABB Group |date= 19 January 2024 |work= [[Bloomberg News]]}}</ref> The acquisition increased ABB's presence in the high-tech industrial robotics and factory control system sectors, which reducing its reliance on traditional heavy engineering sectors such as power generation and transmission.

In 1999, the company sold its stake in the Adtranz train-building business to [[Mercedes-Benz Group|DaimlerChrysler]]. Instead of building complete locomotives, ABB's transportation activities shifted increasingly toward traction motors and electric components.<ref>{{cite web |title= DaimlerChrysler buys ABB's share in Adtranz |url= https://new.abb.com/news/detail/13501/daimlerchrysler-buys-abbs-share-in-adtranz |website= ABB Ltd |date= 20 January 1999}}</ref> That same year, ABB and France-based [[Alstom]], announced the merger of their power generation businesses in a 50-50 joint company, ABB Alstom Power. Separately, in December 1999, ABB agreed to sell its nuclear power business to [[Great British Nuclear|British Nuclear Fuels]] of the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.abb.com/cawp/seitp202/c1256c290031524b41256856003dc16c.aspx |title= Press release: ABB to sell nuclear business to BNFL |website= ABB Ltd |date= 29 December 1999 |access-date= 13 September 2009 |archive-date= 10 June 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110610135431/http://www.abb.com/cawp/seitp202/c1256c290031524b41256856003dc16c.aspx |url-status= dead }}</ref>