RS expands ABB conveyor access to boost uptime and energy efficiency
- RS now distributes ABB’s conveyor system portfolio to boost uptime and productivity across assembly, packaging and fulfillment lines.
- Partnership centers on ABB contactors and soft starters to cut energy use and prevent costly conveyor downtime.
- ABB offers over 8,500 contactor variants enabling remote motor control and tailored use in harsh industrial environments.
RS expands access to ABB conveyor systems
RS, a global high-service product and service solutions provider, is offering ABB’s conveyor system portfolio to manufacturers and logistics operators from its Fort Worth hub, aiming to boost uptime and productivity across assembly, packaging and fulfillment lines. The move targets growing demand from automation and e-commerce environments and pairs RS’s distribution and local service capabilities with ABB’s proven electrical components.
Distributor push seeks to cut costly conveyor downtime and energy waste
The partnership centres on ABB contactors and soft starters that are engineered to address two of the sector’s biggest pain points: energy-efficiency requirements and unplanned downtime that can range from $10,000 to $500,000 per hour. ABB contactors enable remote or automated starting, stopping and reversing of belt drives by switching higher-power motor circuits with low-power electromagnetic coils, and ABB offers more than 8,500 contactor variants tailored for diverse industrial needs, including NEMA-rated, safety, mini and harsh-environment models. Soft starters reduce motor inrush current and mechanical stress, prolonging equipment life and lowering operating costs.
RS positions its global inventory, technical support and local service teams to help customers select, configure and maintain ABB components so conveyors integrate with PLCs and broader control systems. By combining component breadth with distribution and after-sales services, RS aims to help operators control energy use, reduce downtime risk and scale automated fulfilment systems driven by surging e-commerce volumes.
Market backdrop and growth drivers
The global conveyor belt market is valued at $5.68 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $7.21 billion by 2030, supported by steady expansion in industrial automation (about $222.22 billion) and e-commerce (about $6.42 trillion) sectors, which grow at roughly 7% annually. Those trends reinforce demand for components that deliver reliability and energy gains.
Operational support and selection services
RS’s role extends beyond distribution to technical selection and local maintenance support, helping customers configure ABB contactors and soft starters to meet uptime and energy targets while addressing high installation, repair and maintenance costs that slow adoption of automated conveyor systems.