RS Expands Offering of ABB Conveyor Systems to Improve Efficiency and Reduce Downtime

RS expands ABB conveyor offering to industrial customers

RS, a global product and service solutions provider, announces in Fort Worth on Feb. 17, 2026 that it is offering ABB’s conveyor system portfolio to manufacturers and logistics operators to boost efficiency, uptime and productivity across assembly, packaging and fulfillment lines. The move makes ABB’s contactors, soft starters and related components more widely available through RS’s catalog, local service teams and technical support, targeting companies upgrading conveyor infrastructure in automated and e-commerce-driven facilities.

ABB’s portfolio is pitched to address two persistent pain points for conveyor operators: energy use and unplanned downtime. Contactor technology enables remote or automated starting, stopping and direction changes on belt drives by switching higher-power motor and distribution circuits with low-power electromagnetic coils. ABB supplies more than 8,500 contactor variants to meet diverse application needs — including three- and four-pole designs, AC-optimized units, NEMA-rated safety contactors, mini and switching contactors and models built for harsh environments — while soft starters reduce motor inrush current and mechanical stress to prolong equipment life.

By combining ABB’s component breadth with RS’s global inventory and local services, the companies say operators can better control energy consumption, reduce the risk and cost of downtime and accelerate deployments of automated fulfillment systems. Contactors can be integrated with PLCs and control systems for full automation, and RS’s technical teams help customers select, configure and maintain ABB solutions to meet specific uptime and energy targets. The partnership aims to lower lifecycle operating costs and improve resilience of conveyor-dependent operations.

Conveyor market backdrop and cost pressures

Industry figures show the global conveyor belt market at $5.68 billion in 2025 and forecast to reach $7.21 billion by 2030, supported by steady expansion in industrial automation and e-commerce — sectors currently valued at roughly $222.22 billion and $6.42 trillion respectively and growing at about 7% annually. Key barriers to faster adoption include tightening energy-efficiency requirements and high installation, repair and maintenance costs.

Operational risk and service proposition

Unplanned downtime remains a major line-item for operators, with costs cited between $10,000 and $500,000 per hour depending on industry and scale. RS’s service-led distribution model, combined with ABB’s wide component range, is positioned to help customers reduce those risks while scaling fulfilment and manufacturing throughput.