ABB Robots in Roofing: From Truss Plants to Shingles

For most of history, roofs were built by hand. In this photo from around 1963, two thatchers in Germany lay reed on a steep roof. Slate, tile and wood shingle roofs took the same kind of skilled crew, and they could only work in good weather, climbing up and down all day.

Thatchers laying reed on a roof in Germany, around 1963. Photo: Richard Peter / Deutsche Fotothek via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE)

Asphalt shingles and nail guns made the work faster, but not much safer. Roofers still carry heavy bundles up ladders and kneel on hot, sloped surfaces for hours. Falls remain the leading cause of death in US construction, and many roofing firms say they cannot hire enough people.

Two roofers at work in New Orleans, 2006. Photo: Editor B / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

In September, Roofing Contractor magazine reported that robots are heading for roofing jobsites. One example is Rufus from Renovate Robotics. It hangs from cables anchored at the corners of a roof and moves across it like a gantry, placing and fastening asphalt shingles. Much of a roof is built before it reaches the site, though.

Factory-made roof trusses unloaded at a building site in Moulton, UK. Photo: John Sutton / Geograph via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Roof trusses are often made in factories, and ABB robots already work there. At Louws Truss in Washington State, a House of Design line uses ABB IRB 4600 robots to set lumber in the press before plating. ABB has also piloted automated fabrication of timber roof supports with the modular builder Autovol.

An ABB robot handling a timber panel in AUAR's robotic micro-factory. Photo: ABB

At ETH Zurich, ABB robots assembled timber frames for the DFAB HOUSE. AUAR's micro-factories use ABB robots to cut and assemble timber panels for walls, floors and roofs, and each factory can turn out panels for up to 180 homes a year.

ABB robots assembling a timber frame module for the DFAB HOUSE at ETH Zurich. Photo: Gramazio Kohler Research, ETH Zurich / ABB

My guess is that roofing will split in two. Factory robots will build trusses, panels and solar roof modules, like the ABB IRB 6700 that lifts modules at dhp technology in Switzerland, while site robots such as Rufus handle the shingling. People will still inspect, repair and finish the tricky edges, just with less time spent on ladders.

An ABB IRB 6700 lifts a solar module for a folding roof at dhp technology. Photo: ABB

Innovation

AI solutions for effortless ABB robot control.

Automation

Robotics

ceojohntran@chatwithrobot.net

+84905311611

© 2025. All rights reserved.

qtran1215@gmail.com