ABB's Flexley Stack F712 Completes Its vSLAM AMR Line
ABB Robotics launched the Flexley Stack F712, a camera-navigated autonomous forklift rated for 2,000 kg loads, completing its visual-SLAM AMR portfolio.
ABB Robotics has launched the Flexley Stack F712, an autonomous forklift rated to lift 2,000 kg to heights of 8.5 meters, and the company says it completes ABB’s visual-SLAM autonomous mobile robot lineup. Announced July 7-8, 2026, the F712 is the material-handling piece ABB had been missing: it now has camera-navigated tugs, movers, and, with this launch, a heavy-lift forklift, all manageable as one fleet.
What ABB announced
The Flexley Stack F712 handles multiple load types via adjustable forks, including open and closed pallets, containers, or racks, at loads up to 2,000 kg (4,409 lb.) and lift heights up to 8.5 m (27.8 ft.), according to ABB. The company says the robot delivers “market-leading” positional accuracy of ±10 mm and can travel at up to 1.7 m/s (3.8 mph) while loaded, which ABB describes as class-leading for the category.
“As part of our journey to more autonomous and versatile robotics, we have combined advanced vision, mobility and intelligence in the Flexley Stack F712 forklift AMR, completing our scalable, AI-powered AMR portfolio,” said Marc Segura, president of ABB Robotics, in the launch materials.
Unlike conventional automated forklifts, which typically follow magnetic tape, floor-mounted QR codes, or wall-mounted reflectors, the F712 uses visual SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) to build and continuously update a 3D map of its environment from onboard cameras. That eliminates the need for pre-installed navigation infrastructure. For a plant or warehouse operator, the practical difference is real: no retrofit before the robot can go to work, and no re-laying of guides if aisles, racking, or workflows change later. Older infrastructure-dependent AMRs require a physical rework of the floor plan every time the layout does; a vSLAM robot updates its map and continues operating.
Where it fits in ABB’s lineup
The F712 joins the existing Flexley Tug and Flexley Mover in what ABB calls its growing visual-SLAM AMR portfolio, covering palletizing and pallet transport, tugging, and now heavy-lift forklift duty under a single navigation approach. ABB frames the F712 as the piece that makes that portfolio “complete” rather than a standalone product launch, positioning all three lines as interoperable rather than siloed.
That interoperability runs through AMR Studio, ABB’s fleet-orchestration software. The F712 is fully integrated with AMR Studio and is VDA5050-compatible, the industry standard interface that lets AMRs from different product lines, and in principle different vendors, coordinate traffic and task assignment on the same floor. ABB says pairing the F712 with AMR Studio shortens commissioning by up to 20 percent and lets the system adapt “instantly” when a warehouse or production layout changes, an extension of the same infrastructure-free pitch behind visual SLAM itself.
On safety, ABB states the F712 is “certified to the latest ISO and ANSI safety standards,” without naming specific standard numbers in its launch materials, and that it operates within those limits at the loaded speeds cited above. Applications ABB is targeting include warehouse storage and retrieval, line supply, end-of-line handling, body- and press-shop work, and drive-in or light-buffer operations, concentrated in automotive manufacturing and broader intralogistics. The F712 is available now, according to Ricardo Martinez, R&D product technology manager at ABB Robotics, who was quoted in the launch coverage.
Sources
- ABB Robotics completes Visual SLAM AMR range with autonomous forklift launch — Robotics & Automation News, Jul 8, 2026
- ABB Robotics includes vSLAM navigation in F712 autonomous forklift — The Robot Report, Jul 7, 2026
- ABB Robotics completes its AI-powered visual SLAM AMR portfolio with new autonomous forklift — RoboticsTomorrow, Jul 7, 2026
Frequently asked questions
What does the ABB Flexley Stack F712 actually do? +
It is an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) forklift that picks up, stacks, and retrieves pallets, containers, and racks in a warehouse or factory. It uses onboard cameras and visual SLAM to find its way around instead of following tape, magnets, or reflectors on the floor.
What are the F712's rated payload and lift height? +
ABB states a maximum payload of 2,000 kg (4,409 lb.) and a maximum lift height of 8.5 m (27.8 ft.), with adjustable forks that handle open and closed pallets, containers, or racks. These are ABB's published specifications, not independently tested figures.
What is visual SLAM and why does it matter for a forklift? +
Visual SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) lets a robot build and update a 3D map of its surroundings using cameras alone, rather than relying on pre-installed guides like magnetic tape or floor markers. For a warehouse buyer, that means no infrastructure retrofit before deployment, and the robot can keep working if the layout changes.
How does the F712 fit with ABB's other autonomous mobile robots? +
ABB says the F712 completes its visual-SLAM AMR portfolio, joining the existing Flexley Tug and Flexley Mover lines. All three are managed through ABB's AMR Studio software and are VDA5050-compatible, meaning they can be coordinated as a single mixed fleet on one factory or warehouse floor.
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