Fernando Sanchez (KUKA): "We have robotics' capacity for continuous transformation"

KUKA's orange robots have been a familiar sight on automotive and component production lines for decades. The innovative dynamic of the German company is constantly being renewed, as Fernando Sánchez, CEO of KUKA Iberia, explains.

AutoRevista.- How does KUKA understand innovation and what is the legacy that exists today as a result of decades of evolution of a company that has been in existence for more than 125 years?

Fernando Sánchez.- For years we have focused our innovation on three pillars: listening to our clients, responding to changes in the market and the experience of our own professionals. We have internal programmes in which all KUKA employees participate, currently around 14,000 people, and through their contributions, the ideas that arise are positioned and assessed. From there, selection committees choose a series of ideas for which global working groups are formed involving the areas of Marketing, R&D, Production and Sales, which develop the idea further. Finally, some of them are chosen and implemented in products and services that, in some cases, we are commercialising. This is an aspect that is linked to the R&D area that interacts directly with customers.

On the other hand, from our historical perspective - KUKA is more than 125 years old - we like to say that we have the capacity to transform ourselves. We started with acetylene, typewriters, rubbish trucks, automobile assembly lines, right up to today with robots, of course, and digital products. The constant has been change and adaptation.

AR.- In the current disruptive moment in the automotive industry, KUKA continues to be a very relevant partner in innovation in efficiency, digitalisation and sustainability, with what developments is it responding to the new challenges?

F.S.- KUKA is an important player in the current moment of change in the sector. In Europe, and specifically in Spain, we are participating in the main automotive projects, both for bodywork and final assembly and for battery plants, battery cells... We are present in all the electric vehicle projects being carried out in Spain. There are a series of robot models, with larger loads, which are very well designed for greater moments of inertia, movement of larger parts, for the manufacture of batteries and vehicles. 

There are a number of robot models, with larger loads, that are very well designed for greater moments of inertia, movement of larger parts, for the manufacture of batteries and vehicles

Another differentiating factor that has given us value in the criteria for choosing our robots is sustainability, both in terms of electricity consumption and in terms of sustainability and reducing the impact on the carbon footprint of the robots we manufacture in Augsburg (Germany). The choice of KUKA, in the long term, is much more cost-effective than other alternatives. The third factor lies in the connectivity and remote monitoring of the robot based on data. KUKA iiQoT is an IoT-based tool that enables monitoring of the status of installed robots, predictive maintenance, consumption analysis and diagnostics.

A differential factor that has given us value in the selection criteria for our robots is found in sustainability

AR.- Mobile, collaborative and connected robotics, how do you begin to write a present that can change plant lay-outs and acquire unsuspected levels of flexibility?

F.S.- In this whole series of changes, I would highlight the importance of ease of use, connectivity and mobility. On this point, not only with regard to AMRs (autonomous mobile robots), which have made a strong entry into OEM and Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier plants, but also in all types of internal flows of semi-finished products to production lines, which brings a higher level of efficiency. The combination of the three factors translates into matrix productions where the flexibility of moving parts is combined with robotics and connectivity. Manufacturing lines become more flexible and can better adapt to fluctuations in demand and variations in production.

AR.- When it comes to innovation, what is KUKA's dynamic in terms of collaboration with customers, but also with suppliers, driving the robotics and automation value chain?

F.S.- Our German headquarters have been collaborating for a long time with German technology centres with a high degree of specialisation in different technologies, which has always been a plus. There has always been a focus on the demands of industry, with different sectors, from automotive to aeronautics, including the world of plastics, to cite a few examples, which has helped us a lot to develop specific products. In Spain we collaborate with most technology centres. As robot manufacturers, this type of collaboration is always an incentive to be active and attentive to new trends.

The same occurs with our collaboration with different universities, whether public or private, within the Spanish territory. Spain has an increasing offer in the field of education and training, such as higher cycles that include robotics and automation. At KUKA Iberia we promote dual training, given that it is a very important benefit for both students and the company, with some students being potential members of the KUKA staff.

AR.- How does KUKA's innovative ecosystem work, with its locations in different regions of the world, and what is the role of the branch based in the Iberian Peninsula?

F.S.- We have our main R&D centre in Augsburg (Germany) as well as other development and innovation points in the USA, Hungary and China, where there is a robot factory for the local market. The innovation team develops global, very well-structured initiatives that generate innovation proposals that are worked on collectively.

Another form of collaborative innovation, in addition to the one we establish with OEMs, is cooperation with system partners, engineering companies that integrate robots in factories in different sectors. All of this makes up our innovative ecosystem, in addition to the points mentioned in the previous questions.

AR.- Where do you see the company's future as a player in the world of automotive manufacturing going and what ambitions does KUKA have to continue to contribute in the coming years?

F-S.- A very marked trend is in ease of use. Being able to access robotic solutions that are easy to use, install, program and integrate into their production processes. This will allow for increased levels of competitiveness. This does not mean in any case that engineering and integrators are going to disappear, not at all since there will always be projects that will require expert development and integration capabilities, as well as key knowledge in the different applications of the different industries.

 In all this series of changes, I would highlight the importance of ease of use, connectivity and mobility

Artificial intelligence is another actor to take into account since it can be a very binding tool since there will always continue to be challenges in connectivity, the use of information, security and programming.

Digital transformation is not only about technology, but also about people and processes. Companies capable of effectively integrating digital technologies into their operations, while training their employees and creating a customer-centric culture, will be better positioned to succeed in the digital age.

Innovative transformation for 125 years

In August 2023, KUKA celebrated its first 125 years of history, which began at the end of the 19th century thanks to the vision of Johann Josef Keller and Jakob Knappich. In 1898, they founded an acetylene gas plant in Augsburg, which enabled the profitable operation of street and domestic lighting. At the beginning of the 20th century, Keller and Knappich invented autogenous welding to set new standards in welding technology. The two entrepreneurs began to use an acronym in their telegrams: from the initials of ‘Keller und Knappich Augsburg’, the brand name KUKA was born.

In the 1920s, KUKA diversifies into the manufacture of containers, vehicle superstructures and becomes the largest manufacturer of municipal vehicles in Europe. In 1939, KUKA builds the first spot-welding machine in Germany. After the Second World War, it expands its product range to include typewriters and sewing machines.

In 1956, it launches the first automatic welding equipment for refrigerators and washing machines. In addition, he delivers the first multi-spot welding transfer line to Volkswagen AG. Ten years later, he establishes the new friction welding technology. In the following years, further innovations such as short-cycle welding or friction welding with positioning are developed.

The early 1970s marked the beginning of the introduction of KUKA robots to the market with Europe's first robot-operated welding transfer line for Daimler-Benz. The first Magnetarc welding machine continuously optimizes the process. In 1973, the world's first industrial robot with six electric motor-driven axes, the Famulus, materialises.

At the end of the 1980s, the company strengthens its leadership in Europe and, at the same time, establishes itself in North America. In 1996, it took the risk of a paradigm shift towards the PC-based robot controller and at the end of the 20th century began exporting robots to China, where it progressively created a development and industrial base.

At the forefront in the 21st century

In this century, KUKA has continued its innovative dynamic with achievements in various fields. In 2001, KUKA robots were used in the world's first robot-controlled ‘Cyberknife’ radiosurgery system for the treatment of inoperable and surgically complex tumours. A few years later, KUKA Toledo Production Operations is established for the integrated production of the Jeep Wrangler body in North America. In the past 15 years, KUKA has launched such significant products as the Quantec series of payloads; the LBR iiwa, the world's first mass-produced, sensitive robot approved for human-robot collaboration; and the LBR iisy, versatile in both industrial mass production and dynamic, unstructured workstations.

With operations such as the merger with Swisslog, under the banner of Thinking Orange, KUKA continues to be an undisputed leader in the world of robotics and automation in various sectors. In the automotive sector, it continues to deploy mobile robotics solutions and also offers new solutions through launches such as the new SCARA KR robots, which are characterised by their wide range of applications, from the automotive to the pharmaceutical industry. The new KR 20 and KR 60 models expand KUKA's portfolio of four-axis robots.

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Interview published in AutoRevista 2.396