Stronger, faster, more

productive�the endless
opportunities for robots
and automation
Introduction
Robots have a growing role
in solving the world's woes

The last three years have been brutal. As well as the extraordinary
challenges presented for many UK companies by the Covid-19 pandemic,
the Russia-Ukraine war, the cost of living crisis, by Brexit, and now the
horrific earthquake in Turkey and Syria which has wrought devastation to
that region. Business, as with people, has to find a way through, however
difficult the conditions. The word “resilience” has never been used more freely.

For manufacturing companies, costs and margins are a constant battle but
with energy costs at three or four-times their “normal” levels, high material
inflation and a shortage of skilled labour, the period since 2020 has been
particularly savage. On top of this, industry must decarbonise at a faster rate
than ever before.

This means innovation, technology
adoption and another popular word –
agility: companies seeking new tech-
nology solutions that perhaps they saw
as costly or outside their operating
comfort zone when conditions were
more benign.
Robot investment in the UK and Ireland
is rising, gradually. Covid and Brexit
forced more companies, especially food
manufacturing and packaging firms, to
automate. The labour is just not there
anymore. More automated welding is
needed; finding a skilled welder on the
job market is difficult, nigh impossible
in Ireland.
Robots today are seen as more acces-
sible than previously – there are more
low cost automation solutions like delta
robots and cobots, and generally the
price of technology is falling compared
to the output of the machine. And a
younger generation of managers, engi-
neers and decision makers are more
receptive to technology.
Robot suppliers were entering a wave
of new enquiries as the Covid pandemic
gripped us – but global supply shortages
took hold and huge lead times for PLCs
and, consequently, the machines they
control like robots, have stymied orders
and deliveries. Our CEO Jeff Nowill dis-
cusses more about the market drivers
in his foreword.
When deliveries can be made, a greater
range of robot applications are being
embedded in companies. This is a
differentiator for KUKA: we work with
customers to find solutions to almost
any automation problem, no matter the
size or how arcane.
KUKA feels that part of our DNA is to
try to make it work; even if the result is
that a robot is not the correct solution.
Consequently, we’ve had success in some
very novel business areas: artificial intel-
ligence powered additive manufacturing
(page 18), vending machine dispensing,
and cow teat protection in the dairy
industry (page 28), among many other
examples.
Our smart services that support the
core robots are also very important.
KUKA.Sim 4.0 lets you simulate the
automated process in your factory and
allows you to create and share lead-
ing solutions to check they can apply
to you, before commissioning. And
my.KUKA is a new digital customer por-
tal, giving you 24/7 access to product
data and availability, order products
with discounts, download software and
manage licenses. All these services save
time and boost your bottom line when
costs are climbing.

03
Stronger, faster, more productive
Industry outlook
Robots and automation
in 2023 and beyond
Component shortages, labour short-
ages, brutal inflation, an energy crisis,
automotive electrification, near full
employment. It’s a heady cocktail of
factors that robot manufacturers and
their customers face. KUKA UK CEO
Jeff Nowill gives his assessment.
It’s a strange time to be in the robot
and automation business. Demand for
robots is fairly strong, and there are
some exciting new markets opening,
but the word “challenging” has almost
become a cliché for machine builders
and, indeed, across manufacturing.
KUKA UK & Ireland had a record 2021
and achieved a strong 2022 but the
pressures KUKA faces in manufacturing
robots will be familiar to many.
The cost of materials and components
is commonly three times higher than
pre-pandemic. While this has become
normal for many, how is a business
supposed to manage that degree of
inflation? Lead times on parts are very
long. For some parts, delivery times that
were two or three weeks can now take 6
to 12 months and more. All this affects
final product deliveries.
Demand levels are good but we suspect
some of this is pre-emptive buying; as
customers themselves expect delays,
they are ordering a system well before
the project is required.
04
Some have asked us to extend delivery
times to reflect this, because they need
ancillary equipment for these systems
– and these also suffer delays. We are
seeing some rather large projects being
moved into later this year, or even into
next year.
It’s a very lumpy market and, like many
others, we are yearning for steady orders,
reliable growth and quick, efficient deliv-
ery times. We need to analyse the sales
numbers post-summer but, if pre-emp-
tive buying does turn out to be a big
trend, this might affect orders in 2023.
We are, however, seeing demand from
new markets that could offset a hiatus in
core markets.
Automotive has always been the
dominant market for industrial robots.
Car making has had a punishing two
years and is going through enormous
change, facing semiconductor shortages,
high fuel costs, the switch to electric,
competition, flexing headcounts pre-
and post-pandemic; forecasting the true
demand of petrol and diesel car models
today must be… challenging.
Car companies, facing very high costs,
cascade this pressure to suppliers; pric-
ing has become aggressive and, conse-
quently, automotive is now a very low
margin business. It is simply a difficult
market in which to prosper.
KUKA Systems Germany, which typically
tenders for big automotive work pack-
ages in the UK, is currently very focused
on modular house building.
This is a high growth industry, with huge
latent demand.

There are fewer peaks and troughs in
the order pipeline and the standards
for modular housing are much easier to
apply globally, too. Margins are higher
and we think this sector will be a major
driver for robot sales.
It is encouraging to see new markets, as
well as traditionally small but now grow-
ing markets, picking up. We are selling
more robots into the entertainment
industry, for stage applications and pro-
ducing theatre props, and a few more in
logistics, a segment with activities such
as processing packages in e-commerce
and shipping, has taken off, especially in
the US. Many very high volume busi-
nesses with delivery and accuracy as the
key metrics are investing in robots now,
because they can shave hours off the
processing time. KUKA robots are popu-
lar for nuclear decommissioning, which,
like modular housing, has a long tail.
And the education market is strong, too,
so market diversification was a feature of
2022 and will be into 2023 and beyond.
Have ambition: the UK and Ireland
deserve a real strategy
A dispiriting feature of technological
investment in manufacturing and
industry today is lethargy. Many large
projects – private and public sector –
take forever to approve to a Statement
of Work (SOW). You can understand
the reticence to invest heavily in some
factories in the last two years but,
generally, there is a sense that compa-
nies’ horizons are short. For example,
in September, the tea leaves suggested
that the Sizewell C nuclear power plant
will get government approval.
Industry outlook
The UK is now back in love with nuclear,
in response to the cost of energy crisis.
Meanwhile, France has built four new
reactors in the last three years and
China has built many. The argument for
building onshore wind, solar and nuclear
power assets here in the UK were sound
before the Ukraine war, before Covid
and before Brexit. Yet for the big ticket
projects that really boost industry, this
country is stuck in treacle. Look at the
wind and tidal energy assets we have;
policy and delay is holding us back when
we could be striding forward.
In August of last year, in reaction to the
semiconductor supply crisis, the US
Congress passed a $280 billion Chips
and Science Act, with $52 billion in state
subsidies for US chip manufacturing.
$280 billion! That is what we need. An
industrial strategy with scale, ambition
and a 20- or 30-year, rock solid commit-
ment, written into the statute.
Since I have followed our industrial
policy for nearly 20 years, government
intervention can be described as well
meaning tinkering. It has achieved
some results – but does it survive
the “What Next? Test” Does it make
enough money? At KUKA, anything we
introduce has to make a return within
three cycles or it is canned; our own
What Next? Test. Government efforts
to boost our industrial base should be
harshly measured. If they don’t provide
ROI in two or three cycles, bin them.
In the US, acts to boost manufacturing
have the context of being measured,
being clinical and being critical within
the current supply chains’ needs. I just
don’t see it in the UK. Let’s have much
greater ambition.
05
Stronger, faster, more productive
Productivity & partnerships
Providing solutions to industry
Bernard Bagley, Head of Robot Sales at
KUKA UK, and Brian Cooney, Managing
Director, KUKA Robotics Ireland, dis-
cuss how KUKA Robotics’ Partnership
Strategy helps users boost productivity,
efficiency and profitability.
‘Productivity’ is a word used widely but
there are different understandings of
its meaning. An automotive plant can
be described as the most productive in
a particular territory, for example. That
doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the
most profitable; it may mean that it has
the highest output per square metre
or just the highest overall. A premium
vehicle manufacturer may be much
more profitable, with far lower output.
Output is undoubtedly important –
if you aren’t making product then you
have nothing to sell – but boosting
output simply for the sake of numbers
isn’t necessarily a certain route to
commercial success. You can hire more
and more people to use out of date
processes to increase the numbers
produced but, ideally, businesses should
seek to increase productivity in an effi-
cient, effective and profitable way.
Automation: the great essential
to productivity
That means automation – but it isn’t
a magic bullet on its own, either.
Automation, of itself, makes a process
more productive. Machines have less
downtime. Robots don’t have holidays
or go sick, they can do the repetitive
jobs to the same standard, day after day,
for weeks, months and years. Robots
and automation help to reduce waste
and raise quality.
06
For European countries and companies
to remain competitive, cost has to be
taken out of the production and the way
to do that is through automation.
The arguments in favour are pretty famil-
iar and they are gaining weight all the
time. Demographically, the ‘developed
nations’ are seeing an ageing population
and consequent labour shortages. China
is facing a rapidly-emerging demographic
timebomb, because of its one-child
policy. It currently has the largest labour
force in the world and wages are low by
international standards but it also has
the highest uptake of robots, anywhere
in the world.
There is no single solution
Robotics is a constantly evolving tech-
nology and so, in addition to doing the
dirty, difficult, dangerous and repetitive
jobs, they can be used for more advan­
ced tasks, up to and including additive
manufacturing of complex components.
Machines can be programmed to learn
as they perform tasks or to take into
account the presence of human beings
within their operating spaces. The tech­
nology has come a long way and it can
be tempting to see investment in a robot
cell or line as the go-to solution to any
and all problems and challenges.
But there is no one-size-fits-all solu-
tion. Different companies have differ-
ent needs – and that is what KUKA’s
partners strategy is about. Partners are
experts in automation, robotics and
integration, who know their customers’
businesses and are up to speed on the
range of solutions available in terms
of the robots and tools available in
the market. KUKA works closely with
its partners; indeed, our central sales
channel is through our system partners.
If you look at the multitude of indus-
trial sectors and the complexity and
multiplicity of applications, they are so
broad and diverse that it is impossible
for KUKA or anyone to be expert in all
of them and that is why we developed
the system partner networks, across the
different sectors.
The System Partner Strategy:
a global solution
KUKA has 28 Platinum Partners in
Great Britain; in Ireland, which was
established as a dedicated location
more recently, it has three Platinum
Partners, one Gold Partner and another
11 Silver General Partners, making 15
altogether. KUKA GB also has a network
of ‘industry partners’.
The difference between Platinum and
others is that Platinum Partners are
expected to use and recommend KUKA
robots wherever they are available
although if they are working with a
client with a large established base
of competitor equipment, it would be
foolish to expect them to walk away
from a valuable opportunity.
 Productivity & partnerships

The tools, conveyors and other ancil-

laries will be sourced or designed as
appropriate. We show a very high level
of loyalty to our Partners and expect
the same in return.

Platinum Partners are close collabora-

tors with KUKA and will work with the
company in designing solutions. A sys-
tem partner may be expert in one field
but know nothing about another. We
have people who specialise in plastics,
welding, medical devices, consumer
goods, palletising, food and beverage,
and so on. We will walk with the cus-
tomer and the Partner through their
processes and work with both of them
to develop the application for the end
user so that they have the right system.

From the Partners’ perspective, we help

them grow their established base and
develop into new markets that we think
they would be suitable for.

The System Partner strategy is operated

across all KUKA’s territories, with minor
tweaks to suit local conditions.

It has been running for over a decade

and has proven to be very successful.
It delivers to the customer and end user
the highest level of expertise available,
from KUKA and integrators, to achieve
the productivity, effectiveness and profit-
ability they seek.

07
Stronger, faster, more productive
Wraparound support
KUKA's customer promise
KUKA Robotics provides full lifetime
support, from initial simulation through
installation, maintenance, and even life
extension. By Steve Hudson, Head of
Customer Service.
KUKA Robotics’ Customer Service
division has evolved into a very proac-
tive organisation in recent years. Our
platforms like KUKA.Sim, WarrantyPro
and my.KUKA mean that we are involved
from the start of robotic and automa-
tion projects all the way through to
end-of-life support – and even beyond,
as we will see.
Our Customer Service team will join
sales visits and assist in drawing up
specifications with our integrator part-
ners and customers. We offer support
with planning, installation, specifica-
tion and training on robots, software
and systems. We go out of our way to
ensure that proposed equipment and
ancillaries are suitable for the purpose.
KUKA.Sim
Our sales division uses KUKA.Sim
on every enquiry. KUKA.Sim de-risks
automation and robotics projects, by
simulating applications from single
work cells to entire assembly lines.
This cuts costs, saves time and reduces
or even eliminates teething problems.
We undertake a basic reach, payload and
suitability study and then our Systems
Division completes a full simulation of
the complete production system. That
ensures that we and our partner inte-
grators select the most suitable robot
and ancillary equipment, determine the
correct positioning of the robot, tools
and support functions like conveyors,
before commissioning.
08
Everything is fully modelled and code
developed. KUKA.Sim is a tool that has
already proved its value, time and time
again.
Training
We offer different levels of training,
including planning, operation and
maintenance, to end-of-life. We offer a
continuous learning cycle, depending
on customers’ existing skills levels. It
includes operator programming and
electrical and mechanical maintenance,
and online training to refurbish and
recycle the equipment.
Keeping the wheels turning
Uptime, productive time, is vital. No-one
wants to see breakdowns but there is
no point in pretending that they don’t
happen. Our aim is, first, to minimise
them but then to get your plant up and
running again as quickly as possible. By
working closely with our partners we
have developed tools and technologies
that have cut response times from days
to a matter of hours.
Our integrator partner companies provide
the first level of support and will have the
initial maintenance and service contract.
They are the direct link, they maintain the
equipment and keep the production line
running. If there are technical issues that
they cannot solve, we assist them.
Sensors fitted to the robot, on the
motors, and for detecting electrical
current, temperatures, gearbox oil and
so on, can provide us with data on an
ad hoc or a structured basis. A readout
from the system can tell us why a robot
has broken down.

We can identify if a robot has been run
beyond its specification. This is quite
common for various reasons – whether
it’s the night shift running it faster
in order to get through the schedule
quicker, or torque loads being ramped
up too fast after a shutdown, such as
we saw post-Covid lockdowns, we can
identify root causes and rectify them.
We can collect data from our worldwide
base of installed machines and compare
local events with the database, to see
what has changed, what the variables are
and predict if a unit is likely to suffer an
incident. That means we can increasingly
intervene to prevent unexpected failures.
WarrantyPro – raising the standard
With WarrantyPro, KUKA is raising the
standard of customer service. Instead
of simply installing equipment and
then reacting to a breakdown in a few
years’ time, we are adopting a no-hassle,
multi-year model that we have aligned
with the automotive industry, to offer a
no-hassle support service.
A full five-year package secures full spare
parts support and unlimited visits to the
premises to keep the equipment running.
WarrantyPro means that qualified KUKA
and partner technicians will undertake
scheduled and routine maintenance and
also practice preventative maintenance,
to ensure that uptime is maximised.
my.KUKA – 360o visibility, 24/7
The my.KUKA portal is an online support
service that lets customers see exactly
what is happening with their robots,
including records of service and mainte-
nance visits.
Wraparound support
Registered users will have access to a
full knowledge base of KUKA products. If
the customer has not taken WarrantyPro,
they can enter their serial numbers, see a
full case history of a particular asset and
a full list of recommended spares.
Through my.KUKA, customers also can
access work instructions, training docu-
mentation and e-learning.
Throughout life – and beyond
KUKA’s Customer Services commitment
embraces the opportunities provided by
contemporary technology, but we also
provide full support for our long-standing
customers.
We installed robots at Pilkington Glass’
automotive supply plant at King’s Norton,
around 20 years ago. We continue to pro-
vide support even for obsolete equipment
by utilising equipment streams/sources
that satisfy their spare parts needs, to
keep the factory running.
At Tacoma, in Banbury, we supplied
robots and integrated the systems and
ancillaries, including grippers, con-
veyors and secondary operations, to
support an injection moulding machine
that produces fenders. We recently
introduced the company to one of our
integrators, who installed some of our
latest machines when customer demand
increased. We are now supporting both
new and legacy equipment, helping this
customer to evolve and modernise their
plant in planned and budgeted stages.
The KUKA commitment to customer
service is more than skin deep. It is
comprehensive and long-lasting.
09
Stronger, faster, more productive
Robot range and options
A solution for all
Three new product launches in
2022 and a payload range from 6kg
to 1,300kg means KUKA now has a
robot for every industrial purpose.
Industrial automation is no longer
the sole preserve of automotive, food
& beverage and packaging companies.
More and more applications in estab-
lished industries, as well as those very
new to robotics, have been developed
and are now available. Consider these
unconventional functions: vending
machines, filmmaking, surgical proce-
dures, moving aircraft wings across a
hangar – even portrait painting!
Although the whacky and wonderful
are gaining ground, robots are still
used in volume mainly for functional,
repetitive tasks that need high preci-
sion. KUKA’s leading unit sales in 2021
were for material handling (about 25%
of sales), picking and packing, and
assembly, in that order.
Determining which models are best
suited to particular functions will be
based on the number of movements,
payload, reach of the robot arm, work-
ing space and direct cost. Users can be
confident that KUKA has the right robot
model, software and ancillaries for every
conceivable industrial application.
10
If the task can be automated, KUKA
has the robot to do it.
From the small, simple and precise
KR DELTA with just 3kg payload and
600mm reach and the new compact,
4-axis KR SCARA robot, ideal for han-
dling small components like smart-
phones, to the giant 1,300kg payload
and 3,600mm reach KR1000 Titan,
there is a KUKA robot for every task.
With the launch in 2022 of the new
KR SCARA, KR CYBERTECH nano ARC
and KR QUANTEC PA, KUKA now has
23 robot families, each with several var-
iants. This wide range, plus the choice
of the KRC4 or newer, more capable
KRC5 controller, multiple end-effectors
and different KUKA software packages,
provides infinite configurations for
any automation task.
In the growing pharma, medical, vend-
ing and other industries that require
small, precise and sometimes ‘smart’
movements, KUKA’s collaborative LBR
iiwa robot, the KR AGILUS series and
LBR iisy are all becoming popular.
Whether the application needs HMI
sensor technology to protect the human
operator (which the cobots offer)
or needs a small working envelope,
accur­­ate industrial robot like AGILUS,
whether for medium or high rates of
output, KUKA has the solution. The KR
4 AGILUS is particularly well-suited for
electronic assembly, due to its size,
reach, repeat accuracy of 0.02mm and
improved cycle pathway.
Mid-range robots: versatility and so
much choice
In the UK and Ireland, KUKA’s most
popular “all-rounder” is the KR QUAN-
TEC, which can lift payloads of up to
300kg and have a reach over 3,900mm.
The introduction of the QUANTEC nano
means that this mid-range family now
has the widest range of payload and
reach in the KUKA portfolio.
It is a perennial favourite with automo-
tive manufacturers, in assembly and
paint shops, and its size and versatility
also make it popular with some novel
applications.
“QUANTECs are the market leader for
system integrators that modify robots
for machining,” says Jonathan Pick,
Sales Manager Midlands and Sector
Manager for machine tending. Compa-
nies using robots for machining tend
to favour the KR 120 R2700 models.
“CNC Robotics, our Platinum System
Partner, uses QUANTECs and IONTECs
exclusively for their machining robots,
as it gives them size for stability and
the cutting power, where the spindle
on a milling end effector can weigh up
to 50kg.”
Robot range and options

11
Stronger, faster, more productive
Enquiries for the IONTEC range have
also increased greatly since the model
launched two years ago. IONTEC sits
in the 20kg to 70kg payload range,
between the smaller CYBERTEC and the
mid-range QUANTEC families. They have
gained a reputation for versatility and
can be found in machining, pick and
place and material handling, especially
palletising and packaging.
12
“Starting from 20kg with a 3.1 metre
reach, IONTEC has a 50kg variant with
two reaches, 2.1m and 2.5m, as well as
the KR IONTEC 70 at the top end,” says
Jonathan. The IONTEC family demon-
strates that, when KUKA identifies a
niche with sufficient demand, it will
develop the robot to fit the application,
rather than oblige customers to settle
for an under- or oversized robot.
An important IONTEC variant popular
with the food and beverage market is the
Hygienic Oil (HO) robot. The axes and
energy supply system use harmless-to-
humans NSF H1 class food-grade oil as
a lubricant and the light, metallic grey
surface is designed to expose any con-
tamination. KUKA Hygienic Oil (HO) port-
folio meets the hygiene requirements
of Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and
DIN ISO 14159. Only KUKA has a full range
of robots – from the 6kg AGILUS to the
240kg QUANTEC – in the HO version for
food preparation.

It’s the application, not the model
that rules
KUKA believes that the application is
king, not the model. “We match the
robotic solution to the precise needs
of the customer,” says Jonathan Pick.
“If a robot model is close but does not
perform the exact job that is needed,
we will not specify it – we will find a
different solution.”
It’s this customer-first approach to
automation that has helped KUKA UK
and Ireland, with its System Partners,
grow its business by volume and appli-
cation. In mainstream markets, plastics
manufacturing, along with pharmaceu-
tical and medical segments have grown
in 2021/22. Altogether, these markets
made up 15% of sales in 2021 (UK &
Ireland).
Robot range and options
Sales in unusual markets, such as
logistics and entertainment - including
filmmaking at Manchester production
company G6 Moco – are in double
digits and growing. Giving customers
proven, evergreen, reliable favourites
and adding brand new robot designs
for novel applications, all with multiple
tools and end-effectors, keeps KUKA
ahead of the pack.
13
Stronger, faster, more productive
WAAM3D
Adding up the savings
with RoboWAAM
The age of 3D printing, even of large and
very large, safety-validated metal com-
ponents for aerospace and construction
has arrived.
Of the many ways to decarbonise
industry and society, some attract more
attention than others. Lightweighting
and waste reduction, especially in trans-
portation, are essential parts of the
solution but can seem low profile. But
the question should be asked: why man-
ufacture a component in the traditional
way if you can save waste and weight
doing it differently?
That is the central problem that Dr
Filomeno Martina, Prof Stewart Williams
and partners set out to solve at Cranfield
University in a project that began in 2007.
Large, load bearing structures – used in
aerospace, construction, defence and
other “big” applications – were typically
CNC-machined and fabricated, producing
megatonnes of metal swarf every year
as an unnecessary byproduct. Compa-
nies were already printing components
in other industries but 3D printing for
safety-critical applications needed time,
development, testing, and rigorous
type-approval.
Fast-forward 15 years and WAAM3D Ltd,
a new company spun out from Cranfield,
has launched its RoboWAAM and made
it commercially available.
This is a fully integrated, turnkey wire
arc additive manufacturing (WAAM)
machine to print large and approved
metal components, from nothing to
the finished part. It eliminates wasteful
machining and truckloads of valuable
swarf. The specific technology that
WAAM3D harnesses is DED AM (Direct
Energy Deposition Additive Manufac-
turing).
14
The deposition head is guided by a
KUKA robot. The RoboWAAM cell is a
game changer for companies because
it provides everything the manufactur-
ing team needs to fabricate these parts
in a single, fully compliant package,
with KUKA’s KR IONTEC, a versatile,
modular robot in the 20kg to 70kg pay-
load range.
In previous years, printing such big parts
had huge ‘demand pull’ from industry
but not the supply chain – the materials,
control system and process rigour – to
support it.
Image credit: WAAM3D
WAAM3D persevered and is now reaping
the rewards. In June, the company won
UK media company TCT’s 3D Printing and
Additive Manufacturing Award in the
non-polymer hardware category, against
five strong entries.
KUKA: platform partner since day one
The RoboWAAM machine is the grand-
daughter, and namesake, of an orig-
inal R&D project part-funded by the
government’s innovation agency,
Innovate UK, in 2018. KUKA was, and
remains, the original robotics partner
for RoboWAAM.
It was selected because of its desire to
develop control parameters with the
team, its willingness to partner on the
development of RoboWAAM and the suit-
ability of its robot controller, the KRC4.
The project required a lot of technical
developmental work for no quick return.
The 2018 project proved that 3D print-
ing long-section (three metres plus),
often heavy, metallic components, to
specified physical parameters was pos-
sible but the technology needed several
refinements and “packaging”, or simpli-
fying, to appeal to industry. RoboWAAM
has a robust enclosure, fully integrated
safety guard access, a control station
with integrated PC and twin screens,
and a suite of proprietary WAAM3D
software to allow production engineers
to programme the part build with no
need for deep expertise in either addi-
tive manufacturing or robotics.
Control is everything in advanced man-
ufacturing. Precise control gives these
printed parts the validation they need
to fly in an aircraft carrying hundreds of
passengers. Dr Filomeno Martina, CEO
of WAAM3D, says “Two key features of
RoboWAAM are that it is available as
a plug-and-play package, rather than
requiring a company to build the
machine from separate, off-the-shelf
parts. We have some off-the-shelf com-
ponents, like the KUKA robot, but the
core system uses our proprietary con-
trols, our software and WAAM3D own
sensors, which makes it very reliable
and enables easier customer support.
Secondly, the software has been pain-
stakingly developed to be modular and
intuitive, to help the expert or non-
expert engineer to plan the tool paths,
deposition parameters, and other back-
ground tasks.”
 WAAM3D

Software is provided in four modules, “We look at that (data) as an oppor-

which break down the process of
planning, setting up and delivering
the parts: WAAMPlanner, WAAMKeys,
WAAMSim and WAAMCtrl. WAAMKeys,
for example, controls the print geom-
etry, specifically the layer height using
WAAM3D’s list of material-specific
algorithms that automatically allocate
process parameters around the tool-
path – as well as offering compensation
strategies to manage changing thermal
inertia.
tunity, to continuously demonstrate
that each part's building stage, point
by point, at each moment and stage,
sits within a spec and is compliant. If it
doesn't fit in the spec, you have some
recovery options, or you may have to
discard, but the system reduces waste
as much as possible.”

“This machine needs to work like a

machine tool. Everything has been
designed to squeeze additional perfor-
mance out of (the machine), as opposed
to additive systems adapted from stand-
ard welding kit, which require a lot of
Image credit: WAAM3D
manual intervention,” says Filo.
RoboWAAM is a triumph – an advanced,
validated, turnkey 3D metal printing
Operator interface – avoid costly
solution for large components, with
errors early
accurate process control and metallic
materials developed especially for the
Up to 60 sensors are fitted to RoboWAAM,
system.
with statistical process control applied
to the most critical ones. If something
WAAM3D’s close partnership with KUKA
goes wrong, the operator is alerted –
and other technical partners is critical
the interface users a traffic light green,
to ensure the system not only works
yellow and red system. The “build” is
well but is user friendly and provides
rendered on screen in a very modern
multi-level control.
User Interface, providing the realism
that operators need as a veneer over the
huge amount of data being generated
during the building.

15
Stronger, faster, more productive
Votechnik
Recycling LCDs safely
and faster with robots
An advanced machine made by a Uni-
versity of Limerick spin-out company
is using KUKA robots to accelerate the
recycling of LCDs that must be depolluted
to meet European Union regulations.
About 200 million LCDs (Liquid Crystal
Displays) are sold every year in televi-
sions and computer monitors. While
they contain products that can be
reclaimed for reuse, under the European
Union’s WEEE directive for the disposal
of electrical goods, LCDs cannot go to
landfill and must be recycled. This is
messy and hazardous manual work,
exposing workers to broken glass and
hazardous chemicals, so LCDs must be
“depolluted” in the recycling process.
Image credit (above): Votechnik
A fourth-generation machine made
by Votechnik in Ireland, can automate
LCD recycling, making it cleaner and
much faster than manual processing.
The ALR4000 is the latest version of a
“plug-and-play” machine, described as
an enabling technology for specialist
recycling companies who, hitherto,
had struggled with LCD disposal. The
machine’s predecessors were originally
developed by the University of Limerick
with funding from the Environmental
Protection Agency.
Image (right): KUKA KR QUANTEC
16
The technology was patented and then
spun-out into Votechnik, which was
launched as a new company. The EPA
support was secured partly because of
the machine’s environmental compliance
with the WEEE directive.
The ALR4000 is part-funded by a Euro-
pean Commission project that helps
bring new inventions to market read-
iness. It uses a KUKA KR QUANTEC
robot to handle the screens through
the recycling process and is designed
to offer recyclers a turnkey solution.
“A 100% self-contained mini plant is
what we wanted; something very simple
to operate and that removes any danger
or risk to the operator,” says Dr Lisa
O’Donoghue, CEO of Votechnik. “During
development, we constantly looked at
this from the point of view of SMEs, the
backbone of Europe, asking the ques-
tion: how we can help them?”
The plant can process up to 60 LCDs per
hour, which is more than 10 times the
typical manual rate. The work is unpleas-
ant: breaking LCDs creates broken glass,
their small fluorescent tubes contain
traces of mercury which, along with the
liquid crystal content between two glass
sheets, must be removed and disposed
of in an approved manner.
“The previous manual process was very
slow, with just three to five screens
processed per worker per hour, and staff
are exposed to everything from broken
glass fractions to contact with mercury,”
says Lisa.

A key feature is the machine’s ability to
handle variation. LCDs vary enormously
in make, size, depth, number of screws
and ancillary features like DVD players.
Previous attempts to automate their
recycling found this a barrier. Votechnik’s
latest machine has been designed to
process infinite variations.
The process
The LCDs are assessed on entry to the
machine using a laser scanning system.
The KUKA robot picks up the LCD rep-
resenting it to a station where the LCD
glass front is cleanly removed with a
twin cutting saw, the glass panel comes
out on one conveyor and can be stacked.
The robot then presents the LCD to a
second station where the CCFL (cold
cathode fluorescent lamp) tubes are
removed, and are placed in a sealable
container. Negative air extraction over
the machine removes any harmful
gases; the bad air extracted is cleaned
with active carbon filtration built into
the machine.
The LCD is now depolluted; as the
components containing the hazardous
material have been removed.
LCDs can now rejoin the normal waste
stream at a recycling facility and no
longer have to be segregated.
“Once LCDs have been through our
machine and the hazardous material
isolated, PCBs and all of the remainder
can rejoin the main waste stream and
be shred.
Our system allows LCDs to be depolluted
quickly and it gives a plant optimisation
of materials flow,” Lisa says.
KUKA is an essential partner for Votech-
nik. “Having a robot that can grip the unit
securely and move it through the process
is absolutely key for us because it can
best manage the variation in the system.”
This is a big step forward. An early ALR
system required LCDs to be manually
pushed through the process, because
adapting to product variation could not
be automated. The KUKA QUANTEC and
Votechnik’s process control has solved
that. By coincidence, QUANTEC is KUKA’s
“greenest robot”, in that the range typ-
ically has the highest concentration of
recycled parts.
Image credit (above): Votechnik
Different designs of grippers can be
fitted if specific monitors and TVs are
regularly processed, giving the system
further flexibility. The size range varies
from 12 inch to 90 inch screens; the
latter is more popular in the US market,
where screens are much bigger.
Votechnik
The ALR4000 is fitted with remote
monitoring, so Votechnik can see how
each machine is operating and diagnose
faults. “An average recycling facility will
not have a team of engineers in-house.
Remote monitoring means that we can
monitor problems and advise the cus-
tomer or even fix them remotely,” Lisa
says. Its first ALR4000 customers are
in Ireland and the company is building
out another two demonstrators, one for
mainland Europe and another destined
for the USA.
Unisex industrial design helps
Support is essential to a new, high-tech
company as its presence grows abroad.
KUKA’s international network provides
access to high-end technical services in
many countries and gives added confi-
dence. “We are super-focused on great
service for the machine, maintaining
uptime and keeping happy customers.”
KUKA’s market presence and technical
abilities was also a major factor.
An interesting point in Votechnik’s
product development is the link between
robots and the European Commission’s
focus on gender equality in awarding
funding.
Robotics tend to make an industrial
process unisex-friendly, removing the
physical barriers for female operators,
such as heavy lifting. An added feature
of the ALR4000 design, is that it can
demonstrate that female workers were
not disadvantaged in the operation.
17
Stronger, faster, more productive
Ai Build
AI software cuts waste
in large-scale AM
The advantages of additive manufac-
turing, including lower raw material
consumption and the production of
complex shapes without multiple
processes, can be compromised by
high failure rates, especially in large-
scale component manufacture. Ai
Build’s AiSync software dramatically
reduces toolpath time and failures,
while delivering stronger parts.
Ai Build, based in Leyton, London, was
founded in 2015 by Daghan Cam (CEO)
and Michail Desyllas (COO), who met
while working for Zaha Hadid, the inno-
vative and award-winning British-Iraqi
architect. They discovered a common
interest in additive manufacturing (AM)
and geometric problem solving.
Their experience in major architectural
projects led them to recognise a sig-
nificant AM capability gap, especially
in large scale applications, which are
typically based on time-consuming and
expensive ‘trial and error’ approaches.
The couple determined that advanced
automation and a data-driven approach
were key to broadening the range of
applications for which AM is suitable.
AiSync, Ai Build’s AM software platform,
is designed to bridge the capability gap,
eliminate trial and error, cut failure rates
and deliver increased operational effi-
ciency, at enterprise scale. The company
has been backed with investment from
venture capital funds and large compa-
nies, and has grown from five staff in
2015 to 24 today. AiSync went through
Boeing’s Accelerator programme – that
invests in startups building autono-
mous and AI solutions that advance the
way aircraft are built – in 2021 and its
client list includes manufacturers in
the automotive, marine and aerospace
industries.
18
“We are 100 per cent focused on soft-
ware development, on increasing the
application of artificial intelligence in
AM, especially in large-scale structures,”
says Daghan Cam. “We are using AI to
make the technology more efficient.”
The focus is not on smaller components,
as with typical AM; it is on large load-
bearing structures, such as aeroplane
wing spars, for which different thinking
and technology are needed.
Image credit: Ai Build
“Traditionally, 3D printing is delivered
by desktop type chambers or gantry type
three-axis machines. We are taking it
to another level by using robotic arms,”
say Cam. “This means that customers
can now produce parts using robots’
multi-axis capabilities. This technique
means that they don’t need to print a lot
of support structures, this saves material
and produces better quality finished
items and increases customers’ produc-
tion efficiency.”
Static robots can handle components up
to about two metres wide by two metres
long but if they can be positioned on a
linear track or gantry system, the reach
becomes much bigger. Mounting multi­-
-axis robots on 10m to 20m-long tracks
means they can produce very large parts,
for applications in marine and power
generation, for example.
Initially, Ai Build worked pretty much
exclusively with polymers but it has
expanded into metal deposition, also.
The 3D printers it works with are laser-­
supported position-based extrusion
technologies.
Essential technology partnerships gives
service breadth
Ai Build works very closely with partners
in creating, designing, proving and
implem­­enting solutions. It has a fleet of
contemporary KUKA robots in its labora-
tory, including a QUANTEC KR 90 R2700;
IONTEC KR30 L16-2; IONTEC KR 70
R1800; AGILUS KR6 R900; AGILUS KR8
R1600; and AGILUS KR10 R1100. The end
tools it integrates for clients’ are from
hardware companies such as Weber
Additive, CEAD, MassiveDimension, Dyze
and Meltio.
“We have machines in our labs to do
physical testing, to ensure the software
is doing what it is supposed to. We have
around two dozen hardware partners,
most of whom send their machines to
us for initial integration,” Cam says.
The machines are linked into the AiSync
platform, their full capabilities are
explored and a digital twin created, so
the users can see an exact simulation
on-screen of what the 3D printer looks
like and what it will be doing.
“That integration is very important for
us because data is captured in real-time
and used to improve the models,” says
Cam.
 Ai Build

“Large OEMs may have a lot of 3D

printers in their factories already and
are looking for a platform to manage
their manufacturing production. They
are looking to cut costs and cycle times
by reducing errors and failures. Ai Build
faces these challenges, head on.”

Cam explains that AM needs to elevate

from the R&D level where it’s working
today to a production, validated level.
Failure rates are still extremely high and
there’s a lot of reliance on human labour.
“To get good quality parts you must be
an expert in CAD/CAM and other soft-
ware,” he explains. “You design some-
thing on a computer, make a path for
your machine and then go and print it,
physically. Then you see what isn’t work-
ing, go back to the software and make it
again. This represents a severe bottleneck
and prevents AM from scaling up. It’s very
difficult to transfer that knowledge from
person to person.”

The AiSync platform collects data const-

antly, from camera feeds on the machines,
sensor logs and other collection points,
and makes it available to users logged
in to the platform. Monitoring becomes
automatic; if an anomaly is detected from
the camera feed, the user can be alerted
wherever they are, they don’t need to be
present in the factory.

“We are offering our customers a much

more automated way of preparing
their toolpaths, with less dependency
on skilled human labour, so it can be
transported easily from department
to department, thus increasing the
efficiency of their production, using
less material, making better parts and
eliminating post-processing.”

19
Stronger, faster, more productive
Sustainability
Reuse and longevity align
with car customer’s green goals
KUKA has supplied five high payload
and three heavy payload robots to a UK
automotive customer for inclusion in a
new automated line for assembling EV
motors and batteries.
A strong sustainability and longevity
thread runs through the story, for KUKA,
its customer and their industry – saving
carbon in EV production.
Automotive plants are gradually adding
more specialist lines for electric vehicle
components assembly. From 2030 in the
UK, only full electric and hybrid electric
vehicles will be manufactured as the
industry seeks to reach net zero goals,
so this ramp up will now only accelerate.
One KUKA automotive customer is build-
ing several new lines for the assembly
of motors and batteries. When com-
missioned, the components will be
machined and fabricated, assembled by
hand, quality tested and then removed
and stacked, and large industrial robots
– KUKA QUANTECs and KUKA FORTECs
– will be installed for all the material
handling to maintain high takt rates and
precision. The motors and batteries will
be platform-based, used across several
vehicle platforms.
The customer, which is pushing for more
sustainable business operations, appro-
ached KUKA UK and Ireland to identify
20
some used robots of the right specifica-
tion from a stock the customer had from
previously decommissioned production
lines. Five KR210 (up to 300kg payload)
and three KR500 (up to 500kg) donor
robots were selected and then refur-
bished at KUKA Wednesbury in a very
short timescale and then shipped to one
of the company’s integration partners in
mainland Europe.
Here they will be joined by several new
robots from KUKA in Augsburg, Germany,
integrated and commissioned into the
new line before being commissioned,
fully tested and passed-off prior to ship-
ment back to Britain by August, to be
operational later in the year.
Supply delays and green drivers
Used robots were selected partly to
meet the customer’s challenging time
scales. The global semiconductor short-
age, although easing, and the surge in
demand for automation has resulted in
the delivery times of new robots being
longer than typically experienced.
The older robots were in a good, oper-
ational condition and refurbishing and
reusing used equipment aligns well with
the OEM customer and their com-
mitments to lowering its own carbon
emissions and impact on the planet.
The older robot controllers have been
updated with new processors, the
latest Windows operating system and
KUKA applications software installed to
future-proof them for IT support. As part
of KUKA’s commitment to the environ-
mental impact of precious metals and
rare earth materials, the old PCs will be
refurbished and given a second life with
other customers and applications.

The final product is an electric car
which, over its lifetime, will consume
far less carbon than an ICE car.
Choosing quality refurbished robots
means the company can hit its manu-
facturing deadlines, save money but still
receive a manufacturer warranty. “The
factory refurbishment and extensive
test procedures within this process
means that essentially you are getting
a system that is operationally as good-
as-new. The warranty gives peace of
mind, financially it offers benefits, turn-
around time is short and the re-utilisa-
tion of the equipment can be included
in the customers sustainability plan,
which this company is committed to,”
says Paul Williams of KUKA.
The KR QUANTEC models are very popular
for automotive processes, where often a
+200kg payload is needed and they are
typically used for spot welding, riveting,
glazing as well as material handling. The
FORTEC range for heavier applications
up to 800kg combines power, reach and
precision, across a range of applications
and industries.
Industry trends – KUKA longevity
responds to customer demands
Car model variants today have a shorter
cycle than 15 or 20 years ago. Typically,
a popular car gets a significant “facelift”
every three to four years, and a significant
model change every six to seven years.
Historically, at a model change, car plants
would integrate new robots when the
lines were re-engineered, but as industrial
robots have improved and become more
‘upgradeable’ this has changed.
Sustainability
Now a robot may be refurbished and
updated to be used for multiple itera-
tions of a vehicle. This longevity pleases
customers and massively reduces waste,
a driver for KUKA too.
“KUKA is being pushed by OEMs and
tier ones to support the robot for longer
as well. Longevity and ‘lifecycle sup-
port’ are questions now asked regularly
by automotive customers,” Paul says.
“Support for eight to ten years after
installation was normal, but now we
must be committed to support them
for 15 or even 20+ years in some cases.
Everyone demands longevity in response
to resources and climate change.”
KUKA’s control systems, the KR C4
and new KR C5, are now more flexible.
Components have become upgrade-
able rather than requiring wholesale
replacement. For example, a controller
can receive a new Industrial PC, with
the latest software versions and be
future proofed for another 5-years plus,
without needing to replace the entire
cabinet, giving the controller a second
and third life.
21
Stronger, faster, more productive
Thomson Friction Welding
Lasting innovation
Thomson Friction Welding (TFW) was
established in 1963 and can claim to be
the friction welding company with the
longest record of continuous service
in the UK and is one of very few to be
able to say this in Europe and across
the world.
Based in Halesowen, West Midlands,
its customer roll includes high-profile
British multinational manufacturers of
equipment for construction and agricul-
ture, German multinational conglomer-
ate corporations, pioneers, technology
drivers and other high-profile OEMs and
high tier suppliers in the automotive,
hydraulics, oil and gas and communica-
tions industries. TFW machines are to be
found all over the world.
“We offer contracting services but our
principal business is the manufacture
and sale of friction welding machines,”
says Nick McCarthy, Head of Sales and
Market Development for Advanced
Welding Solutions.
Applications that need friction welding
solutions include large axles for trucks;
copper to aluminum electrical con-
nections in the rail industry; hydraulic
cylinders for earthmoving and agricul-
tural equipment; and in the oil and gas
exploration business.
“You will have seen on the drilling
platforms that the operators join pipes
together into what is known as a string.
At the end of each pipe are ‘box and pen’
male and female joints. Those connectors
are friction welded onto the tube,” Nick
explains. “They are required to be friction
welded in order to obtain the global
standard API (American Petroleum Insti-
tute) certification. Some of those pipes
could be up to 10 kilometers long, or even
more. The last thing you want is for one
of those joints to break.”
22
The auto industry uses it for airbag can-
isters, driveshafts and engine valves as
well as axles, and anywhere that is high
stress and failure is not an option.
Friction welding is far stronger than
conventional TiG or MiG welding, which
is why it’s the best solution available for
safety-critical applications.
“The process isn’t really welding; it is
more like forging. In rotary friction
welding, the machines rotate one com-
ponent against the other at high speed.
When the materials plasticize, they
are forced together. The join exchanges
material between the two items being
joined,” Nick says.
The machines that can achieve these
joins have to be pretty strong, which
means that, inevitably, they are big.
They cost a lot of money and the cus-
tomers who buy and own them tend to
be large OEMs and high tier companies,
themselves.
The purchasers investing in this equip-
ment want to be very confident that
they will get value for money. That is
where TFW’s legacy comes into its own.
It has a history of supplying machines
that have been giving outstanding, relia-
ble service, for years.
“The machines are very solidly engi-
neered. They have to be, to generate
the pressures needed for friction weld-
ing and to cope with the consequent
pressures,” Nick points out.
“The basic process of friction welding
hasn’t really changed in the 60 years of
TFW’s existence. What has changed is
the control processes; they have been
modified and evolved, over the years,
and the machines now are very efficient.”
Those two facts – solid engineering and
the essential continuity of the process –
combine to put TFW in a pretty unique
position.
“Some of our customers have been
using our machines for years. If they
have been running them three shifts a
day, seven days a week and 52 weeks
of the year then they will be in need of
some TLC after 10 years or so,” Nick con-
tinues. “We can bring them back to the
factory, completely strip them down and
refurbish them from the base unit out.
The fundamental parts of the machines
are reusable.”
The new machines are good as new –
and are certified as such. The fact of
reusing so much key componentry can
come in very useful when a customer
has a particular and urgent need.
“One of our long-standing customers
that supplies fully integrated drivetrain
and electrified propulsion systems to the
auto industry needed a new machine,
fast. We had recently taken in a machine
that needed a complete refurb and were
in the process of doing it – the company
that sent it back had bought a new one,”
Nick relates.
 Thomson Friction Welding

“We were able to complete the refur-

bishment and supply it to the cus-
tomer, fully guaranteed, a bit faster
than we could have supplied new. It
was equipped with fully contemporary
control and hydraulic systems; it really
was as good as new. And a bit cheaper
than new, too!”

Not mouth-wateringly cheaper, he

stresses; the replaced parts were the
added-value components. The heavy
parts, such as the base and head
casings, are the bits that have the long
lead times but they have been made in
much the same way for decades. New
equipment fits right in.

“Using refurbished machines helps us

to manage demand and our customers
to manage their production capacity,”
Nick says. “They also reduce the carbon
footprint, cut lead times and are an
example of environmental responsibil-
ity. The sustainability of TFW machines
is legendary.

“It has been said: if there was a nuclear

war, the survivors would be cockroaches
and TFW friction welding machines. I’m
not sure about the cockroaches,” Nick
concludes, with a smile.

Image credit: Thomson Friction Welding

23
Stronger, faster, more productive
Merck
2.5x productivity gain
When science and technology com-
pany Merck Millipore Ltd., based in
County Cork, Ireland, recognised the
need to move from a manual operation
of inserting O-rings into medical sam-
ple plates, it selected KUKA Platinum
Partner DesignPro to design an auto-
mated system that would boost quality
and productivity.
Ireland’s life sciences sector has
become a big player in the country’s
industrial landscape, attracting brands
from all over the world, including Ger-
many’s Merck. Merck Millipore’s site in
Tullagreen, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, has
been in operation for over 30 years and
employs around 850 people. It is an
important employer in southern Ireland
and a market leader in the sector.
Image credit: DesignPro Automation
“We have three main product areas on
this site. We manufacture filtration
membranes, medical devices with the
filtration membrane in place and chro-
matography media,” says John Hughes,
Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Pilot
Operations.
“Our products are used in the research,
development, and manufacture of bio-
technological and pharmaceutical drug
therapies globally, as well as in research
and application laboratories.”
24
The process that Merck Millipore sought
to improve was the manufacture of its
multi-well filtration plates.
They are typically used to filtrate fluid
samples for research and application
testing. The user may fill the wells utilis-
ing a multi-channel pipette to optimise
test times.
Time-consuming, manual operation
Each filtration plate has a pre-defined
number of membrane coupons and
silicone O-rings inserted. The process
required a very high need for precision
given the stack-up tolerances in question.
The O-rings are slightly oversize, in order
to make a perfect seal, and will subse-
quently be bonded to the membrane.
Merck Millipore experienced a high
degree of variability throughout the
manufacturing process when it operated
a manual system. Some operators utilised
different instruments and methodologies,
the process itself was quite slow and
cumbersome which the Operations team
found difficult to optimise. Production
throughput under the manual system
was not meeting our capacity require-
ments. With rising demand for testing
equipment – which would accelerate
with the emergence of the Covid-19 pan-
demic – higher output was recognised as
a priority.
“Our multi-well filtration plates endured
a high-degree of variability on a continu-
ous basis so we had to look at alternative
technologies for creating integral plates,”
John Hughes explains.

“We worked closely with our R&D team
based in the US to develop a new system
that would meet both our manufac-
turing requirements and those of our
customers. We collaborate closely with
our colleagues in the US, through the
product development phase ensuring
our customer requirements are prior-
itised as well as Design for Manufac-
turing (DFM) for potential automation
equipment builds.”
On collaborating with the KUKA Platinum
Partner, John says: “We have worked with
DesignPro before and, after a rigorous
selection process which included many
vendors, we engaged them to design and
build a piece of equipment that would
automatically insert the silicone O-rings
into the multi-well plates.”
DesignPro Automation is headquar-
tered in Rathkeale, Co Limerick, which
is about 100km (63 miles) from Cork.
Patrick Downes, DesignPro’s Business
Development and Innovation Manager,
takes up the story.
Analysis: quality and productivity
“O-rings can be incorrectly placed or
aligned; there was always the chance
of a well being missed; and the process
of manual handling could cause splits
and material failures. As the O-ring was
inserted, a rolling action could lead to
misplacement,” Patrick explains.
The membrane was very easily dam-
aged during the process and this could
lead to defects, or they could have been
placed in the wrong orientation. There
were also differences between the top
and bottom of the well.
Merck
“There were a lot of challenges,”
Patrick continues. “We offered proof
of concept at the start. We used equip-
ment we already had in our facility and
set up a vision system to see into the
well – which is quite deep – to see the
entire membrane and check the accuracy
to one-tenth of a millimetre. We took a
few images and proved that the system
could pick up defects and orientation on
the membrane, before the O-ring was
inserted, and thus verify quality.”
The development phase in the automa-
tion also covered visual checking of the
O-rings themselves. Once that had been
confirmed the cell could be designed
and tested.
Solution: KUKA KR3, automated
placement and inspection
A KUKA KR3 6-axis robot was selected
to place the O-rings, with servo drives to
ensure positional accuracy, with 100%
inspection by a Cognex vision system. The
robot cell has enabled Merck Millipore
to transform its output significantly.
“The selection of supplier, development
FAT (factory acceptance test) and instal-
lation took a year in total,” says John
Hughes.
“What we have now is an automated
cell that has 2.5x the throughput with
100% automated visual inspection
to ensure all finished goods that are
shipped to customers meet their high
quality standards. Our overall quality
and productivity has been enormously
improved.”
25
Stronger, faster, more productive
FUTURECAST
Building skills for
future construction
FUTURECAST is an innovation, educa-
tion, and R&D centre focussed on mod-
ernising the construction and quarrying
industries. Based in the W8 Centre in
Manorhamilton, County Leitrim, Ire-
land, it operates with support from the
Irish Government and private industry.
It works to encourage the adoption of
advanced technologies and processes
including automation, robotics, modular
construction and factory building, addi-
tive manufacturing and “Industry 4.0”.
It offers training from entry level to the
reskilling of experienced staff. FUTURE-
CAST also has a particular focus on
promoting women to work in construc-
tion and quarrying, under the banner of
a programme called WICQI.
Labour and skills shortages have forced
the recognition of the need to change
working practices, to take advantage
of new technology and to attract
recruits from a broader labour pool,
while seeking to retain existing exper-
tise and knowledge.
“We used to have a huge supply of
youngsters coming into trades and
that isn’t happening any more,” says
JJ O’Hara, CEO of FUTURECAST and a
veteran of construction and quarrying.
“We see a lot of tradespeople leaving
at around the age of 40, too.”
The FUTURECAST approach is to rethink
construction and quarrying to make
better use of youngsters’ tech-based
skills and to overcome the industry’s
image as a dirty and dangerous occupa-
tion. The centre also addresses issues like
sustainability and embraces solutions
such as the adoption of green energy and
modern, technology-based methods of
construction. These range from exoskele-
tons and motorised gloves to Augmented
26
Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR),
via robotics, additive manufacturing,
automation and machine learning.
It’s not only young people who can gain
from the technological take-up.
“We are seeking to retain the bricklayers
and plasterers who have been leaving
for jobs in digital industries and to
redirect them to working in the factory,”
O’Hara explains. “We could enable them
to work differently and retrain into teach-
ers and mentors, training people in using
a 3D printer or robotic systems. People
with transferable technology skills will
be less vulnerable to future downturns in
construction.”
Image credit: FUTURECAST
3D printed panels have many
advantages
Increasing automation of processes
means that construction is already
approaching the point where 50% of
a typical house can be factory-made.
Modular construction and prefabrica-
tion reduces waste, improves perfor-
mance and has shorter cycles than the
traditional, labour-intensive approach.
Additive manufacturing (3D printing)
of concrete panels can be a much faster
and economical way of building than
manually building walls.
“It typically takes only around 14 hours
to print a 200 square metre house,
which helps to reduce lag times and
makes maintaining a supply chain eas-
ier, as jobs do not have to be staggered
in the same way,” says O’Hara. “It is
more precise; machines print exactly
where they are told and don’t generate
unnecessary extra material. They can
operate using local materials, cutting
transport times and consequently the
carbon footprint. They are less wasteful,
safer and more labour-efficient.”
A 3D printed concrete panel can with-
stand 40 Newtons force, meaning that
it is much stronger than a breezeblock
structure. It is also more resistant to
freeze-thaw, which can cause heavy
damage in exposed areas.
The modular system means that build-
ings can be manufactured in a similar
way to an automobile production line,
with robots assembling the whole build-
ing. A modular, factory-built house or
office block doesn’t even have to be built
locally; components made in the factory
can be transported anywhere.
Led by an expert team
The FUTURECAST facility was opened
during the Covid pandemic, in 2021
and its senior team has already demon-
strated how 3D printing, AR and VR,
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learn-
ing can deliver advantage in practice.
Mark McGowan, 3D Concrete Printer
Instructor, has extensive knowledge of
CNC processes and 23 years’ experience
as a cabinet maker. Patrick O'Donnell
leads the R&D department’s research
into modern construction methods.
 FUTURECAST

Laboratory Manager Dr Julia Powers

has a background in biochemistry and
inorganic chemistry. Paul Quinn, Skillnet
Network Manager, has over 35 years’
experience in automation and robotics.

“A robotic bagging plant we are currently

working on for the quarrying industry
qualifies different types of stone and
bags them appropriately,” O’Hara says.
“Its AR and VR systems enable remote
engineering and it is equipped to be
digitally twinned.”

Better data management leads to better

construction at all stages, from design
to final delivery. Building Information
Modelling, or BIM, ensures that lessons
learned and information deployed before,
during and after the construction are
retained and accessible.

KUKA, a key technology partner

KUKA robots are a key part of FUTURE-

CAST’s operations.

“We bought four training centres from

KUKA, each comprising a robot equipped
with VR and vision systems,” says O’Hara.
“We undertook a lot of research globally
and concluded KUKA offered the best
education packs.” He and his colleagues
had seen KUKA robots in action at the
Irish Manufacturing Research Centre, with
whom FUTURECAST has a good working
relationship.

The construction industry is changing

fast. FUTURECAST is leading its trans-
formation in Ireland from a traditional,
labour-intensive industry to a world-class,
technology-led, modern, high added-
value industry.

27
Stronger, faster, more productive
Peacock Technology
Doing a better job
in the dairy industry
Milking cows is a challenging process
that involves synchronisation, engi-
neering, animal welfare, hygiene and
sanitation. The precision and consist-
ency of post-milking disinfection can be
improved through an automated robotic
system, leading to healthier, happier
and higher yielding cows.
There are over four million dairy milk-
ings each day in the UK alone. Teat
infections caused by mastitis or environ-
mental bacteria affect the cow’s health
and reduce milk yields, so accurate and
effective disinfection is essential. Farm-
ers and milk buyers seek high animal
welfare standards, improved milk quality
and reduced use of medical treatment.
Post-milk teat disinfection is essential
to achieve these objectives.
Image credit: Peacock Technology
The IDS (Intelligent Dairy Solution), a
teat post-milk spray system by Peacock
Technology, uses a KUKA robot guided
by Peacock’s proprietary vision system
to achieve post-milk spray disinfection
on rotary milking parlours.
Every cow’s udder is different. Teats are
different in size and are positioned in
different places depending on the size
and age of the cow. The IDS uses 3D
vision to identify the teat location, and
then accurate and effective application
of the disinfectant.
28
Occasionally, a teat should not be
sprayed, if damaged or dysfunctional.
Gareth Hughes, Operations Director at
Peacock Technology, explains, “In contrast
to factory automation where the robot
action can be identical every time and
interacts with inanimate objects, with
dairy cows in the real world each animal
is different, the system must assess each
udder individually to decide how to treat
each cow.”
Robots do a better job
Normally left to human workers, post-
milk teat disinfection is repetitive: the
worker may have to focus on this single
task alone for a four-hour shift, often
early in the morning. Simultaneously, the
importance of this task demands close
and careful attention. Farmers know that
manual spraying consistency can decline
over time, due to repetitive strain issues
or attention fatigue. Independent bench-
mark testing has shown less than 50% of
the teats being satisfactorily disinfected
by manual spraying alone.
Peacock’s IDS post-milk spray system
is able to repeatedly achieve 100% teat
coverage. “It shows emphatically that
automated spray application provides a
consistency that the farmer was previ-
ously not able to achieve,” says Gareth.
Moreover, farms are increasingly strug-
gling to find labour.
Brexit has reduced access to the EU
labour pool and, during the Covid pan-
demic, local families who had worked
on farms stayed at home.

“Dairy farmers are now very switched on
to the benefits of technology and more
are concluding that our IDS systems are
a better approach, because unpredict-
ability of the quality and availability of
labour is proving too big a challenge for
many farms,” says Gareth.
Peacock Technology's system is already
installed throughout the UK, with planned
installations abroad in the coming year.
Time-of-flight technology
In rotary milking parlours, cows enter
a stall on a large carousel that rotates.
After milking, she arrives at the IDS
spray disinfection robot. A time-of-flight
camera system, custom developed by
Peacock, identifies the presence of the
cow in the milking stall then moves the
spray tool between the cow’s legs, then
identifies the precise coordinates of
each of the four teats to direct the
spray precisely.
CCTV cameras are fitted to every robot
and the system is remotely monitored
24-hours a day. Peacock has built its
IDS teat system so that, unless there is
a physical failure, 95% of issues can be
dealt with remotely and the farm can be
back online in 20 minutes.
Dairy is a low margin business. Farms
need high volumes to make a living and
if cows contract illness and stop pro-
ducing milk, high costs can be incurred.
Because Peacock’s IDS robot system
helps prevent infections and improve
yields, it can demonstrate very fast pay-
back – ROI is often less than 12-months.
Peacock Technology
Big farms demand fast turnover
Takt times – in this case the per cow
time – for teat spraying range from six to
twelve seconds, making speed as impor-
tant as accuracy, but larger herds can
demand takt times of just four seconds.
Again, KUKA can help. “The flexibility of
KUKA’s conveyor tracking software allows
us to claw back a lot of dead time, so that
we can include the maximum available
time to the process,” says Gareth.
The challenge is in the dynamic nature of
the application, where every cow at every
milking has a different set of coordinates,
but the time allocated to each cow must
remain constant.
Why KUKA?
The IDS Post Milk System is designed using
a KUKA robot and its controller – KUKA is
the sole robot supplier for this system.
Peacock chose KUKA for several reasons.
“In our experience, KUKA has one of the
best performing robots for this applica-
tion. And it has a huge support network
worldwide,” Gareth says. “The flexibility
of KUKA’s KRL programming language
was also a major reason for choosing it.”
KUKA’s software has allowed Peacock
to push the boundaries in automation.
“Often with PLC and robot suppliers there
is a hard stop,” he explains. “The KUKA
software allows lots of flexibility; there
is wide interconnectability between dif-
ferent devices when we needed to work
with third party suppliers to maintain the
speed and accuracy of the application for
other non-robotic elements.”
29
Stronger, faster, more productive

Conclusion
Report highlights

Many companies are committed to investing in their future and improving

productivity. Companies are experimenting more with robotics and other
technologies, as their aura has been demystified and democratised. KUKA
is at the front of these novel applications, and we also are a proven partner
in the well-established industries where robots have been a common tool
for decades. Here are the key highlights of this report.

1 Attitudes to automation are changing and KUKA

stands ready to help with total and unbiased automa-
5 Business conditions today – a tougher cost environ-
ment than ever – demand that robots run continu-
tion advice. KUKA will only recommend and implement ously. WarrantyPro is a five-year* package providing
the right solutions for what you need. full spare parts support and unlimited visits to the
premises to keep the equipment running.

2 With inflation, competition and electrification,

car making has become a low margin industry. It’s
a difficult market, even with the economies of a big
installed base. In KUKA Germany, there is growing
emphasis on high growth markets new to automa-
tion, like modular house building.
6 Additive manufacturing is a big trend at KUKA.
Three companies in this report – Ai Build, FUTURE-
CAST and WAAM3D – used KUKA robots to “print”
large scale components, two in the construction
sector. AiBuild’s model reduces tool path time for
printing structural components and failures while
delivering stronger parts.

3 Novel applications: KUKA is working more and more

with new and sometimes “funky” robotic applications.
7 FUTURECAST is a construction manufacturing
centre in Ireland that is rethinking building and
The entertainment industry, for stage applications quarrying to make better use of the tech-based skills
and producing theatre props, agriculture and nuclear of young people to overcome the industry’s image
inspection. Logistics, such as processing packages in as a dirty and dangerous occupation. The centre also
e-commerce and shipping, is growing fast, especially addresses sustainability and embraces solutions such
in the US. as the adoption of green energy.

4 Digital tools: In recent years KUKA has introduced

several powerful digital tools to support customers.
8 KUKA’s System Partner strategy works: KUKA has
28 Platinum Partners in the United Kingdom. In
KUKA.Sim de-risks automation and robotics projects Ireland, 15 System Partners that deliver even more
by simulating applications from single work cells to expertise and application know-how across the island
entire assembly lines. My.KUKA is a digital portal that of Ireland. KUKA also has a network of ‘industry part-
lets customers manage their robot applications and ners’. This network means customers are closer to local
accounts, at any time, from any device, anywhere, via partners and cultivates local, on-the-ground expertise
a user friendly interface. and trust.

*With the WarrantyPro warranty extension, you have the option of extending
the warranty of the KUKA robot to five years in the first 12 months after delivery.

30
31
For further information, please contact:
UK – Bernard Bagley at bernard.bagley@kuka.com
Ireland – Brian Cooney at brian.cooney@kuka.com
Systems – Nick McCarthy at nick.mccarthy@kuka.com

DesignPro Automation Rathkeale Industrial Estate, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick, V94 E5C0, Ireland designproautomation.com
Peacock Technology Unit 13, Alpha Centre, Stirling University Innovation Park, Stirling, FK9 4NF peacocktechnology.com
WAAM3D 5 Thornton Chase, Linford Wood, Milton Keynes, MK14 6FD waam3d.com
Ai Build Unit D1, Leyton Industrial Village, London, E10 7QP ai-build.com
FUTURECAST W8 Centre, Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim, F91 W5FE, Ireland futurecast.info
Votechnik 12 Pennywell Rd, South West, Limerick, V94 V2KA, Ireland votechnik.com

KUKA Systems UK Limited Hereward Rise, Halesowen, B62 8AN

KUKA Robotics UK Limited Great Western Street, Wednesbury, West Midlands, WS10 7LL
KUKA Robotics (Ireland) Limited Unit 16, Brewery Business Park, Ardee Road, Dundalk, Co.Louth, Ireland

Details provided about the properties and usability of the products are purely for information purposes and do not
constitute a guarantee of these characteristics. The extent of goods delivered and services performed is determined
by the subject matter of the specific contract. No liability accepted for errors or omissions.

www.kuka.com