Robots to Rise: SAP and KUKA Set Out to Design the Factory of the Future

In a recent release, SAP SE and KUKA AG have announced they will work together around Industrial 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to promote the flexibility and automation of production processes. Both companies said they want to collaborate, particularly in the areas of manufacturing, mechanical engineering and the automotive sector. The announcement was made at Hannover Messe 2017.

“By seamlessly integrating automation solutions from KUKA and selected solutions from our SAP Leonardo IoT platform and SAP Connected Manufacturing software, we can make a significant contribution to driving closer the integration of top floor and shop floor in manufacturing,” said Tanja Rueckert, EVP, IoT and Digital Supply Chain business unit, SAP. “This enables customers to build a high level of customer satisfaction and support them on their way to digital transformation.”

The integration of KUKA robots into SAP's digital manufacturing showcase at Hannover Messe is driven by comprehensive standard protocols, such as OPC Unified Architecture. In addition, KUKA and SAP said they plan to provide KUKA robot applications based on the SAP Leonardo IoT platform. KUKA robots will be integrated into SAP Cloud Platform to evaluate predictive maintenance scenarios and monitor factory floors. 

“KUKA makes its machines and systems more intelligent and supplements them with innovative software solutions,” said Christian Schloegel, chief digital officer, KUKA. “We are committed to a twofold strategy: we are tying the KUKA robots on SAP Cloud Platform and the SAP Leonardo IoT platform. At the same time, the connyun Industry 4.0 platform of our start-up company of the same name will be supplemented with SAP technology components and SAP business applications. In this way, we can optimally adjust all customer requirements and support our customers in their digital transformation.”