Smart manufacturing upgrades technology empowerment | Kuka helps GAC Aion transform its smart logistics

On the morning of January 12, 2023, KUKA Logistics Automation (KUKA LA for short) and GAC Aion (AION for short) grandly held the "Aion Intelligent Logistics AMR Online Launch Ceremony" at the Aion Second Intelligent Manufacturing Center project site in Guangzhou.

KUKA LA General Manager Alex Ren, KUKA LA R&D Center Director Jalen Ma, KUKA LA Domestic Sales Director Wicky Wei, as well as GAC Aion Deputy General Manager Zheng Chunqi, Aion Second Intelligent Manufacturing Center Zhong Jian, Aion Second Intelligent Manufacturing Center Zeng Xinming and other leaders from both sides attended the ceremony.

Launch Ceremony

The launch ceremony represents the official opening of a new chapter in intelligent logistics for Aion’s second intelligent manufacturing center. It also symbolizes that Kuka’s leading technology and profound know-how in the automotive and logistics fields will be used to help factories fully initiate digital transformation.

Aion Second Intelligent Manufacturing Center

The Second Intelligent Manufacturing Center has many industry-leading advantages, including the use of advanced smart factory platforms to achieve 100% data interconnection and one-stop central decision-making in multiple locations and multiple factories; the use of AI quality control system, through machine vision combined with AI technology to achieve all-round quality monitoring of all parts, further improving quality control accuracy; the first ultra-high flexibility technology group, allowing the Second Intelligent Manufacturing Center to achieve deep interactive customization and efficient production combination; to achieve zero-carbon intelligent manufacturing, plans to fully introduce clean energy such as photovoltaics and nuclear power, fully build a world-leading zero-carbon factory, and introduce intelligent lighting systems, digital adaptive brightness adjustment, to create a dark factory . The introduction of the intelligent logistics solution of KUKA AMR mobile robot + software system is an important part of the future factory to become an industry benchmark unmanned, intelligent dark factory.

Kuka Mobile Robots, a provider of intelligent logistics solutions, provided Aion's second intelligent manufacturing center with an intelligent logistics system solution of multiple KMP 1500i AMR mobile robots + K-MR Image S software platform in the first phase of the project.

FROM AMR

The project mainly solves the unmanned handling of two major business scenarios, namely the AMR intelligent handling of the sunroof and sunroof trolleys of the sunroof and sunroof assembly line and the AMR intelligent handling of battery packs on the battery assembly line. It took less than two months to complete the full launch and realize unmanned line-side handling, meeting the fast-paced beat requirements of the factory, greatly improving production efficiency and docking accuracy, and laying a solid foundation for the realization of the overall intelligent logistics project of Aion’s second intelligent manufacturing center.

Zheng Chunqi, deputy general manager of GAC Aion New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd., delivered a speech at the ceremony that day. He said: "In 2023, we will focus on two basic logics: one is to reduce costs and increase efficiency, and the other is to create service value, and orderly promote the development of smart logistics. Smart logistics must not only meet the intelligence of production, procurement and sales, but also reduce logistics costs. On a deeper level, the adaptive development of smart logistics is to improve the efficiency of the entire economic operation and reduce the operating costs of the entire supply chain." He highly praised Kuka's outstanding achievements in the field of automobile manufacturing, and highly affirmed the leading and reliability of Kuka's technical products. He hoped that the two sides could work closely together to realize Aion's new intelligent manufacturing and new upgrades through scientific and technological innovation and technological empowerment, and help GAC Aion achieve its production target of 500,000 vehicles and challenge 600,000 vehicles in 23 years.

Alex Ren, general manager of KUKA's Logistics Automation Division, said: "This time, KUKA and Aion have joined hands to provide an integrated intelligent logistics solution of multiple AMR mobile robots + K-MReS software platform to achieve intelligent material transportation in two scenarios: the sunroof assembly line and the battery assembly line. After production, it will greatly optimize the logistics within the factory, improve logistics efficiency, improve the working environment, and ensure the increase in production capacity." Mr. Ren specifically stated, "I hope that with this project as a starting point, KUKA and Aion can establish long-term and close cooperation and jointly lead the innovation and transformation of new energy vehicle manufacturing and supply chain."

KUKA Mobile Robots focuses on the technology, products and solutions of industrial mobile robots AMR. In October 2021, the first platform product KMP 600i created by the Chinese AMR team was officially released. In May 2022, KUKA China AMR team released its second platform product KMP 1500i. Subsequently, a number of KMP+ AMR industry-specific aircraft for specific scenarios were released, and the product lineup continued to expand. At present, KUKA AMR can provide a full range of mobile robot products and multi-industry solutions. It has become a flexible, cross-scenario, full-process intelligent manufacturing and smart logistics solution provider, and focuses on industrial manufacturing fields such as automotive manufacturing, 3C electronics, photovoltaic new energy, PCB chips, white goods, etc. In the future, we will maximize our value in the fields we are good at.

With industry-leading technological products as its focus and through professional solutions, KUKA Mobile Robots has reached strategic cooperation with industry benchmark companies represented by GAC Aion. Through the strong alliance, it will accelerate industrial transformation, lead intelligent manufacturing to new heights, drive industrial agglomeration, and release economic and social value. On the basis of significantly improving operating efficiency, it will achieve the ultimate goal of building an industry benchmark smart factory, and ultimately contribute the company's own strength to the country's realization of carbon neutrality and carbon peak.