SAP and KUKA Cooperate to Design the Factory of the Future

By Niraj M Wanikar, Chief Editor, CNCTimes.com, 2017-06-13 11:02:00

Both Companies will work together around Industrie 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to promote the flexibility and automation of production processes. Both companies want to collaborate, particularly in the areas of manufacturing, mechanical engineering, and the automotive sector.

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 (OPC UA). In addition, KUKA and SAP plan to provide KUKA robot applications based on the SAP Leonardo IoT platform. KUKA robots will be integrated into SAP Cloud Platform, helping companies evaluate predictive maintenance scenarios and monitor factory floors. KUKA also plans to use selected SAP technology components as part of its own connyun IoT platform. Through the SAP Leonardo portfolio, SAP has introduced a variety of solutions to support Industry 4.0 and IIoT. KUKA's expertise in intelligent automation solutions complements these solutions. In addition, selected SAP technology and business components will enhance KUKA’s start-up platform connyun, with a focus on midsize machine construction.

“By seamlessly integrating automation solutions from KUKA and selected solutions from our SAP Leonardo IT 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 Dr. Tanja Rueckert, executive vice president, 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 the digital transformation.” “KUKA makes its machines and systems more intelligent and supplements them with innovative software solutions,” said Dr. Christian Schloegel, Chief Technology Officer, KUKA AG.

“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.”

The combination of expertise in machines, connectivity, and production processes, together with expertise from SAP around Big Data analytics, business applications and the operation of large global infrastructures, creates an ideal landscape for this partnership. The collaboration between KUKA and SAP brings added value to the customer, especially for midsize machine builders.

For more information, visit the SAP News Center. Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews. About SAP As the market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 345,000 business and public sector customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com. About KUKA KUKA is a global automation corporation with sales of around 3 billion euro and around 13,200 employees. As leading global supplier of intelligent automation solutions, KUKA offers its customers in the automotive, electronics, consumer goods, metalworking, logistics/e-commerce, healthcare, and service robotics industries everything they need from a single source: from components and cells to fully automated systems. The KUKA Group is headquartered in Augsburg.

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