Summary
Key results
Repeatable quality aligned with automotive industry requirement
System operation verified before physical startup through virtual commissioning
Time pressure and strict quality standards
After receiving an order from ZF Friedrichshafen AG to build an electric motor assembly line at the Grey Court plant in the USA, KUKA was responsible for preparing the complete system: including the entire line and individual production stations. To meet the demanding schedule and maintain the highest quality standards, the company engaged both its internal engineers and external partners.
The fast pace of work, combined with precise safety and repeatability requirements, required close coordination among all teams. Any delay could affect the commissioning timeline and the satisfaction of the strategic end client.
To ensure a safe and on-time deployment of the control software, KUKA entrusted part of the work to Sii Poland, a partner with proven experience in global automation projects and a team of more than 150 highly qualified engineers from the Industrial Engineering Competency Center.
Digital simulation accelerates production line commissioning
Sii Poland’s engineers were responsible for the full software and commissioning cycle for assigned production stations. The work was completed in three phases: software development, virtual commissioning, and on-site commissioning at KUKA and the end client’s facility.
The scope of work included:
- Programming KUKA industrial robots and PLC controllers
- Ensuring control system-level safety
- Virtual commissioning – digital simulation and system testing prior to physical startup
- On-site commissioning and support during pilot production at the Grey Court facility in the USA
The project was carried out in a flexible model, allowing the team composition and schedule to be quickly adjusted to each subsequent phase, while ensuring effective collaboration with KUKA teams and other partners.
Stable production enabled by flexible cooperation
With Sii Poland’s support, KUKA successfully launched the electric motor assembly line on schedule, achieving full operational readiness from day one. Flexible team scaling and effective coordination between all stakeholders ensured a smooth commissioning process.
The client highlights the high responsiveness and flexibility of the Sii Poland team – all requests were handled professionally by a single, competent point of contact. Close cooperation with KUKA engineers and other partners helped maintain top standards of quality and safety throughout the project.
“Sii has already presented itself as a competent and extremely flexible partner with a strong and capable team. Working with them is goal-oriented and very pleasant. Sii makes a major contribution to KUKA’s success, as the consistent advancement of the necessary work shows good results. Thanks to Sii, we gain honest partnership, quality awareness, adherence to deadlines, and of course costs optimization. In addition, flexibility is a very important factor. Sii is a large company specialized in various areas. The size of the company allows for a high degree of flexibility. The internal quality assurance in the area of PLC software is also worth mentioning” – Kim Fiedler, Concept Engineer Controls at KUKA Assembly & Test GmbH
“Due to the success of the smaller projects implemented with Sii in 2019, we begin to get in a closer relationship. Thanks to the extensive possibilities that Sii offers us, we can complete our projects faster and cost-effectively. We have one competent first contact person for all concerns, and all requests are answered fast and professionally. In the future, we are planning to start more full-service projects with one supplier and therefore, we see Sii as a very professional partner" – Dirk Klingenberg, Procurement Manager at KUKA Assembly & Test GmbH
Key results
- Virtual commissioning ensured process safety and significantly reduced the risk of launch failure before physical startup
- System operation verified before physical startup through virtual commissioning
- Repeatable quality aligned with automotive industry standards
- Improved efficiency and process continuity for the end client thanks to production automation