KUKA’s Friction Stir Welding Cells for E-Mobility Production

Source: KUKA press news, July 9, 2025 KUKA AG

Summary

KUKA, a well-known robotics company, has secured an order from a major U.S. automobile manufacturer for 12 additional friction stir welding (FSW) cells to expand production capacity. These cells are to be installed and commissioned by August 2025. The welding cells will be used in the manufacturing of electric vehicle (EV) battery cases and cooling jackets—two critical components where strong, reliable welds are essential. KUKA AG

Key features of these FSW cells:

• They use KR FORTEC robots with specially designed tool clamps suitable for the process. KUKA AG

• The plant is designed for flexibility: it can produce combustion engine, hybrid, and electric vehicles on the same lines. This implies the welding equipment must handle diverse materials and different joining challenges. KUKA AG

• The expansion includes robots with higher process forces and greater reach (up to ~3,400 mm), meaning larger parts or more complex geometries can be welded. KUKA AG

• FSW is preferred because of its lower energy use, better material usage (less filler or post-processing), and improved efficiency, especially for joining materials such as aluminum, or dissimilar material combinations. KUKA AG

Understanding and Analysis

This case reflects several converging industrial trends:

1. Electrification of transport is forcing automotive manufacturing to adapt. Battery housings and thermal management (cooling jackets) are central to EV performance and safety. Welding quality, strength, and thermal integrity are critical. FSW provides a good fit because it produces strong, continuous welds with minimal defects, especially in aluminum or aluminum alloys commonly used in battery casings.

2. Flexibility in production lines is increasingly important. Automakers want to produce multiple vehicle types (combustion, hybrid, electric) without entirely separate plants. That means welding equipment must be capable of handling varied tasks. The use of robots (with adaptable tooling) enables switching between weld types or materials. That also helps amortize the cost of advanced welding cells over a wider product range.

3. Process robustness and precision: FSW requires high force, accurate control of tool path, temperature, and material interface. The fact that KUKA is supplying robots with high rigidity, greater reach, and specialized hardware means they acknowledge those demands. Better hardware reduces defects, rework, and waste.

4. Sustainability: Lower energy consumption, improved material usage, and potentially less emission and distortion are all benefits. In modern manufacturing, sustainability is increasingly a factor not only ethically but also economically and regulatory-wise.

5. Scaling and timing: The order for 12 additional cells shows that the automaker is scaling up. That indicates confidence in FSW as a reliable process in production—not just prototyping or limited run. The timelines (installation by mid/late 2025) suggest that deployment is rapid, which also implies the supply chain, robot training, and process know-how are mature enough to support fast integration.

Implications & Possible Challenges

• Training and Skills: Operators, maintenance staff, and engineers will need to be trained to use FSW and maintain these specialized robots. The transition from traditional arc welding or spot welding to FSW has a learning curve.

• Material and design compatibility: For example, joining dissimilar metals or integrating cooling jacket attachments adds complexity (differential thermal expansion, galvanic corrosion, etc.). The welding team will have to ensure design for manufacturability with these constraints.

• Cost vs. Return: Advanced robot welding cells are expensive. But the case suggests that the return (in terms of quality, lower defect rates, less rework, energy savings) justifies the investment. The real proof will come in long-term operational metrics: uptime, maintenance cost, defect rates, and throughput.

• Maintenance and tooling: FSW tools undergo wear; clamping and fixture design are also critical. Ensuring that the robots, tools, and fixtures maintain precision over time will be important.

Conclusion

This is a strong example of how welding technology (specifically, friction stir welding) is being leveraged for modern, high-volume, high-precision manufacturing—particularly in EV production. It underscores the shift toward sustainable, efficient, and flexible manufacturing. For companies in the welding supply chain, tool making, robotics, and training, this represents opportunity. For policy makers, it may illustrate where incentives for green manufacturing can be focused.