At a new factory near Shanghai, robots are helping build their own successors. Their job is to assemble joints for other humanoids. Behind the factory is Schaeffler, a German supplier to the automotive and industrial sectors.
Schaeffler opened the new factory in Taicang on October 20. The site combines robot component production with training for the machines themselves.
From car parts to robot joints
A robot needs more than clever software. To raise an arm or grip a workpiece, it needs mechanisms that turn motor power into precise movement. Schaeffler supplies the drives inside those joints.
The business model is familiar from the car industry: a component supplier can earn money from many manufacturers. Schaeffler does not need to turn its own robot into the best-known brand.
In Taicang, six humanoids work across five stations. They sort and assemble parts, inspect them and package them. Alongside production, robots learn other factory tasks, such as replenishing materials and checking components.
Combining the two has a practical benefit: skills learned in training can be tested directly on the production line. Schaeffler measures factors including precision and the time taken for individual tasks.
€400 million in robot orders
Schaeffler's latest figures show how far the business has already come. Two new customers in Greater China have brought its global humanoid robotics orders to around €400 million. Those are orders, with revenue to follow as they are fulfilled.
Schaeffler operates on both sides of the business. It sells robot components and tests the machines for use in its own production. Together with Hexagon, it plans to deploy at least 1,000 humanoids in the coming years. Training for Hexagon's AEON model began at Schaeffler's training centre in Germany in August.
The machines still have to prove they are worth the investment in day-to-day production. Schaeffler has not disclosed unit costs or a payback period for the new line.
In tomorrow's car factory, Schaeffler could earn from both the parts in the car and the robots that build it.
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