KUKA Brings AI-Powered Automation Platform Into Real-World Automotive Manufacturing

KUKA Brings AI-Powered Automation Platform Into Real-World Automotive Manufacturing

(IN BRIEF) KUKA has deployed KUKA AMP, its Automation Management Platform, at KUKA Toledo Production Operations in Ohio, marking the platform’s first live use in a North American automotive production environment. The open orchestration platform connects existing automation infrastructure with AI-powered technologies, initially focusing on autonomous mobile robots. It is designed to help manufacturers use factory data more effectively, improve flexibility, reduce changeover times and support more complex automated workflows. KTPO is a highly automated 335,000-square-foot facility that produces more than 300 vehicle bodies per day and operates with 285 robots and over 60,000 connected devices. KUKA said the deployment supports its strategy to move AI from pilot environments into real-world manufacturing at scale and create a foundation for Physical AI in industrial automation.

(PRESS RELEASE) AUGSBURG, 21-Jul-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — KUKA has reached a major milestone in industrial automation with the first live deployment of KUKA AMP, the company’s Automation Management Platform, at KUKA Toledo Production Operations in Ohio.

The open orchestration platform is now actively supporting production operations at KTPO, one of North America’s major automotive manufacturing facilities. The platform connects existing automation infrastructure with next-generation AI-powered technologies.

Marc Fleischmann, Chief Software and AI Officer of KUKA Group, said manufacturing is entering a new phase in which traditional automation is evolving through the addition of AI-powered systems.

“Manufacturing is entering a new era,” said Fleischmann. “Traditional automation is expanding and transforming. The future lies in combining the precision and reliability of proven industrial automation with the capabilities of AI-powered systems.”

He added that KUKA AMP provides the foundation for this next step in industrial automation.

By combining established industrial automation with AI-driven decision-making, KUKA AMP is designed to help manufacturers increase operational flexibility, improve productivity and generate greater value from production data.

The deployment forms part of KUKA Group’s broader strategy to move artificial intelligence beyond pilot projects and into real-world manufacturing at scale.

The United States is a significant market for KUKA Group, where the company has more than 3,400 employees across engineering, manufacturing, software development, systems integration and customer support.

KUKA has operated KUKA Toledo Production Operations since 2006.

The company said the next major leap in automation will be driven by Physical AI, a new generation of intelligent technologies that enable machines and robots to better understand their environment, learn continuously from operational data and make more informed real-time decisions.

Factories generate enormous volumes of data, but much of this information remains unused in isolated systems. KUKA AMP is intended to help customers turn that data into actionable insights.

The platform allows automation systems to better understand production processes, coordinate activity across workflows and continuously improve performance.

“KUKA AMP creates a scalable foundation for Physical AI,” said Fleischmann.

He said the platform allows customers to integrate their own AI models and apply them in production through a shared context layer.

By continuously collecting and analysing operational data, KUKA AMP creates a closed-loop system that can improve performance over time and support organisations as they scale intelligent automation.

The first operational deployment of KUKA AMP is taking place at KTPO in Ohio and initially focuses on autonomous mobile robots.

The 335,000-square-foot facility manufactures more than 300 vehicle bodies per day, equivalent to approximately one every two minutes.

KTPO has produced more than two million vehicle bodies and generates large amounts of production data.

Since 2006, KTPO has produced the body-in-white for every Jeep® Wrangler sold worldwide and, since 2019, for the Jeep® Gladiator.

The highly automated facility combines KUKA’s expertise in welding, joining technologies and systems integration. It operates with 285 robots and more than 60,000 connected devices across the production environment.

KUKA said the facility provides an ideal environment for demonstrating how established industrial automation can be enhanced through AI-driven technologies.

Fleischmann said testing the alpha version of KUKA AMP at KTPO is an important step because the facility is a familiar production environment for KUKA.

This allows the company to evaluate the platform under realistic conditions and accelerate improvements that can help deliver a stronger user experience.

The goal is to help manufacturers achieve higher efficiency through more comprehensive automation without replacing existing assets.

By connecting mobile robots, machines, software systems and data sources, KUKA AMP enables companies to automate more complex processes, improve operational flexibility, reduce changeover times and unlock more value from existing factory data.

“Physical AI should not be viewed as a disruption, but as the next evolution of industrial automation,” Fleischmann added.

He said manufacturers need a practical path forward that builds on decades of investment.

KUKA AMP is being developed in the United States and is designed to provide that path by connecting today’s factory infrastructure with the autonomous factory of the future.

Media Contact:

Ulrike Götz
Spokesperson Technology
KUKA SE & Co. KGaA, Zugspitzstraße 140, 86165 Augsburg, Germany
+49 821 797-3795

SOURCE: KUKA