PRODUCT REVIEWS
KUKA automation and software at MACH
KUKA Robotics, a global specialist in intelligent industrial automation, will be showcasing its robotics and automation solutions at MACH 2026 in the UK( 20 – 24 April 2026). The company is inviting industry professionals to view its robotic automation, software innovation and customer service on stands 18-530 and 17-370 at this year’ s MACH event at the NEC in Birmingham( UK).
“ With over 125 years of engineering experience and expertise, we offer a full portfolio of high-performance industrial robots, and an extensive suite of software and digital tools that support seamless automation integration. Our presence at MACH 2026 will focus on how our advanced technologies help manufacturers across all sectors to boost efficiency, enhance product quality, reduce operational costs and, ultimately, increase profitability— making automation accessible, scalable and futureproof,” commented KUKA.
At the heart of KUKA’ s stand( 18-530) will be a display of its portfolio of latestgeneration industrial robots, from compact six-axis models ideal for intricate assembly tasks to heavy-duty robots capable of
handling large payloads. KUKA will also showcase its new iiQKA. OS2 robot operating system, my. KUKA online customer portal and will demonstrate the iiQoT remote condition monitoring and iiQWorks engineering software platforms, among others.
“ Available via the KUKA digital sphere, these software tools enable intuitive programming, simulation and integration, reducing commissioning time and providing real-time performance insights that drive smarter decision-making on the factory floor. Our stand will also include a live demonstration of a desktop friction welding machine built especially for the show,” added KUKA.
At MACH 2026, Visual Components will co-exhibit with KUKA. It will present its simulation and robot offline programming solutions, enabling manufacturers to explore production concepts, test layouts and evaluate different scenarios in a virtual environment before anything is built. By programming robots directly from the virtual model, teams can reduce errors, improve planning accuracy and shorten commissioning and ramp-up time.
KUKA will also contribute to MACH’ s educational programme, providing visitors with a hands-on experience at stand 17-370 in the Education & Development Zone. Visitors and students will be able to try the latest KUKA. AMR Fleet software, designed to programme and control AMRs. KUKA will also provide a live robot demonstration in the Automation & Robotics Knowledge Hub during the show. n
www. kuka. com
www. visualcomponents. com
Transparent emissions data for products
BASF Coatings has launched a new digital solution to calculate the carbon footprint( Product Carbon Footprint, PCF) of its sales portfolio. The solution replaces an internally developed application that BASF Coatings has used for several years to provide CO₂ data to customers worldwide.
“ We now have an agile, real-time, auditable and globally applicable CO₂ data basis for 120,000 sales products. All product‐related greenhouse gas emissions, from raw material procurement and transport to energy use in production, are calculated uniformly, consistently and with system support. This provides the foundation for traceable CO₂ accounting, particularly for complex, multi‐variant products such as paints with many colour variants. These CO₂ data give customers a factual basis for decision‐making and support them in pursuing their sustainability targets,” the company told ISMR.
“ For our customers, climate protection is becoming ever more important. With our tools, we can provide them with reliable data and, on that basis, support them with solutions,” said Dr. Markus Piepenbrink, Head of Global Sustainability, BASF Coatings.“ Today, for example, we already offer customers the possibility to reduce the CO₂ footprint
of selected products through the use of alternative raw materials and renewable energy.”
The central element of the new PCF tool is the integration of CO₂ data for more than 25,000 globally sourced raw materials. The tool also takes into account the individual energy flows from over 30 BASF Coatings production sites worldwide. This, said the company, enables precise capture of emissions, even for product variants.
“ A unique advance is the inclusion of further impact categories beyond CO₂ which enable further key insights for the development of targeted solutions to enhance customers’ sustainability. The global rollout of the new system at all BASF Coatings production sites was carried out step by step and in close coordination with the system supplier, SAP. As the first and largest provider of surface solutions, we are now adopting SAP Sustainability Footprint Management( SFM). By introducing SFM, we bring together sustainability and digitisation and create reliable transparency for us and our customers,” added BASF Coatings.
BASF Coatings also uses the GLASS( Global Life Cycle Assessment of Automotive Surface Solutions) tool for OEMs and the EcoImpact Assessment tool for body shops to support customers as a value-added service. These applications enable a modular, as well as holistic, view and analysis along the entire painting process and provide BASF Coatings’ customers with data‐driven approaches towards process optimisation.
The company aims to reduce its own CO₂ footprint by 40 % by 2030, compared to the 2018 baseline.
BASF Coatings develops, produces and markets sustainable automotive OEM and refinish coatings as well as applied surface treatments for metal, plastic and glass substrates in a wide range of industries. n
www. basf-coatings. com
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