Automated Production Gains Ground at EMO Hannover 2025

PHOTO CREDIT: VDW

Featuring around 1,600 international exhibitors from 45 countries, EMO Hannover 2025 provided a global showcase for innovation in production technology. The exhibitors demonstrated how modern production technologies are now more networked, intelligent, and resource-saving than ever before. Developments – especially in the field of automation – were shown in numerous areas at the trade fair. The latest systems showed how it’s increasingly possible to operate production lines without human intervention. The solutions presented help to minimize error rates, improve product quality, and increase production speed.

Moving toward autonomous production

DMG MORI placed the technical focus on automation and process integration at EMO 2025. Thirty-three of more than 40 machines on display were automated. A particular highlight was the AMR 1000, a driverless transport system for workpieces and tools significantly increasing machine capacity through continuous autonomous operation.

Combining milling, turning, and grinding in a single setup, the DMC 125 FDS Duo Block stood as an example of process integration. A further innovation was the Ultrasonic 60 Precision, combining 5-axis milling with ultrasonic technology and 4µm positioning accuracy. The processes were digitally networked using the CELOS X control system. With its consistent further development in the direction of automated and digitalized production, DMG MORI is following the general industry trend of offering machine tools, peripherals, and software from a single source, with the aim of achieving optimum interaction between all components.

United Machining Solutions (formed by the merger of the United Grinding Group and GF Machining Solutions) presented several world firsts in automation. The Agie Charmilles CUT S series, consisting of the CUT S 400, S 600, and S 800 models, has been designed for integration into automated production cells.

As its automation focus, GROB Group presented the PSS-R900 rotary pallet storage system with space for 27 pallets loaded by automated guided vehicles (AGVs).

One of Mazak’s automation innovations is coupling production machines with industrial robots controlled directly via the CNC machine tool, eliminating the need for the operator to have dedicated robot programming knowledge. The company also showcased pallet pool systems and robot cells for unmanned operations. Mazak, too, is following the trend of offering complete integrated production chains from a single source to achieve complete digital traceability of the workpieces.

FANUC showcased its 500i-A CNC series controller featuring increased computing power, improved 5-axis simultaneous machining, and the ability to achieve optimized surface quality.

Kuka presented its KR Titan ultra heavy-duty robot, which can move up to 1.5 metric tons. The portfolio is complemented by the KMP 1500P mobile platform, an autonomous transport system facilitating material flows for heavy components. The iiQKA.OS2 operating system was introduced for virtual commissioning. In addition, the iiQKA.mxAutomation software interface has been expanded in cooperation with Siemens to include the Standard Robot Command Interface (SRCI) industry standard. This ensures greater flexibility in the integration of robotic products. Heidenhain added a standardized interface to the control system allowing the robot and machine tool to be operated in tandem.

A highlight on the Siemens stand was the Machine Tool Robot (MTR) developed in collaboration with Fraunhofer IFAM and autonox Robotics. The MTR attempts to close the gap between conventional industrial robots and machine tools. It combines a new type of drive technology with model-based control strategies and an optimized mechanical structure, enabling it to achieve outstanding path accuracy even at high feed rates and during complex movements.

Conclusion

EMO Hannover 2025 demonstrated how automation will be crucial for the future of manufacturing. It showed innovative solutions used to create autonomous, efficient, flexible, and future-proof manufacturing processes. Automation and digitalization go hand in hand and form the basis of production concepts that will permanently change the entire manufacturing process.

VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association) e.V.
https://vdw.de/en

EMO Hannover
https://emo-hannover.com

NEWS AND PRODUCTS

XELA Robotics to offer human- touch sensors for robotic hands

PHOTO CREDIT: XELA ROBOTICS

Specialist in advanced 3D tactile sensor technology XELA Robotics has integrated its uSkin sensors into a Tesollo DG-5F five-fingered anthropomorphic robot hand – a popular model capable of human-level gripping and manipulation.

Commercial orders will be accepted beginning in late Q1 2026.

Alexander Schmitz, CEO, XELA Robotics, says, “Our uSkin tactile technology delivers high performance sensing down to 0.1 gram-force which provides robots with a human sense of touch so they can feel contact, pressure, and motion to perform complex tasks with unprecedented precision.”

XELA Robotics was tasked with developing an integration for the Tesollo DG-5F robotic hand at the request of a client. A dedicated team took on the challenge and delivered a solution enhancing the capabilities of the existing model. The Tesollo DG-5F – a human-sized robotic hand with independent joint control – already offered intuitive tool use and precise object manipulation for research, industrial, and service robots. Now, through the integration of XELA Robotics’ tactile sensors, the hand has gained a human-like sense of touch without changing its original human-size form factor.

The new sensor system covers the fingertips, phalanges, and palm, and includes a nail element, allowing the hand to interact with objects even more precisely. Each fingertip features 12 sensing points within a compact form factor (21.15mm height x 25.72mm width x 22.02mm length).

XELA Robotics intends to make its sensors smaller, faster, and smarter, reducing the size of its sensing points from about 4mm x 4mm to 2.5mm x 2.5mm allowing the addition of more sensing points. The reduced size sensor points will be available for order in Q2 2026.

The family of uSkin sensors allows robots to understand how tightly they are gripping an object, as well as how it moves within their grasp. Built from a flexible elastomer, they conform to different object shapes, grippers, and robot hands and can be customized to meet specific application needs.

XELA Robotics
https://xelarobotics.com

Comau showcases robotics advancements

PHOTO CREDIT: COMAU

Advanced automation solutions company Comau SpA, alongside its distributor GDF Group, showcased its latest advancements in robotics and automation at the Industrial Transformation Mexico (ITM) Show, part of the Hannover Messe initiatives.

Comau displayed its MATE-XT and MATE-XB wearable exoskeletons designed to reduce the biomechanical load on operators. By supporting the operator’s movements and postures, the exoskeletons contribute to a safer and more ergonomic working environment, leading to improved productivity and reduced risk of musculoskeletal injuries.

Comau SpA
https://www.comau.com

GDF Group
https://gdf-group.com