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KUKA and Kleusberg: Pioneering Automation in Modular Construction
KUKA, a global leader in industrial robotics, has partnered with modular construction expert Kleusberg to revolutionize the way modular buildings are produced. Their collaboration focuses on deploying advanced robotic welding technology at Kleusberg’s facility near Halle (Saale), Germany — a move that signals a major step toward the digital transformation of the construction industry.
A Vision for Smart and Flexible Manufacturing
Unlike traditional mass-production systems, this partnership emphasizes flexibility and customization. Beginning in 2027, Kleusberg will introduce a fully automated welding line featuring five KUKA industrial robots capable of welding more than 2,000 meters of floor and ceiling modules each week.
What makes this setup remarkable is that each robot can be reprogrammed independently, enabling the line to handle diverse building designs without sacrificing efficiency or precision — a key advantage in today’s era of individualized construction.
Human-Centered Automation: Safety, Quality, and New Skills
As an automation engineer, I find it particularly meaningful that this initiative goes beyond productivity gains. Kleusberg’s managing director, Oliver Hartmann, rightly emphasizes improving workplace safety and ergonomics. By automating physically demanding welding tasks, the company not only reduces strain-related health risks but also opens new career opportunities for technically skilled operators and robotics specialists.
This human-centered approach reflects a growing trend in industrial automation: empowering workers rather than replacing them.
Precision and Reliability at the Core
From a technical standpoint, KUKA’s system demonstrates what modern automation should achieve — seamless precision, repeatability, and integration.
Each robot performs automatic collision checks prior to welding and leverages vision-based inspection to verify weld quality. As Andre Zander of KUKA Systems notes, “maximum precision” remains the key focus. This ensures that the output meets stringent industrial standards while minimizing rework and downtime.
Redefining Construction Through Industrialization
The partnership underscores a broader industry movement toward industrialized or “serial” construction, where prefabricated steel or wooden modules are assembled in controlled factory environments. Compared to conventional on-site methods, this model offers greater cost predictability, schedule reliability, and quality consistency.
In my professional view, this integration of automation and modular design represents the next frontier for the construction sector — merging manufacturing efficiency with architectural flexibility. It’s a shift that could redefine how we think about building at scale, sustainably and intelligently.
Conclusion: Building the Future with Automation
The KUKA–Kleusberg partnership is more than a technological milestone — it’s a blueprint for the future of modular construction. By combining advanced robotics with smart manufacturing principles, the collaboration showcases how automation can enhance not just efficiency, but also worker well-being and creative design freedom.
As an automation engineer, I believe this project exemplifies how robotics can elevate industries traditionally seen as “manual,” turning factories into intelligent ecosystems that build the world of tomorrow.
