LVD Company nv - one of the leading manufacturers of sheet metalworking equipment - has acquired the solutions business unit of KUKA Automatisering + Robotics nv in Houthalen-Helchteren, Belgium to launch the new company, LVD Robotic Solutions bv. The new entity will significantly advance LVD’s expertise and market reach in robotics automation. LVD Robotic Solutions will build on LVD’s experience with engineering robotic systems for sheet metalworking, centered on no robot teaching, high throughput, and fast ‘art to part’.

LVD will leverage the proficiency and capabilities of global automation leader KUKA to put robotized equipment within reach of manufacturers of all sizes and in a wide scope of industries beyond sheet metalworking. In addition, the new company will allow LVD to serve as a single-source provider of automation solutions for their customers’ entire manufacturing business.

In 2019, LVD already acquired the automation company COMPAC (Urbino, Italy) to expand its automation portfolio with tower and warehouse systems. In establishing LVD Robotic Solutions, LVD follows on a strategic roadmap to grow its product offering through development of more affordable automation solutions for a broader range of applications. This is to address an increasing global shortage of skilled labor, the need to automate the handling of heavier workpieces and materials to improve worker safety, the desire to reallocate labor to less repetitive, more value-adding processes, and to fuel digital transformation and optimize manufacturing process flow.

Core areas of focus for LVD Robotic Solutions will include standardized robotic solutions for sheet metalworking based on LVD products, such as Dyna-Cell and Ulti-Form, using LVD’s programming system CADMAN-SIM, and robotic solutions for other industrial applications. These solutions could include part deburring, metal coating, automotive work piece handling, press linking, windshield glue application, production line part bin picking, end of line packaging solutions, as well as a range of other industrial applications.

With the acquisition, the engineering and project management staff of KUKA BENELUX become part of LVD Robotic Solutions. As part of the transaction, LVD acquires the KUKA BENELUX 7000-sq m Houthalen-Helchteren facility, which is strategically positioned on the Netherlands - Germany border and centrally located to serve all of Europe, making it well positioned for customer service and international business. LVD plans additional investment in the facility to further enhance operations and to establish a Center of Excellence for robotics automation.

Speaking about the expansion scope of LVD Robotic Solutions, Matthew Fowles, Group Marketing Director, LVD Company nv, said, “Initially, LVD Robotic Solutions will look to serve the European markets. Outside of Europe the intention is to continue to offer our standardised ‘no robot teaching – fast programming’ solutions to LVD’s global markets.”

Commenting on impact of advanced automation solutions on the future of the sheet metalworking industry, he said, “Naturally a centralised “big data – industry 4.0” integrated programming solution is at the heart of all of LVD’s automation solutions. Robotics is no different. The use of data collected in-process is used to manage the real-time process and data collected from thousands of different parts and applications form the back bone of LVD’s Smart Programming Wizard which enables us with our Dyna-Cell and Ulti-Form automated bending cells to go from Art to Part in under 20 minutes.”

LVD is a leading manufacturer of sheet metalworking equipment, including laser cutting systems, punch presses, press brakes, guillotine shears and automation systems, integrated to and supported by its CADMAN software suite. LVD Industry 4.0-ready products and technology make smart manufacturing possible. LVD Group is represented in 47 countries, has 19 subsidiaries and multiple manufacturing facilities in Europe and the US. In 2021, for the fourth consecutive year, LVD was named among Belgium’s Best Managed Companies achieving the program’s Gold label.