Siemens, NEC Collaborate to Accelerate Smart Factory Innovation

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Siemens Digital Industries Software announced that it has signed a Technology Partner Program Agreement with NEC to expand global solutions in the field of robot 3D simulation. The two companies will jointly develop a robot teaching automation solution that combines the "NEC Robot Task Planning" digital twin service with Siemens’ software, Process Simulate in the Tecnomatix® portfolio, to help manufacturing customers optimize worksite operations, improve productivity and transition to fact-driven management.

"At Siemens, we are proud to support NEC in advancing global leadership in robotics using the power of digital twin technology and AI," said Kunihiko Horita, country manager and vice president for Japan, Siemens Digital Industries Software. "By integrating NEC’s cutting-edge Robot Task Planning solution with Siemens’ Process Simulate, we enable manufacturers to dramatically accelerate robot teaching, reduce setup time, and unlock new levels of productivity. This collaboration demonstrates how Siemens’ commitment to digital transformation and intelligent automation is helping our customers and partners like NEC deliver smarter, faster and more resilient manufacturing solutions to customers worldwide."

“Through this collaboration, we will bring innovation to manufacturing in the DX era by integrating the ‘NEC Robot Task Planning’ digital twin - which promotes on-site optimization through AI-driven digitization, analysis, and simulation in digital spaces - with Siemens' Process Simulate software,” said Kosuke Hidashima, general manager, Technology Services Software Division, NEC. “Together, we will create value as we contribute to our customers' enhanced productivity and competitiveness.”

Delivered as part of NEC’s BluStellar initiative, the NEC Robot Task Planning software is equipped with a proprietary algorithm that optimizes the coordinated operation of multiple robots and automatically generates robot motion plans using AI.

Traditionally, planning the motion of multiple robots was done manually by skilled engineers using a process known as teaching. This process is extremely complex, and in manufacturing sites, designing the motion plan for robots to produce a single product requires substantial cost. As a result, there are many delays in launching production lines that use multiple robots.

As part of this collaboration, NEC Robot Task Planning has been seamlessly integrated into the Process Simulate user interface, allowing users to execute robot motion plan creation with a single click, significantly reducing the workload required for teaching. This capability complements the currently available automatic path planning and robot programming tools available in Process Simulate. In addition, it shortens the production line setup period, optimizes cycle time, enables fact-driven management, and facilitates the sharing and transfer of operational know-how that is often dependent on individual expertise.