Rockwell Automation, a leader in industrial automation and digital transformation, is modernizing the automation system at Kia’s Slovakia body plant, enhancing production efficiency and stability.

Rockwell Automation announced on the 3rd that it is upgrading the lifter system, a key production facility at Kia Motors' Slovakia body plant, with the latest servo technology.

This project will be applied to the production lines of Kia's European strategic models, Ceed and Sportage, and is expected to further strengthen process stability and digital operation capabilities.

Existing equipment is replaced with Allen-Bradley® Kinetix® 5700 servo drives and MPL servo motors, integrated with Rockwell PLCs and communication networks to reduce maintenance complexity and increase operational efficiency.

Equipment replacement is carried out by utilizing regular break periods, enabling a quick return to work without process interruption.

“Lifters are machines where precision and reliability are critical, and Rockwell’s solution reduces maintenance time and increases programming reliability,” said Peter Holubucic, deputy manager of body repair at Kia Slovakia.

“Aging equipment is at greater risk of production disruption,” said Mark Bottomley, vice president of Rockwell Automation EMEA. “This modernization goes beyond simple replacement.“This signifies a shift to a digital-based manufacturing environment,” he said.

Kia Slovakia started producing cars and engines in 2006 and currently employs around 3,700 people. It has supplied more than 5 million cars and 7.5 million engines worldwide.