NOW Robotics Signs 2.4 Billion Won Contract with VPK to Supply Automation Equipment for Hybrid Vehicle Battery Packs in the U.S.

NOW Robotics Co., Ltd. (459510), a leading intelligent robotics company, has signed a contract to supply automation equipment for the production of hybrid vehicle battery pack components bound for the U.S. market. Having previously won orders for equipment for U.S. automotive plants, the company is now expanding its business scope to include automation for battery packs, thereby broadening its order base in automotive component automation.

On September 7, NOW Robotics announced that it had signed a contract with VPK worth 2,365,900,000 won for the production of "USA NQ6a HEV Holder Assembly Automation Equipment." This contract covers the construction of a hybrid vehicle battery pack holder assembly line for the U.S. market and includes both the delivery of assembly equipment and the supply of spare parts.

The supplied equipment will automatically assemble holder assemblies used in hybrid vehicle battery packs. The system connects major processes into a single automated line, starting with the automatic feeding and assembly of busbars, heat staking for holder guides and busbars, laser welding of flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) terminals, insulation, current flow and low-resistance testing, and visual inspection of weld areas.

NOW Robotics aims to link assembly, welding, and inspection processes to reduce waiting times and manual intervention during production, while ensuring consistent product quality. The company will build equipment that automatically inspects electrical characteristics and weld conditions, manages production and inspection histories, and enables rapid root cause analysis and response in the event of product issues.

The company is also designing and constructing equipment tailored to customers' production environments and local requirements. Training for production and maintenance personnel and initial ramp-up support will be provided to help ensure stable operations of local production lines.

This latest order is connected to NOW Robotics' accumulated track record in supplying to the U.S. automotive components market. Previously, the company signed a 3.7 billion won contract with Hankook Fookook to provide robotic assembly automation equipment for engine dampers at FKC America's U.S. plant.

After building experience in automotive component assembly automation, NOW Robotics is now expanding the scope of its projects to include hybrid vehicle battery pack components. As the automotive industry shifts toward electrification, the company is being recognized for its efforts to secure a foothold in the growing battery pack production automation market as a new source of growth.

Leveraging its proven industrial robotics and automation technology, NOW Robotics has built up experience delivering projects for various sectors, including automotive and consumer goods. The company plans to utilize this field experience and integrated production capability to continuously expand automation business opportunities both at home and abroad.

Jongju Lee, CEO of NOW Robotics, stated, "This contract is an automation project that links multiple processes from assembly to welding and inspection for hybrid vehicle battery pack components," adding, "We will use the field expertise and integrated production capabilities developed in the automotive, consumer goods, and other industries to expand business opportunities domestically and globally."

He continued, "By leveraging the expanded product portfolio and production and technical infrastructure following the acquisition of Hanyang Robotics, we will provide solutions tailored to our customers' processes, enhancing project execution efficiency and pursuing both scale growth and profitability."

The company's performance continues to grow. In the first half of this year, NOW Robotics recorded consolidated sales of 9,183,000,000 won, representing a 172.7% increase compared to 3,367,000,000 won in the same period last year and setting a new all-time high for the first half. The company plans to focus on improving profitability in the second half of the year, as sales growth is outpacing increases in costs.

NOW Robotics is also expanding into the fields of physical artificial intelligence and industrial humanoids, building on the technology it has accumulated in industrial robotics and automation. The company participates in a domestic project to verify and proliferate AI semiconductors, leading development and demonstration of mobile dual-arm robot-based industrial humanoids, and plans to build a track record of real-world application in preparation for future commercialization.

With this new order for hybrid vehicle battery pack automation equipment destined for the U.S., NOW Robotics plans to further expand its customer base and applicable processes in automotive component production automation, while pursuing sales growth and improved profitability together.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.