Metal manufacturers are under pressure to do more with less: more precision, more throughput, more traceability, with less energy, less downtime, and less environmental impact. One of the most effective levers right now is electrification: replacing legacy pneumatic and hydraulic motion with servo-driven, software-orchestrated systems.
In a recent AKEA project, three KUKA robots work inside a re-engineered production cell to move parts through a fully automated machining process. By shifting from air and oil to electric motion, and by layering vision-guided quality control across each station, the cell delivers measurably better performance — and cleaner, more auditable data for ESG reporting.
Below, we explain the “why,” the “how,” and the practical steps to get there.
Why move beyond pneumatics and hydraulics?
Pneumatic and hydraulic systems have powered industry for decades. They’re familiar and robust — but they have inherent trade-offs:
- Precision limits: Air compressibility and fluid dynamics introduce variance that is hard to eliminate, especially for small stroke, high-repeatability tasks.
- Energy overhead: Compressors and hydraulic power units (HPUs) consume significant baseline power and shed heat; leaks waste energy and create maintenance burden.
- Control complexity: Achieving nuanced speed/force profiles typically requires mechanical tuning and throttling rather than repeatable, software-defined curves.
- Data blind spots: It’s difficult to capture high-resolution motion and force data for traceability, SPC, or condition monitoring.
Electrification addresses these constraints with servo control, closed-loop feedback, and software-defined motion. You gain fine control at every millisecond, plus a clean stream of data that can be analyzed, reported, and improved.
The AKEA approach: a case from the shop floor
Cell configuration:
- 3× KUKA robots handling parts between machining stations
- Re-engineered process flow to optimize hand-offs, cycle balance, and fixturing
- Servo-driven motion replacing pneumatic/hydraulic axes on critical stations
- Vision detection and inline quality checks at key transitions
- Centralized data logging for cycle, position, torque, and inspection results
Outcomes the cell enables:
- Data-driven process: High-resolution motion and QC data per part, ready for SPC, OEE dashboards, and customer reporting.
- Increased capacity: Tighter cycle times from faster, repeatable moves and fewer micro-stops for adjustment.
- Improved quality: Vision-guided checks catch defects early; servo motion reduces variation and tool chatter.
- Simplified maintenance: Fewer leaks, less fluid handling, cleaner work environment, and clearer diagnostics via software.
- ESG support: Concrete energy and process metrics to feed sustainability and compliance reporting.
What changes when motion becomes software
Precision and repeatability
Servo axes allow you to define motion profiles in code: speed ramps, dwell times, torque limits, and stop tolerances measured in microns. Once validated, that profile is repeatable shift to shift, season to season.
Built-in diagnostics
Current draw, temperature, position error, velocity, and torque are captured natively. That enables condition-based maintenance and early warning for mechanical wear — before it becomes unplanned downtime.
Safer, cleaner operation
Removing HPUs and air-intensive steps reduces noise, heat, leaks, and spill risk. Safety is enhanced with integrated drives, controlled stops, and interlocks that are verifiable in software.
Real ESG data
Electrified motion gives you measurable energy profiles per cycle and per part. Combine that with vision-QC results and scrap rates, and you have a transparent trail for sustainability reporting and customer audits.
Design considerations for an electrification project
Electrification is not a one-size-fits-all swap. We assess:
- Load case & duty cycle: Required forces, speeds, and acceleration determine motor sizing, gear ratios, and feedback resolution.
- Environment: Coolant, chips, dust, and cleaning regimes drive IP ratings, sealing, and cable management.
- Control architecture: Coordinating robots, CNCs, and servos calls for a fieldbus/PLC strategy that’s deterministic and maintainable.
- Safety: Performance level (PL) and SIL targets, functional safety over fieldbus, safe torque off (STO), and well-defined safe states.
- Integration with vision/QC: Camera placement, lighting, lensing, and cycle integration so inspection complements (not bottlenecks) motion.
- Data model: What to log, at which resolution, and how to store/visualize it for production, quality, and ESG teams.
AKEA’s engineering teams work these constraints from the outset, so the electrical, mechanical, and software choices serve the process, not the other way around.
A practical roadmap: from air & oil to electrons
- Map the current process
Time each step, document failure modes, note variation sources. Identify where pneumatics/hydraulics limit precision, speed, or uptime. - Pilot the highest-impact axes
Electrify one or two critical motions first. Prove the cycle time and quality gains on a pilot station before scaling. - Integrate vision and QC early
Add checks where they prevent rework. A small vision step after rough machining may save a scrap later. - Unify controls & data
Choose a drive/PLC stack your team can support. Standardize on naming, alarms, and logging so every station “speaks the same.” - Scale across the cell
Once the pilot is stable, roll the pattern to the remaining axes and stations. Re-balance the line to match the new cycle times. - Close the loop with analytics
Feed motion/QC data into SPC or an OEE dashboard. Use trends to trigger preventative service and continuous improvement.
What about ROI?
Every plant is different, but electrification typically shows return through a mix of:
- Throughput gains: Faster, more consistent moves and fewer manual interventions.
- Quality uplift: Lower variation, earlier defect detection, reduced scrap and rework.
- Energy efficiency: No idle compressor/HPU overhead; motion matched to actual need.
- Maintenance savings: Less fluid handling, fewer leaks, and clearer fault diagnostics.
- Auditability: Traceable data that lowers the cost of customer and compliance audits.
AKEA helps quantify these elements during scoping so you have a clear business case — not just a technical win.
FAQs we hear a lot
Do we have to replace everything at once?
No. Many projects begin with a hybrid approach: keep hydraulics where force density is essential; electrify high-precision or high-cycle motions first.
Will operators need extensive retraining?
Typically not. HMIs are designed to be familiar and guided, with clear alarms and help screens. The biggest change is fewer manual tweaks.
Is vision/QC mandatory?
Not mandatory — but adding low-latency checks at key points often pays back quickly in prevented scrap and automatic containment.
How do robots fit into this?
Robots (like KUKA) provide flexible handling between stations, and their motion can be synchronized with servo axes for reliable hand-offs and cycle balance.
Ready to explore an electrification pilot?
If you’re running pneumatics and hydraulics today and see bottlenecks in precision, energy, or traceability, electrification is a practical next step — not a future promise. AKEA can scope a pilot on your highest-impact axis, integrate vision/QC where it matters, and build the data backbone that makes the gains visible.
Let’s map your process and design the right first step.
Reach us at akea@akea.dk