For the first time, Dürr is fully implementing its Paint Shop of the Future concept at CEER. The modular design includes the latest innovations to drive complete automation. The plant uses digital solutions from Dürr’s DXQ product family to reduce downtime and maximize system efficiency. The new system at CEER Manufacturing Complex located in the King Abdullah Economic City will begin production in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Efficient high-tech products benefit the environment

CEER relies on Dürr’s new generation of ovens. EcoInCure heats the body from the inside to reach massive body components more directly. This is particularly advantageous for electric vehicles, as they require – among other things – well reinforced rocker panels to protect their batteries in the event of a side impact while simultaneously preventing overheating in thinner parts of the body shell. This drying method is more environmentally friendly, reducing the required heating process time for the body by up to 30% compared to conventional systems. An Oxi.X RV from Dürr CTS cleans exhaust air from the oven using the principle of regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO). The oxidation reaction, which purify the process exhaust, occur entirely within the heat exchange media. Since the system operates using electricity, there is no open flame and therefore none of the unwanted by-products of flame combustion.

Another notable feature is Dürr’s EcoPaintJet Pro, an award-winning overspray-free painting system. CEER can utilize this to offer its customers cars with a two-tone paint finish. The EcoPaintJet Pro technology marries customer-specific product design with automated production. Bodies can be simultaneously painted with two contrasting colors, reducing paint consumption and eliminating plastic waste since the EcoPaintJet Pro does not require masking with adhesive tape. The system can also paint complex patterns such as lettering and logos.

“Innovation is a key driver of performance and sustainability in vehicle production. The paint shop of the future will deliver greater flexibility, energy and paint efficiency, and exciting premium vehicle paint finishes,” said Dr. Lars Friedrich, CEO of Dürr Systems AG. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to partner with CEER to create one of the most modern car production lines in the world.”

Flexible box concept instead of rigid painting lines

CEER can swiftly incorporate new models and easily scale production capacity with the paint shop of the future. The key lies in implementing a modular concept, where flexible EcoProBooth boxes replace traditional lines with their rigid cycle times. In the box concept, the robots paint the interior and exterior of the car bodies in just one box. The new universal atomizer from the EcoBell4 Pro series meets the highest painting quality standards. Dürr’s EcoProFleet AGVs are constantly in motion and flexibly transport bodies between workstations and the high-bay warehouse based on demand. DXQlogistics.control, Dürr’s tailored software solution for the AGVs’ control logic, controls material flow digitally following work deck utilization, equipment, and availability.

Smart factory due to DXQ software

Digital solutions from Dürr’s DXQ product family turn CEER’s paint shop into an intelligent factory. The DXQcontrol modular solution is an innovative manufacturing operations management (MOM) system with a microservices architecture that delivers a high level of flexibility and consistency. The MOM comprises over 50 functionalities for manufacturing planning, execution, control, monitoring, optimization, and predictive analysis. DXQanalyze provides information based on specific systems and uses, enabling it, for example, to forecast the remaining service life of system components or to establish links between quality results and machining processes, taking transparency about the operating behavior of machines and systems to a whole new level.

“Our goal at CEER is to build a world-class manufacturing facility, setting new benchmark for efficiency and sustainability,” said James DeLuca, CEO of CEER. “This Paint Shop of the Future will place CEER at the forefront of automotive manufacturing innovation, allowing us to offer our customers in Saudi Arabia and the wider region a level of customization they have never seen before. The result will be a more environmentally friendly manufacturing process and the ability to offer customization in car colors, finishing, and intricate details that will excite the public.”

In autumn 2024, Dürr opened its subsidiary Dürr Systems Arabia LLC in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to further strengthen its customer relations in the region.

About Dürr

Dürr Systems USA has been present in the United States since 1970 and operates multiple locations across the United States, including facilities in Michigan and Wisconsin. The largest site is in Southfield, Michigan, which serves as the main center for operations. As of 2025, Dürr employs approximately 660 people across the country who support a wide range of market segments. Dürr Systems USA plans, builds, and installs complete, state-of-the-art paint shops and final assembly facilities, supported by DXQ, Dürr’s digital products suite. The company also offers advanced automated painting, sealing, and gluing application technologies, as well as high-viscosity material handling solutions. In addition to serving the automotive industry, Dürr Systems provides premium application technology products for the general industry. In the field of electrode manufacturing, Dürr Systems enhances quality, cost efficiency, and speed to market lithium-ion battery electrode coating through its advanced development and manufacturing coating systems. Committed to innovation, excellence, and customized solutions, Dürr Systems addresses the diverse needs of its North American customers with precision and reliability.

The Dürr Group is one of the world’s leading mechanical and plant engineering firms with particular expertise in the technology fields of automation, digitalization, and energy efficiency. Its products, systems, and services enable highly efficient and sustainable manufacturing processes – mainly in the automotive industry, for producers of furniture and timber houses, as well as in the assembly of medical and electrical products and in battery production. The Dürr Group generated sales of €4.7 billion in 2024 and currently has around 18,000 employees and 130 business locations in 32 countries. Since the sale of its environmental technology division at the end of October 2025, the business has been consolidated into three divisions:

• Automotive: painting technology, final assembly, testing and filling technology
• Industrial Automation: assembly and test systems for automotive components, medical devices, and consumer goods as well as balancing technology solutions and coating systems for battery electrodes
• Woodworking: machinery and equipment for the woodworking industry

The solution combines Robotiq’s PAL Ready palletizing cell with Universal Robots’UR20 robot arm, integrated into Siemens’ automation hardware and new Digital Twin Composer software – launched at the event. Visitors to the Siemens booth #8725 in the  LVCC North Hall will experience a digital-meets-physical showcase, where a fully simulated palletizing cell is rendered photo-realistically in real time and paired with a live hardware demonstration.

“Our work with Robotiq and Universal Robots exemplifies what can happen when you mix together advanced automation and real-time digital twins with the power of industrial AI,” said Stuart McCutcheon, global vice president of sales and customer success, Siemens Digital Industries. “Siemens is proud to collaborate with Universal Robots and Robotiq to bring the industrial metaverse to life at CES and demonstrate how manufacturers can truly innovate faster, optimize operations and unlock new efficiencies.”

Digital Twin Meets Real-World Efficiency 

Designed to support a company’s operational needs, the system palletizes boxes of chips and beverages, leveraging digital twin analytics to optimize gripper performance and suction points dynamically. With data captured using Siemens’ Industrial Edge hardware, and then streamed to Siemens’ Insights Hub Copilot , the demonstrator provides real-time insights into cell behavior, reinforcing the theme of ‘digital AI meets physical AI’ and presents it in a real-time photorealistic environment built using Siemens’ new Digital Twin Composer software.

CEO of Robotiq, Samuel Bouchard, said, “This collaboration with Universal Robots and Siemens demonstrates how Lean Palletizing, combined with cutting-edge digital twin technology, can help companies boost efficiency and adapt quickly to changing demands.”

Jean-Pierre Hathout, President of the Teradyne Robotics Group, said, “The seamless integration of our heavy-duty UR20 robot with Robotiq’s palletizing cell and Siemens’ advanced automation and software shows how digital and physical innovation can work hand-in-hand to transform production environments and deliver measurable ROI.”

Joint showcase with Society of Manufacturing Engineers 

CES attendees can also experience Universal Robots in action in a joint demonstration with SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers) at the Advanced Manufacturing Showcase in Central Hall #15425.

Event Details: 

• CES 2026, Consumer Electronics Show
• Dates: January 6 – 9, 2026, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Location: Siemens Booth #8725 in the LVCC North Hall

About Universal Robots

Universal Robots is a global leader in collaborative robotics (cobots), used across a wide range of industries. Our mission is simple: Automation for anyone. Anywhere. With over 100,000 cobots sold worldwide, our user-friendly platform is supported by intuitive PolyScope software, award-winning training, comprehensive services, and the world’s largest cobot ecosystem, delivering innovation and choice to our customers. Universal Robots is part of Teradyne Robotics, a division of Teradyne (NASDAQ:TER), a leading supplier of automatic test equipment and advanced robotics technology.

About Robotiq

Robotiq empowers manufacturers to automate their processes quickly and efficiently with collaborative robot solutions. Specializing in end-of-arm tools and application kits, Robotiq simplifies deployment and accelerates ROI for businesses of all sizes. With a global network of partners and a commitment to innovation, Robotiq helps companies overcome labor shortages and improve productivity through easy-to-use automation technologies.

About Siemens

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a leading technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, mobility, and healthcare. The company’s purpose is to create technology to transform the everyday, for everyone. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers customers to accelerate their digital and sustainability transformations, making factories more efficient, cities more livable, and transportation more sustainable. A leader in industrial AI, Siemens leverages its deep domain know how to apply AI – including generative AI – to real-world applications, making AI accessible and impactful for customers across diverse industries. Siemens also owns a majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, a leading global medical technology provider pioneering breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably. In fiscal 2025, which ended on September 30, 2025, the Siemens Group generated revenue of €78.9 billion and net income of €10.4 billion. As of September 30, 2025, the company employed around 318,000 people worldwide on the basis of continuing operations.

With an expected third-quarter 2019 grand opening date, the new Florida facility comes soon after a new recently added Mazak Technical Center in the San Francisco Bay/Silicon Valley Area. Both the Florida and San Francisco facilities join Mazak’s continually expanding, wide-reaching network of Technology Centers and Technical Centers dedicated to localized training and education of customers on the continually changing manufacturing technologies available to them.

For Florida manufacturers in the aerospace, medical, high-tech and other industries, the new Technical Center will serve as a source for the tools and knowledge needed to not only increase the output of their existing workforces but also help shorten the learning curve for new lesser-skilled employees, getting them up to speed faster. Florida customers will also gain the higher production capabilities of Mazak’s broad range of machine tools and automation along with the benefits of the company’s CNC control technology.

“Our Technology Centers and Technical Centers are designed with customer success in mind and are built around the various manufacturing needs of each region,” said Dave Kennedy, general manager of Mazak’s Southeast Technology Center located in nearby Suwanee, Georgia. “Customers not only want innovative machine technology, but also a partner that is close by that will work with them and provide the means to help overcome all their manufacturing challenges whether technology, application or training related.”

According to Perry Leonor, Mazak sales manager for Florida, the new Florida facility – in addition to its on-going training and learning opportunities – will allow manufacturers to experience live real-world demonstrations of Mazak’s most advanced technologies. These include the extremely user-friendly MAZATROL Smooth CNC that allows for both conversational and EIA/ISO programming, HYBRID Multi-Tasking Machines for complete part processing and PALLETECH Automated Cells for lights-out production.

Perry added that the Florida facility will also function as a collaborative education location where Mazak partners for tooling, accessories and digital technologies can also conduct presentations on an ongoing basis to enhance the support available to customers.

About Mazak Corporation

Mazak Corporation is a leader in the design and manufacture of productive machine tool solutions. Committed to being a partner to customers with innovative technology, its world-class facility in Florence, Kentucky, produces nearly 100 models of turning centers, Multi-Tasking machines and vertical machining centers, including 5-axis models and more recently Hybrid models including additive technology. Continuously investing in manufacturing technology allows the Mazak Kentucky iSMART Factory to be the most advanced and efficient in the industry, providing high-quality and reliable products. With the addition, Mazak will maintain eight Technology Centers and four Technical Centers across North America and wide-ranging distribution facilities to provide local hands-on applications, service and sales support to customers.

With the Sinumerik 828 CNC family, Siemens is now offering a simple solution for connecting robots to machine tool, which has become an integral part of automated production cell set-up.

Different types of robots designed by different manufacturers can now be connected to CNC machines equipped with the Sinumerik 828D family using the Sinumerik Integrate Run MyRobot / EasyConnect interface to perform handling tasks. This enables companies of any size to setup automated cells, including serial machines, cost-effectively and without any major effort — even with different types of CNCs using the same standard interface. Additional features that round off the new solution for automated cell setup are simple optimization of work processes on machine tools, mobile condition monitoring and remote maintenance.

Sinumerik Integrate Run MyRobot / EasyConnect is based upon a standard defined by the German Machine Tool Builders' Association (VDW) and the German Engineering Association (VDMA) for connecting robots or handling systems to machine tools. To make it as easy as possible to use the interface, the robots are connected through Ethernet (Profinet RT) or using I/O signals.

Using the new interface, operators can easily synchronize processes between the machine tool and robots, thereby positioning efficient processes in the automated production cell.

Fully automated work processes are another important aspect of automated cell setup covering all aspects of machine tools, starting off with preparatory work to accessing all of the necessary information and data at the machine — and efficiently operating the machine right up to using mobile terminal equipment for visualizing machine conditions. Siemens provides a comprehensive range of smart operation features, where smart touch technologies are being integrated into the production environment. Simultaneously, machine operators can access the factory network and can inspect contract documents at the user interface. The concept also includes an application for prep work on the PC — for example, the creation of part programs.

Functions facilitating remote diagnosis of machine tools are another component of the solution for automated cell setup. With Sinumerik Integrate Access MyMachine, Siemens provides convenient and reliable functionality for remote diagnostics using a corporate network or Internet access. The basic Access MyMachine / P2P application facilitates the exchange of data with connected machines from a Windows PC. An IP address is used for addressing purposes within the plant network. Machine tool operators can access the machine over the Internet or outside the company network if the application is appropriately configured. Sinumerik Integrate Access MyMachine / Ethernet (ASP) provides a quick overview of the machine history in addition to machine access. The Sinumerik CNC permits the uploading and downloading of machine data, files, trip recorders and configurable PLC traces. Text message (SMS) or e-mail notifications in cases of unusual machine conditions are also possible. ASP allows cost-efficient monitoring of fault states and comprehensive integration of in-house service and maintenance processes.

Siemens now enables robots to be easily connected to machine tools for automated production cell setup using Sinumerik 828D and 840D sl CNCs. Different types of robots designed by various manufacturers can be connected to machines for handling tasks using the Sinumerik Integrate Run MyRobot / EasyConnect interface.

About Siemens USA
Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global powerhouse focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of systems for power generation and transmission as well as medical diagnosis. With approximately 348,000 employees in more than 190 countries, Siemens reported worldwide revenue of $86.2 billion in fiscal 2015. Siemens in the USA reported revenue of $22.4 billion, including $5.5 billion in exports, and employs approximately 50,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

For more information, visit www.siemens.com/us/en/home.html.

Makino announces its latest full 5-axis machine solution, the DA300 vertical machining center, providing the ideal blend of speed, precision and flexibility for complex part applications. Inspired by the best design characteristics from both vertical and horizontal machine platforms, the DA300 delivers the highest productive capabilities for multi-axis workpieces in the smallest of machine footprints. These features make the DA300 ideal for single setup, multi-side accessibility, or full-contouring capability to quickly and efficiently tackle a wide variety of complex production part applications commonly found in industrial hydraulic and pneumatics elements, optical, electrical and semiconductor components, medical and dental products, die-cast parts, automotive components and aerospace parts.

“The DA300 integrates numerous features that increase productivity and efficiency by providing significant reductions in non-cut time,” said Bill Howard, VMC product manager at Makino. “The machine provides a 50 percent reduction in spindle acceleration time, 15 percent reduction in positioning time, 40 percent reduction in tool-change chip-to-chip time and includes a standard vision-type broken-tool sensor [Vision B.T.S.] that optically checks tools outside the work zone to ensure tool consistency and part quality while simultaneously reducing non-cut time during tool changes by 80 percent. Individually, each element reduces part cycle time and increases productivity; however, when all of these time savings are combined, the result is a dramatic advantage in reduced part-production times and increased profitability.”

The DA300 worktable is an integral, 340mm by 300mm table, accommodating workpiece sizes up to 450mm in diameter, 400mm tall and weighing 250 kg. The machine provides X-, Y- and Z-axis travels of 450mm, 620mm and 500mm, respectively, at feed rates of up to 60,000mm per minute. The direct-drive, motor-driven A-axis table offers 150 degrees (+30 to -120) of tilt capability at 100 rpm. The rotary C-axis has full 360-degree rotational positioning at 150 rpm. Combined, these rotational axes have the range and speed necessary to achieve the highest productivity in complex five-face or full 5-axis machining application. Equipped with scale feedback on all axes, the DA300 also offers a rare blend of speed and precision.

Wide-Ranging Spindle and Tooling Selection
The DA300 comes standardly equipped with a 20,000-rpm HSK-A63 spindle, delivering the speed and flexibility to tackle high-speed, highly productive machining of various workpiece materials, including aluminum, die-cast, steel and titanium. Acceleration and deceleration to and from full speed can be accomplished in a mere 1.5 seconds, reducing chip-to-chip times. Additionally, the machine’s standard configuration includes a 60-position ring-type tool magazine with capacity for a wide variety of tooling as well as a Vision B.T.S. to verify the integrity of the tooling prior to use.

Intelligent Functionality
With a perfect blend of the proven stability of the FANUC hardware and Microsoft Windows Embedded Standard 7 OS, the state-of-the-art Professional 6 (Pro6) control helps move operators fluidly through machine setup, empower them with easily accessible information and protect them with enhanced safety. Cycle-time saving and dynamic-control capabilities have been added to the control’s GI functions to help lower costs per part.

Included is GI Drilling, a unique G-code drilling cycle that enables the spindle and tool to arc from hole to hole instead of following a square path. This simple change reduces non-cut time by as much as 15 percent on common hole-pattern drilling.

On complex 2-D paths, testing has reduced cut time up to 35 percent. While not every tool can make use of these functions, advanced motion control GI is proven to reduce overall cycle time by 3 to 8 percent in typical production components. This reduction saves substantial cost in both high-volume and low-volume production environments by reducing the number of spindles required and freeing up machine availability to take on more work.

Other intelligent machine functions include Inertia Active Control (IAC) designed to further speed up machine motions based upon system dynamic attributes and Collision Safe Guard (CSG), a real-time crash-avoidance feature that has a look-ahead function and takes real machining conditions into consideration to prevent collisions.

Automation for Greater Efficiency and Productivity
Designed to eliminate interferences in accessing the pallet, the DA300 can be configured using several approaches, including direct part handling as a stand-alone machine, manual handling using a table chuck and pallet, one of the workpiece pallet systems (WPS) or third-party automation using an EROWA chuck and pallet system. The DA300 can be field modified to add multiple pallet magazines, starting with a seven-pallet workpiece pallet system (WPS-7), and up to a 19-pallet workpiece pallet system (WPS-19). These configurations deliver the highest productive capabilities using minimal floor space.

With Makino automation integration services, manufacturers are able to combat fierce pricing pressures from low-labor-cost countries by providing complete automated cells and systems. Whether demands call for simple machine tending or complex, high-volume robotic cells, Makino’s automation integration services offer the equipment, skills and manpower necessary to reduce labor costs, increase throughput, ensure and enhance part quality, all while retaining the flexibility to adapt quickly to changing volumes or new parts.

About Makino
A world leader in advanced CNC machining centers, Makino is committed to providing high-performance, leading-edge machining technologies and innovative engineered process solutions that enable manufacturers to focus on making what matters. Makino offers a wide range of high-precision metal-cutting and EDM machinery, including horizontal machining centers, vertical machining centers, 5-axis machining centers, graphite machining centers, and wire and sinker EDMs. Makino’s flexible automation solutions provide reduced labor costs and increased throughput in a variety of production volumes and designs. Makino’s engineering services offers industry-leading expertise for even the most challenging applications across all industries.

For more information, visit www.makino.com.