KUKA maps the transition to autonomous packaging logistics with mixed AMR fleets at Pack Expo

The transition toward fully autonomous material handling in packaging facilities is no longer a conceptual exercise. At PACK EXPO International 2026, German automation manufacturer KUKA is demonstrating the practical integration of industrial robotics and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to achieve lights-out logistics in corrugated and packaging operations.

Operating from Booth N-5530, the company's deployment centers on the synchronization of stationary articulated robots with mobile platforms. The primary showcase for end-of-line operations is the FOCUS CUBE, a double-sided robotic palletizing and depalletizing cell. This system pairs a KR IONTEC industrial robot with the KMP 1500P, an AMR capable of moving 1.5-ton palletized loads using SLAM navigation and 3D camera obstacle detection. For packaging plants, this eliminates the traditional bottleneck of manual forklift transfers between the palletizer and the stretch wrapper or warehouse.

Automating the case erecting bottleneck

Beyond heavy pallet movement, KUKA is addressing the upstream bottlenecks in case erecting. The manufacturer is exhibiting a KR CYBERTECH robot configured for automated case handling. The unit simulates the preparation of flattened corrugated box bundles, automatically removing straps and loading the blanks directly into a case erector magazine. This specific application targets one of the most labor-intensive and ergonomically challenging tasks in high-volume packaging lines.

Software infrastructure and the VDA 5050 standard

The hardware, however, is only half the equation. Today, October 20, KUKA's Mobile Robotics Account Manager Brendan Turner is outlining the software infrastructure required for these deployments in a session titled "From Napkin Sketch to Lights-Out Logistics." The critical takeaway for packaging converters is the emphasis on the VDA 5050 standard.

As packaging facilities increasingly deploy equipment from multiple vendors, the VDA 5050 communication interface allows mixed fleets of AMRs and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) to operate under a single master control system. This interoperability is essential for corrugated plants where material flow—from roll stock delivery to finished pallet dispatch—requires different types of mobile platforms working in the same physical space.

By combining heavy-duty palletizing, precise case handling, and standardized fleet management, KUKA is providing a clear technical roadmap for packaging operations looking to bridge the gap between isolated automated cells and continuous, autonomous plant-wide logistics.