SK AX said on July 9 it is stepping up a manufacturing RX (Robot Transformation) full-stack service to help manufacturing companies achieve operational innovation through robot adoption.

The company said SK AX's manufacturing RX full-stack service provides one-stop support across all stages, from virtual validation before robot adoption to on-site autonomous control and integrated operation of entire factories. In the digital twin stage, it implements in a virtual space items such as actual factory drawings, equipment layout, worker movement paths, material flow and real-time quality changes depending on process conditions.

Once robots that have completed virtual validation are deployed on site, physical AI based on a VLA model that sees (Vision), understands (Language) and acts (Action) is applied. While existing robots simply performed repetitive motions based on fixed rules, VLA-based robots recognise and judge unexpected obstacles or changes in the work environment and proactively adjust how they work.

The final stage is integrated operation, a core element of the factory of the future. Through a multi-vendor robot integrated control system, SK AX ties together robots from various manufacturers into a single operating framework and links them with related systems such as a manufacturing execution system (MES) to integrate and control the overall process. This immediately reflects specific process delays or abnormalities in overall production operations and optimally adjusts robot work instructions, routes and flows.

SK AX is already verifying systems and proof-of-concept models related to digital twins and integrated robot control, alongside on-site data accumulation in the semiconductor industry. It is expanding this to the shipbuilding industry and is carrying out projects. It plans to continue expanding and applying the service to various industries based on verified proof-of-concept models to bring forward customers' transition to autonomous factories.

Kwang-soo Kim (김광수), head of SK AX's manufacturing services division, said, "Robot transformation in manufacturing is no longer a simple hardware purchase. Operational capability that ensures robots run stably in actual production sites and are connected to the entire factory is now the key." He said, "Based on our capabilities in digital twins, physical AI and integrated control of multi-vendor robots, SK AX will become an AX partner that evolves customers' factories into autonomous factories that do not stop."