More advanced automation is coming to food production and packaging operations. KUKA Robotics plans to demonstrate its systems in live workcells representing real-world applications at Pack Expo International 2026. The company will show them with its system partners and provide an interactive podium for visitors to see its LBR iisy force- and power-limited robot with its iiQKA.OS2 operating system.
KUKA said it will exhibit with partners the Compendium Group Inc., FOCUS Integration, and Acieta in Booth N-5530 at Chicago’s McCormick Place from Oct. 18 to 21. The company is a leading provider of industrial automation, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), controllers, software, and cloud-based digital services.
It also provides fully networked production systems for industries such as automotive, electronics, metals and plastics, consumer goods, food, e-commerce, retail, and healthcare. Shelby Township, Mich.-based KUKA Robotics is a unit of Augsburg, Germany-based KUKA AG, which has sales of around €3.7 billion ($4.3 billion U.S.) and about 15,000 employees. It is owned by Guangdong, China-based Midea Group.
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KUKA and partners to demonstrate three applications
KUKA partner Compendium Group plans to demonstrate robotic case erecting with two compact KR AGILUS six-axis robots at Pack Expo. Working in tandem, one robot will holds a carton, while the second robot loads a cardboard insert, showcasing fast, precise handling for high-speed packaging operations.
Compendium programmed the cell using KUKA.PLC mxAutomation programming software. The partners said intuitive robot programming directly within the PLC environment can simplify integration, accelerate commissioning, and provide greater flexibility.
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As a universal PLCopen-certified interface, KUKA.PLC mxAutomation allows users to program and operate all key robot functions directly in a familiar control environment. Not only are commands sent to the robot, but diagnostics and status information also flows back to the controller, the company explained.
In a material handling application, KUKA partner FOCUS Integration will feature its double-sided CUBE robotic palletizing and depalletizing cell equipped with a KR IONTEC industrial robot and a KMP 1500P AMR. The double-sided configuration enables uninterrupted production and higher throughput by autonomously removing completed pallets while allowing palletizing to continue on the opposite side, said KUKA.
The cell will include the iiQKA.OS2 operating system, KR C5-2 controller, and iiQWorks.Sim simulation software. iiQKA.OS2 is scalable, customizable, and includes a complete virtual robot controller (VRC), asserted KUKA. The AI-capable controller allows users to meet new ISO 10218:2025 and cyber-resilient needs for future-proof digital manufacturing, said the company.
The KR C5-2 enables tailored controls for a wide range of applications involving industrial robots and additional kinematic systems. KUKA said its controller, interface, and peripheral modules, as well as a scalable cabinet, allow for integration into diverse automation environments.
With iiQWorks.Sim, FOCUS programmed, tested, and optimized the cell’s KUKA industrial robots offline before deployment. The simulation software supports robot simulation, process validation, and virtual commissioning to reduce risk, improve efficiency, and accelerate project implementation. All without interrupting ongoing production.
For case blank loading in packaging applications, the Acieta cell demo will incorporate a KR20 R1820 robot from KUKA’s KR CYBERTECH series. The robot offers a compact design for high integration density and reduced interference contours.
In this application, the KR CYRBERTECH will remove straps from bundles of flattened boxes then loads them into the magazine of a case erector.
Experience drives LBR iisy cobot and iiQKA.OS2
Also at Pack Expo 2026, KUKA will display its LBR iisy together with iiQKA.OS2. The company claimed that its cobot is highly versatile, intuitive to operate, and reliable for working in contact with humans.
KUKA said the LBR iisy can be used across production areas, combining the know-how and speed of industrial automation with the flexibility and simplicity of an intelligent tool.
The iiQKA.OS2 incorporates a modern user interface and modular safety while enabling the simulation of multiple robots and their peripherals.
“Backed by decades of KUKA development experience, the operating system incorporates the latest web technologies for expanded functionality, enhanced user experience, and streamlined workflows,” said the company. “It can also detect errors at an early stage due to its various engineering functions such as simulation, offline programming, and comprehensive tests in a virtual environment, all of which drastically reduces risk and overall cost.”
Speaker to discuss mobile robot deployment
AMRs are being rapidly adopted across warehousing and manufacturing, but successful automation requires far more than deploying the right mobile robots, according to Brendan Turner, account manager for mobile robotics at KUKA. He will be a featured speaker at the Pack Expo 2026 Innovation Stage 1 (N-4570).
In the “From Napkin Sketch to Lights-Out Logistics: Building Autonomous Material Handling Systems” presentation scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 10:00 a.m., Turner will focus on what it takes to implement fully autonomous material handling in real-world production and distribution environments. He will also discuss key considerations behind designing a turnkey system.
Attendees can learn about the essential components of a successful “lights-out” operation, including fleet management, interfacing with physical equipment, and the software infrastructure that ties systems together. Turner plans to use examples of automation meeting diverse demands, ranging from food and beverage to automotive manufacturing.
In addition, his session will address interoperable mixed fleets using VDA 5050 standards, helping manufacturers prepare for the next generation of flexible automation through collaboration between robotics providers, software developers, and system integration partners.
