Hanwha Robotics Officially Launched… Kim Dongseon "Will Contribute to Positive Changes in the World"

Kim Dong-seon, Strategy Officer at Hanwha Robotics, visited the Hanwha Future Technology Research Center in Pangyo last month to inspect the performance of collaborative robots. Photo by Hanwha Robotics

Hanwha's robotics specialist company, 'Hanwha Robotics,' officially launched on the 4th. Based on its advanced proprietary technology, Hanwha Robotics is targeting not only the domestic collaborative robot market but also the global market.

The newly established Hanwha Robotics was spun off from the automation (FA) division of Hanwha Momentum Co., Ltd., separating the collaborative robot, automated guided vehicle (AGV), and autonomous mobile robot (AMR) businesses. Hanwha Co., Ltd. holds 68% of the shares, while Hotel & Resort holds 32%.

Hanwha Hotel & Resort, which operates lodging, leisure, and food and beverage businesses, decided to participate jointly in the business, anticipating that robot technology can be utilized in various areas such as ▲food preparation ▲facility management ▲security tasks across its business sites.

The inaugural CEO of Hanwha Robotics is Seo Jong-hwi, head of the FA division at Hanwha Momentum Co., Ltd. (51). CEO Seo has contributed to the independent technology development of Hanwha's robotics division, having served as the head of the AGV Robot Center, among other roles.

Focusing on the Global Robot Market... Expecting Synergy in Distribution Sector

The robotics field, recognized as a representative future high value-added industry, is fiercely competitive in technology, centered around the United States, Europe, Japan, and China. In particular, the collaborative robots that Hanwha is focusing on have recently seen a remarkable increase in market size.

According to market research firm MarketsandMarkets, the global collaborative robot market size doubled from about 1 trillion KRW in 2020 to 2.2 trillion KRW last year. It is expected to grow to approximately 6.45 trillion KRW by 2025. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information also forecasts that the global collaborative robot market will grow more than 40% annually, forming a market exceeding 6.88 trillion KRW by 2025.

Hanwha Robotics plans to expand its market share focusing on collaborative robots that cooperate in the same workspace as humans. In particular, it plans to increase its lineup not only with existing industrial collaborative robots but also by developing service applications that can directly interact with customers. The company is also pushing for the release of products incorporating autonomous driving technology, such as building management robots.

Hanwha Robotics is actively entering the global market. A Hanwha Robotics official said, "So far, more than 60% of Hanwha collaborative robot sales have been made in North America and Europe," adding, "Although the domestic robot industry scale is smaller compared to major countries, we will actively compete in the global market through a diverse lineup."

Currently, Hanwha Robotics is gradually expanding its global market share through more than 30 bases worldwide, including the United States and Europe. With Hanwha Hotel & Resort joining as a joint business participant, advanced technology is expected to be introduced in various distribution sites such as Food Tech. A Hanwha Hotel & Resort official said, "The application of robot technology is expected to greatly help not only improve customer convenience but also enhance on-site safety."

Visitors at the Hanwha Robotics booth at Germany EMO2023 are listening to an explanation from a developer about the collaborative robot HCR-14, unveiled on September 18. Photo by Hanwha Robotics

Introducing New Product ‘HCR-14’ in September... Accelerating Core Software Development

Last month, at the EMO 2023 machine tool exhibition in Hanover, Germany, the collaborative robot ‘HCR-14’ was unveiled for the first time.

This new product has an increased payload capacity (maximum weight the robot can lift) of 14 kg and an expanded operating range of 1420 mm. While an increase in payload usually results in a heavier robot, the HCR-14 is lighter than previous models due to weight reduction efforts.

A Hanwha Robotics official explained, "Thanks to the extended robot arm and improved payload, it can be used not only for simple tasks like stacking and unloading boxes but also in various industrial fields including welding."

Another feature of this new product is the improved communication speed between the controller and the robot to 0.5 ms (2000 times per second), enhancing operational performance. It also includes a universal communication protocol, enabling connection with various devices.

Seo Jong-hwi, the newly appointed CEO of Hanwha Robotics, said, "With excellent quality and reliability built through precision machinery and automation design technology, we plan to focus on the rapidly growing global collaborative robot market," adding, "We will continue investing in developing core software technologies that can increase the added value of the robotics business."

Kim Dong-seon, executive director in charge of strategic planning at Hanwha Robotics, who will oversee the strategic planning division of the newly established corporation, stated, "Robots will become an important business to improve the quality of human life," and added, "We will develop robots that can be used in various fields such as Food Tech and security services with a sense of mission." He also mentioned plans to promote robot replacement in high-risk and labor-shortage fields like the 3D industry.

Before the official launch of the company, Kim visited the Hanwha Future Technology Research Institute in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province last month and said, "While generating profits is important, the core of the robot industry is to make people's lives comfortable and efficient," adding, "Through Hanwha Robotics, we will contribute to positively changing the world."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.