Airtificial develops technology to manufacture electric vehicles in India
- The Spanish Group is developing a fully automated assembly line at its Suzhou plant in China for delivery to Bangalore, India. The turnkey project is being developed for an international Tier 1 supplier that manufactures components for a global EV manufacturer.
- The technology automates and accelerates the assembly and testing of busbars, with a production capacity of 10,000 units per week. These components are critical as they conduct and distribute electricity throughout electric vehicles.
- The project integrates assembly processes, hot pressing, robotics, machine vision, electrical testing and traceability, with a cycle time of 24 seconds and a target overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) of close to 90%.
Madrid, 5 October 2026. Airtificial Group will develop a new automated production and testing line for a Tier 1 supplier serving a global electric vehicle manufacturer. Airtificial will deliver this intelligent technology on a turnkey basis to the Tier 1 supplier’s factory in Bangalore, India, where it will be used to assemble laminated alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) busbars. The line will have the capacity to produce up to 10,000 conductive components per week for electric vehicle manufacturing processes. With this new contract, Airtificial strengthens its position in high-value-added automotive projects, while its technology also enables the Group to diversify its activities into the Defence sector, a strategic focus for future growth.
The project will be designed and manufactured by Airtificial’s team in Suzhou, China, which will be responsible for the line’s preliminary validation, commissioning and final validation at the customer’s plant in India. Start of production (SOP) is scheduled for March 2027.
This new technology will automate critical production processes, including the fastening of studs, threaded metal components attached to the busbar to enable mechanical and electrical connections with other components. It will also integrate resistance testing, hot pressing of insulating films, robotic handling, trimming, machine vision inspection, high-voltage (Hi-Pot) testing, labelling and end-of-line controls. Hi-Pot testing verifies that the component is properly insulated and has no electrical leakage or risk of failure.
The installation will comprise five independent stations, automated conveying systems and robotic material transfer, as well as control and traceability technologies that will enable each component to be tracked throughout the entire production process using radio-frequency identification (RFID), QR codes and serial numbers.
It will also incorporate PLC/HMI systems that will allow operators to collect production data, together with machine vision technologies to verify both the presence and type of components and the final quality of each assembly. These systems control and enable the operation of the automated line. PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) refers to the industrial “brain” that coordinates machines, sensors, robots and processes, while HMI (Human-Machine Interface) refers to the screen or interface through which operators monitor and manage the line.
High precision and quality control
One of the project’s critical elements is the automated stud-fastening process. During validation testing, the system fastens these components by applying a force of 10 kN and has demonstrated a pull-out resistance of more than 6 kN, compared with the minimum requirement of 1.5 kN.
The line will also incorporate various integrated quality controls throughout the process, including electrical resistance testing, camera-based inspection, final visual verification and high-voltage testing. The installation has been designed to achieve a cycle time of 24 seconds, with a target overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) of close to 90%. In its second phase, it will have the capacity to produce up to 10,000 units per week in two different variants for AC and DC applications.
Guillermo Fernández de Peñaranda, CEO of Airtificial Group, said: “This project strengthens our ability to support major international manufacturers and suppliers in the transformation of their industrial processes. We combine engineering, automation, robotics, machine vision and advanced control and traceability systems to develop solutions capable of meeting demanding quality, precision and productivity requirements, both in the automotive industry, where the Company is already a global benchmark, and in the Defence sector, which is a strategic focus for the Company’s growth.”
The project reinforces Airtificial’s selective growth and diversification plan across high-value-added markets, whether in the automotive industry or other sectors. Airtificial remains committed to its role as a strategic supplier of innovative, high-value-added processes linked to new business models, evolving societal demands and emerging geopolitical dynamics. Airtificial is already applying its technology to these new models by transferring its existing know-how and leveraging the innovation derived from its experience in automation and artificial intelligence. New applications in Dual-Use Technologies, Defence and Health Sciences are already within the scope of this renewed focus on Technology and Innovation.
About Airtificial
Airtificial provides innovative global design and manufacturing solutions for the automotive, civil and defence aerospace, infrastructure and other industrial sectors, integrating advanced technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence which, together with human expertise, contribute to more sustainable development. Listed on the Spanish Continuous Market, the Company has an operational presence in 18 countries across the main markets of Europe, the Americas and Asia, and contributes to the digital transformation, automation and optimisation of its customers’ industrial processes through sustainable and competitive growth.
Press contact:
Guiomar Pérez: +34 654 131 327
Lucía Pérez: +34 633 71 97 26
