The Challenge
A major EV manufacturer in Illinois was bringing a new battery assembly line into production. The line incorporated several FANUC robotic stations handling critical assembly operations, and the business needed robot programs developed, validated, and ready for handover before the physical line was built out and available for testing.
The traditional approach to commissioning a robotic line of this kind involves extended on-site time, with engineers present while the line is progressively built, powered up, and proven out. Robot paths are tested against the physical hardware, collisions are discovered and resolved in real time, and sequencing logic is validated through live trial and error. It is a necessary process, but it is time-consuming, expensive, and introduces risk into the startup phase that manufacturers are increasingly looking to reduce.
The client needed a faster, lower-risk route to a working line. The geography added a further constraint: bringing UK-based engineers on site in Illinois for an extended commissioning campaign was not the preferred approach. What was needed was a way to do the majority of the work remotely, delivering programs that were as close to production-ready as possible before a single engineer set foot on the floor.
The brief: Develop, validate and refine FANUC robot programs for a new EV battery assembly line entirely in simulation using Siemens Process Simulate. Deliver collision-free paths, validated cycle times, and proven sequencing logic — remotely from the UK — ready for a compressed on-site startup.
What Duke Did
Duke Control Systems delivered the full virtual commissioning programme from its Birmingham office using Siemens Process Simulate. A virtual model of the line was built to mirror the physical layout, with each robotic station modelled accurately enough to allow meaningful simulation of real-world operating conditions.
Offline Robot Programming
FANUC robot programs were developed entirely offline within the simulation environment. Rather than writing programs against physical hardware and refining them through live testing, Duke's engineers worked iteratively within the virtual model, developing and modifying programs until they met the required specification. Every path was generated, reviewed, and refined without the line being physically present.
Collision Detection and Path Validation
One of the most time-consuming elements of conventional on-site commissioning is discovering and resolving collisions. When a robot path clips a fixture, a part, or another piece of equipment, the physical consequences range from a minor interruption to significant damage. In simulation, the same discovery is instant and consequence-free. Duke's engineers ran systematic collision detection across all stations, identified and resolved every conflict, and confirmed clean, collision-free paths across the full operating envelope before any program was signed off.
Cycle Time and Sequencing Validation
Cycle times were measured and validated within the simulation, and the sequencing logic governing how stations interacted with one another was stress-tested against the virtual line model. This level of validation, which in a conventional programme would only become possible once the physical line was running, was completed entirely in the pre-build phase.
PLC Logic Validation
Alongside the robot programming, PLC logic governing station sequencing and line control was validated within the simulation environment. Handshaking between robot controllers and the line PLC was confirmed before physical integration, significantly reducing the scope for integration issues during startup.
Discovering a collision in simulation costs nothing. Discovering it on a live production line costs time, money, and sometimes hardware. The whole point of virtual commissioning is to move that discovery phase to where it is cheap and fast to resolve.
Remote Delivery
The entire virtual commissioning programme was delivered from Duke's Birmingham office. No travel to the United States was required during this phase. Engineers worked within the simulation environment, communicated with the client's team remotely, and delivered validated programs and documentation ready for handover.
This remote delivery model required close collaboration with the client's engineering team in Illinois to ensure the virtual model accurately reflected the physical line as it was being built. Regular review sessions, model updates as the physical design evolved, and clear documentation of all validation outcomes kept both teams aligned throughout the programme.
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When the physical line was ready for startup, the preparation done in simulation translated directly into a dramatically compressed on-site window. What would typically require approximately eight weeks of on-site commissioning time was completed in four days. The client's own engineering team implemented the validated programs on site, supported remotely by Duke during the startup phase.
The result was a production line that reached its operational targets significantly faster than would have been possible through conventional commissioning, with lower travel cost, reduced on-site risk, and a handover process that equipped the client's internal team with thoroughly validated, well-documented programs from day one.
The programme led directly to further work with the same client, a practical indicator of confidence in both the process and the outcome.
At a Glance
- Sector: Automotive EV, Illinois, USA
- Scope: Virtual commissioning, offline robot programming, PLC logic validation
- Platform: Siemens Process Simulate, FANUC robotics
- Delivery: 100% remote from Duke's Birmingham office
- Virtual commissioning phase: 4 weeks
- On-site startup duration: 4 days
- Typical on-site window avoided: approximately 8 weeks
- Status: Complete. Programme led to follow-on work with the same client.