SK AX (President: Kim Wan-jong, skax.co.kr) announced on the 11th that it has successfully implemented AX logistics automation at a North American global auto parts manufacturing plant, marking another milestone in expanding its AX innovation from the semiconductor, energy, and materials sectors into the automotive industry.
The project was launched to address increasingly complex logistics flows caused by diversified orders and rising material movement between production processes.
SK AX established an end-to-end automated logistics system that links all manufacturing stages, significantly improving both operational stability and productivity.
By deploying Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and Autonomous Forklifts (AFRs), SK AX created a self-operating logistics network capable of transporting materials and products without human intervention—from semi-finished goods transfer to final product shipment. Each robot is equipped with SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology, allowing it to determine its position and find optimal routes indoors where GPS signals are unavailable.
This method uses fixed structures, such as walls, to map the factory layout, enabling smooth operation even when movable shelves or cargo positions change. Multiple robots can share location data and collaborate autonomously without collisions.
Beyond reliable robot navigation, SK AX also implemented AI-driven logistics control systems—the Manufacturing Control System (MCS) and AMR Control System (ACS)—to centrally manage the entire logistics flow.
These systems analyze real-time production line conditions, inventory status, and robot movement to allocate logistics routes with maximum efficiency. When sudden production fluctuations occur, AI immediately adjusts logistics input and sequencing, minimizing idle time and process delays.
A customized logistics information architecture designed specifically for automotive parts manufacturing was also introduced. Unlike conventional factory systems, it models every stage—from semi-finished production and assembly to final shipment—within a graphical user interface (GUI), enabling on-site staff to monitor equipment, AGV status, and inventory data in real time.
By enabling bidirectional integration between the upper-level Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and the lower-level AMR Control System (ACS), SK AX has unified tasks such as material delivery and product shipment. This integration has led to shorter lead times, greater transport accuracy, reduced labor demand, and overall productivity gains.
SK AX expects this logistics automation advancement to go beyond productivity improvements and fundamentally reshape cost structures and supply chain management across factory operations.
With logistics flows fully digitized, component locations, transport routes, and shipment schedules are now visible in real time to both headquarters and clients.
This digital transparency enables lower inventory levels, more accurate delivery forecasting, energy optimization, and measurable reductions in carbon emissions—enhancing sustainability.
Kwang-soo Kim, Head of Manufacturing Services at SK AX, stated: “This project is a tangible demonstration of SK AX’s logistics automation capabilities in real-world manufacturing. It offers practical solutions to the labor shortages and cost pressures faced by large U.S. factories. We plan to expand collaboration with global auto parts and vehicle manufacturers to further drive AX-based innovation in manufacturing operations.”
