SK AX rolls out full-stack robotics service to build self-running factories

by Kim Dong-young Posted : July 9, 2026, 09:33Updated : July 9, 2026, 09:33
Image generated by Omni Flash
Image generated by Omni Flash
 
SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - SK AX announced it is launching a full-stack robotics service designed to steer South Korean manufacturers toward autonomous factories that can sense, decide and act on their own.

The push, branded "Manufacturing RX" for robot transformation, aims to tackle chronic labor shortages and sagging productivity on factory floors by knitting robots, manufacturing execution systems and equipment data into a single, self-directing operation.

SK AX's service spans the entire journey, from virtual vetting before a single robot is deployed to on-site autonomous control and plant-wide orchestration, with a digital twin first recreating floor plans.

It later moves onto equipment layouts and material flows in a virtual space, running thousands of driving and task scenarios to flag collisions, bottlenecks and charging schedules in advance.

Robots then run on physical AI built on a "vision-language-action" model, letting them read unexpected obstacles and adjust on the fly rather than repeat fixed motions.

SK AX said it is already validating the digital-twin and robot-control systems in the semiconductor industry and is extending the projects into shipbuilding, with plans to widen the service to other sectors using proven pilot models.

"The robot transformation of manufacturing is no longer about simply buying hardware but about the operational capability to keep robots running reliably and connected to the whole factory," said Kim Kwang-soo, head of SK AX's manufacturing service division, adding the company would help clients evolve into autonomous factories that never stop.