Porsche AG has acquired Kuka Systems GmbH’s Tools and Dies business, the toolmaking interest of the industrial automation and robotics manufacturer. The business has 600 employees at two plants, in Schwarzenberg, Germany, and Dubnica, Slovakia, and will be renamed Porsche Werkzeugbau GmbH.
The business will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Stuttgart-based Porsche, a Volkswagen AG holding that manufactures high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans.
“By taking over the toolmaking division, Porsche is making important moves for the sports car production of the future,” said Matthias Müller, president of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. “From a strategic point of view, the integration is a major step for us. There is additionally a decades-long tradition of craftsmanship and technology linking our companies.”
In terms of strategy, the purchase signals Porsche’s desire for more in-house expertise in the development and production of automotive parts. This would be in line with all automakers’ expanding application of lightweight materials, including aluminum and carbon fiber reinforced materials, to reduce vehicle mass in order to comply with carbon emissions limits.
For more on this story, read American Machinist, a companion publication of IndustryWeek in the Penton Manufacturing and Supply Chain Group.
