Schaeffler has opened a 7,500 sq m factory in Taicang, China, where humanoid robots assemble components for the next generation of humanoid machines, as the German supplier seeks to expand its robotics business.
The facility combines component manufacturing, robot training, data collection and digital twins, allowing the company to develop and test robotic systems under real manufacturing conditions.
Six humanoid robots work across five assembly stations, handling tasks including sorting parts, joining components, inspection, labelling and packaging. The line produces joint modules, including linear and rotary actuators, which enable robots to move.
Schaeffler said the opening marked the start of mass production of these components at the site. The factory will also allow customers and partners to train and test physical AI systems in an industrial environment, with the aim of accelerating their deployment.
The company is integrating digital twins into the production process to replicate the assembly line in real time. Sensors capture data on assembly accuracy, task duration, energy consumption and equipment condition, allowing changes to be tested virtually before they are introduced on the factory floor.
A separate training and data acquisition centre prepares humanoids for tasks such as visual inspection, material handling, container movement and replenishing production lines. Training environments are designed to reflect conditions across Schaeffler’s manufacturing network of about 100 plants.
Data from training, simulation and production are linked to improve robot performance and help transfer skills from controlled environments to operational factory lines.
“[W]e are creating something that has never before been seen in Schaeffler’s global network: a closed manufacturing loop where humanoids assemble components for humanoids,” said Jochen Schröder, Chief Operating Officer of Schaeffler.
The opening comes as the company expands its humanoid robotics business in China. Schaeffler said it had secured two new customers in Greater China in the third quarter of 2026, taking its global order intake for humanoid robotics to about €400m.
Yilin Zhang, Schaeffler’s Regional Chief Executive for Greater China, said the company was drawing on its local research and development, manufacturing and industrial partnerships to support the development of China’s humanoid robotics sector.
