Atlas Copco unifies joining technologies for automotive manufacturing

As UK vehicle manufacturers accelerate toward smarter, more connected production environments, they face a critical industry challenge: how to simplify increasingly complex and often siloed automation systems while meeting stringent new cybersecurity and regulatory requirements. Atlas Copco has introduced its Common Control Platform to transform automated production lines for automotive manufacturers, particularly in EV and battery assembly, by unifying multiple assembly technologies within a single, intuitive interface.

The Common Control Platform creates a fully unified ecosystem, bringing together hardware, software, HMI and data handling into one standardised environment. This ‘smart digital backbone’ enables automotive OEMs and tier-one suppliers to integrate key joining technologies such as fastening, riveting, bonding and sealing within a single control architecture. It provides seamless integration with MES and data platforms, which creates a scalable foundation for traceability, monitoring and advanced AI-driven analytics, such as Atlas Copco’s ALTURE system.

By aligning all these technologies into one interface, the Common Control Platform reduces complexity, while enhancing production efficiency, which helps manufacturers improve uptime and reduce human error. The new system also delivers several measurable operational and cost benefits, including faster time-to-market for new production lines; simplified maintenance and spare parts management; and improved process reliability.

In addition, having a single data access point eliminates the need for multiple controllers on the assembly line. For automotive OEMs managing hundreds of systems across a factory site, this translates into measurable gains in productivity, quality and operational agility.

With cybersecurity now a top priority for manufacturers, the Common Control Platform is engineered with a secure-by-design architecture, combining safety and security protocols. Crucially, the platform is fully aligned with the EU Machinery Regulation (2023/1230), ensuring compliance ahead of the January 2027 deadline.

Providing a robust foundation for flexible, efficient and secure manufacturing is pivotal to strengthening customer partnerships, as James McAllister, General Manager of Atlas Copco UK, states: “The Common Control Platform brings all our joining technologies from our 8000 series for dispensing, flow drill fastening, self‑pierce riveting and integrated vision solutions into a single interface that simplifies operations, reduces floor space and integration costs, and accelerates leaner production.”