California-based Figure has announced that it is developing a new high-volume BotQ robot manufacturing facility, interestingengineering.com. Developed in-house by Figure, the new factory is designed solely to produce humanoid robots.
According to the company, the facility’s first-generation line will initially be capable of manufacturing up to 12,000 humanoid robots per year, with significant plans to increase production.
Figure explains that this decision was made to maintain tight control over robot quality, production efficiency, and performance. Vertical integration allows Figure to guarantee high-quality standards and quickly respond to design changes or quality issues.
In case you are unaware, vertical integration is a business strategy where a company controls multiple stages of its supply chain, from raw materials to end-product distribution, by acquiring or merging with businesses within that chain.
The company is preparing the facility to manage large-scale production using specialist software platforms. This includes real-time control and tracking of production lines through an innovative Manufacturing Execution System (MES).
BotQ will also benefit from Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), which helps oversee the lifecycle of robots from design to manufacturing. Dedicated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) will also help manage resources, scheduling, and logistics.
Finally, the facility will also have a specially designed Warehouse Management System (WMS) – to optimize inventory management. The factory will also integrate some of the robots made by Figure.
Figure explains this innovative approach. Its humanoid robots will assist in manufacturing additional robots. This use of robot labor will increase over time, enhancing automation, speeding production, and reducing human involvement in repetitive tasks.
The company has also announced that it plans to transition from its prototype humanoid robot, Figure 02, to its production-ready robot (Figure 03) to improve scalability and affordability.
This robot features an improved, more straightforward design to help reduce the number of parts and simplify assembly. Regarding the actual assembly, the company has said it is shifting from slow and costly CNC machining to faster, cheaper manufacturing processes like injection molding, metal injection molding, die-casting, and stamping.
According to the company, this drastically cuts component manufacturing times from days or weeks to seconds, though it required significant upfront investment in tooling and molds. The facility also has new specialized teams formed to ensure robot safety and reliability through rigorous testing and accelerated lifecycle analysis.
To complete the factory’s design, Figure hired manufacturing experts to optimize assembly lines and processes for efficient mass production. This enabled them to create innovative automation processes, including precision grease dispensing for motors and automated battery cell testing and handling.
Figure also developed a new internal artificial intelligence (AI) software, Helix, to control robots used directly in the manufacturing line. This, they explain, enables robots to handle repetitive tasks and transport materials, reducing the need for traditional conveyor systems.
The facility will also benefit from a hybrid workforce combining robots and humans, which improves flexibility, speed, precision, and overall production efficiency.
Figure’s BotQ represents a significant advancement in scalable humanoid robot manufacturing. To this end, the company is preparing for rapid expansion, robust reliability testing, and continued innovation, emphasizing robots manufacturing robots for future growth.
