In the fast-moving world of industrial technology, few companies can claim a half-century of continuous innovation. Marking its 50th anniversary, Cimcorp—a global leader in robotic handling solutions—has reached a milestone that reflects decades of evolution. To celebrate, the company has released a 30-minute documentary titled “The Future of Automation,” charting a journey from a Finnish tool factory in 1975 to a cornerstone of the global EV battery supply chain.
For the EV industry, Cimcorp’s evolution is more than just a corporate history; it is a roadmap for how modular robotics and intelligent software are solving the most complex challenges in gigafactory logistic
From Tooling to Transformation
The documentary retraces Cimcorp’s roots as part of the Rosenlew Corporation in Pori, Finland. While the company initially made its mark in the 1980s by dominating the automation of picture tube manufacturing, its true strength has been an uncanny ability to pivot. As global markets shifted, Cimcorp adapted its core gantry robot technology to serve the tire industry, grocery retail, and, most recently, the high-stakes world of lithium-ion battery production.
“The first robots in Finland were made at Rosenlew,” notes Mirka Leino, Principal Lecturer at the RoboAI Research Center. “They played a significant role in taking things forward.”
That “moving forward” spirit culminated in Cimcorp’s 2014 acquisition by Murata Machinery Ltd. This partnership has turned Cimcorp into a global powerhouse, integrating their gantry expertise with Murata’s vast logistics portfolio to provide end-to-end solutions for the world’s largest battery manufacturers.
The EV Battery Frontier
As the documentary concludes, it looks toward a future defined by AI and self-optimizing systems. In the EV sector, where precision and traceability are non-negotiable, these technologies are moving from “nice-to-have” to “mission-critical.”
To dig deeper into how this 50-year legacy is currently impacting the EV charging and battery landscape, EV Charging Magazine sat down with Mika Hämäläinen, Sales Manager for the EV-B Industry at Cimcorp.
Q&A Interview: Resilience, Precision, and the AI Future
EV Charging Magazine: CEO Veli-Matti Hakala often mentions the “Cimcorp spirit.” How do you maintain that culture of innovation as you expand into massive global markets like EV batteries?
Mika Hämäläinen: The Cimcorp spirit is rooted in four core values: being caring, creative, credible, and community-oriented. It’s about how we work across disciplines and geographies. Teamwork is fundamental—our engineers and software specialists collaborate closely with customers from the initial concept to lifetime support. Innovation here is practical; we challenge ourselves to try new ideas, but we prioritize safety and real operational value. Global growth has actually strengthened this culture by bringing in diverse perspectives.
EVCM: You’ve successfully pivoted from picture tubes to tires and now to batteries. What is the “core” technology that allows such versatility?
Hämäläinen: While industries differ, they share fundamental challenges: material flow, precision, uptime, and safety. Technologies we developed in the 1990s, like our modular gantry robots, still underpin our solutions today. These “building blocks” offer customers the flexibility to scale as their business evolves. We take the best practices from past sectors and apply them to new applications, backed by advanced control software.
EVCM: How has the 2014 partnership with Murata Machinery changed your roadmap for EV battery handling?
Hämäläinen: Joining Murata Machinery Ltd. gave us access to a deep pool of resources while allowing us to keep our identity. For EV batteries, we now combine our gantry robots with Murata’s ASRS, AGVs, and conveyor technologies. This allows us to deliver end-to-end coordination in gigafactories, optimizing flow and quality through a single, intelligent control system.
EVCM: What are the most unique challenges when designing automation for EV batteries compared to more mature industries?
Hämäläinen: EV battery production is incredibly dynamic. Chemistries are constantly evolving, and the process—especially during formation and aging—is extremely sensitive. Systems must deliver precise timing and temperature control. Beyond that, scalability is the biggest hurdle. Manufacturers are under immense pressure to ramp up quickly. Our modular systems allow them to start with what they need and expand incrementally with minimal disruption.
EVCM: Quality and safety are paramount in battery production. What lessons have been most critical regarding data traceability?
Hämäläinen: Traceability is non-negotiable. Every component must be tracked to guarantee quality and ethical sourcing. The biggest lesson is the need for tight integration; robotic hardware must be seamlessly tied to software that manages complex recipes and tracks components in real time. Regarding safety, automation is designed to limit human exposure to hazardous materials and keep factory floors clear for emergency access.
EVCM: Finally, looking ahead 5-10 years, how will AI transform the warehouse or factory floor?
Hämäläinen: We are moving from systems that follow predefined instructions to automation that continuously learns and adapts. AI-enabled systems will interpret real-time data, anticipate disruptions, and adjust workflows automatically. This self-optimization will turn the warehouse into a “living system” that manages variability without human intervention. At Cimcorp, we are embedding this intelligence into our platforms now, ensuring our customers are ready for whatever comes next.
To learn more about Cimcorp’s 50-year journey, you can watch the full documentary, “The Future of Automation.”
