Visual Components 3D Manufacturing Simulation

Visual Components is a Finnish software company founded in 1999 by a team of simulation experts and headquartered in Espoo, with offices in Munich, Carmel (Indiana) and Tokyo. It has been part of the KUKA group since December 2017 and remains hardware-neutral. Its software lets production teams design factory layouts, simulate production and program robots before equipment is bought or installed.

The manufacturing simulation product combines a 3D layout environment, an eCatalog of more than 3,000 ready-made components including robots, conveyors and machines, visual process modeling, statistics, virtual commissioning against PLC code and robot offline programming. It is sold in Essentials, Professional and Premium editions, and FactoryLens, built on NVIDIA Omniverse libraries, turns simulations into realistic presentations. Users include machine builders, system integrators and manufacturers.

• 3D layout design: drag components from the eCatalog or own CAD files into a plug-and-play 3D world.
• Process modeling: visual workflows describe products, assemblies, processes and production flows.
• Simulation and statistics: robot simulation, collision checks and charts support what-if analysis.
• Virtual commissioning: connects to PLCs such as Siemens S7 and Beckhoff TwinCAT and to OPC UA or MQTT.
• Robot offline programming: programs from 3D CAD data are downloaded to robots of many brands.
• Content sharing: images, videos, 3D PDFs, VR, a free viewer app and FactoryLens presentations.

A Vietnamese system integrator could simulate a robotic welding cell and test PLC logic before delivering it to an automotive parts plant. An electronics factory in an industrial park could compare layout options for a new assembly line. A machine builder could use 3D presentations to win export orders.

Layouts and production flows can be validated in 3D before investment, which supports faster and better-informed decisions. Virtual commissioning tests control code against digital models before hardware arrives, which the company says can reduce CAPEX and delay hardware purchases. A library of more than 3,000 components shortens model building, and standard training takes two to three days.

Manufacturers and integrators building new lines in Southeast Asia want to cut commissioning time and avoid layout mistakes before capital is spent. Virtual commissioning and offline robot programming are becoming standard in automotive, electronics and logistics projects, and Omniverse-based visualization is spreading in sales and engineering.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Espoo, Finland, Visual Components was acquired by KUKA in December 2017. It acquired the robotics division of Delfoi in 2022 and launched version 5.0 in March 2026. It reports a network of more than 40 partners, resellers and consultants and has an office in Tokyo.