What SP Automation & Robotics does

SP Automation & Robotics is a UK-based bespoke automation manufacturer and systems integrator, founded in 1984 and headquartered in a purpose-built facility at Camperdown Industrial Park, Dundee. The company designs, manufactures, and commissions custom automation systems and special purpose machinery for manufacturing, engineering, and process environments, with project delivery covering mechanical design, control systems, software development, in-house manufacturing, commissioning, training, and worldwide after-sales support. Its customer base spans medical device, pharmaceutical, food and drink, plastics, automotive, electronics, packaging, munitions, and cleanroom automation, served through a consultative, project-based sales motion anchored by full in-house engineering across mechanical, control, software, and electrical disciplines (ISO 9001:2015 certified since 2018). Multiple case-study deployments (including L'Oréal India and Gustav Hensel GmbH) evidence multi-million pound bespoke projects, with design phases typically representing 10% to 30% of project value and complete turnkey delivery from concept through commissioning.

Name

SP Automation & Robotics

Legal name

SP Automation & Robotics

Website

https://sp-automation.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SP Automation & Robotics is a UK-based bespoke automation manufacturer and systems integrator, founded in 1984 in Dundee, designing and commissioning custom special purpose machinery and cobot-based systems for medical device, pharmaceutical, automotive, electronics, and food and drink manufacturers, with an SP Elements division distributing Universal Robots cobots and MiR AMRs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Equipment

NAICS

Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339), Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (3333), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Nec (3569), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620)

akta.pro primary industry

Factory Automation Cells & Integrated Systems (Assembly, Welding, Painting Lines) (IMAHAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Robots (Articulated, SCARA, Delta, Cartesian) (IMAHAHAA), Robot Software, Autonomy Stacks & Simulation (ROS, digital twins) (HDAAAIAK)

Keywords

• Special purpose machinery
• Industrial automation systems
• Collaborative robots
• Robotic systems integration
• Automated assembly systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Dundee

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Bespoke Automation Systems & Special Purpose Machinery: Design, manufacture, and installation of custom automation machines tailored to client specifications. Projects range from stand-alone fixtures to multi-million pound fully automated solutions. Revenue is project-based, one-time with full turnkey delivery from concept through to commissioning and after-sales support.
2. Cobot & AMR Product Sales & Integration: Through SP Elements division, the company resells Universal Robots cobots, MiR autonomous mobile robots, and OnRobot end-of-arm tooling with associated integration, programming, and configuration services. Products include UR3e, UR5e, UR10e, UR16e, UR20, UR30 cobots, and MiR AMRs with various payload capacities and reach specifications.
3. Professional Services & After-Sales Support: Commissioning, training, and ongoing after-sales support for installed automation systems. Services include installation, remote and onsite support, machine guarding, safety consultation, CE marking, and automation consultations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SP Automation & Robotics designs, manufactures, and installs bespoke production and process automation systems, including special purpose machinery, robotic assembly, palletising, vision inspection, control systems, and feeding/handling systems for UK and international manufacturers. Through its SP Elements division, the company also supplies and integrates collaborative robots (Universal Robots cobots), MiR autonomous mobile robots, end-of-arm tooling, and its proprietary SP-EZPal palletising system.

Product overview

SP Automation & Robotics is a UK-based automation manufacturer operating since 1984, offering two main product lines: (1) SP Elements sub-brand focused on collaborative robots (cobots) including Universal Robots models (UR3e to UR30), MiR Autonomous Mobile Robots, End of Arm Tooling, Welding Cobots, and the proprietary SP-EZPal Palletiser; and (2) Bespoke Automation Systems including Special Purpose Machinery, Automated Assembly, Automated Palletising, Vision Systems, Control Systems, Feeding & Handling, and Indexing & Transport Systems. The company provides full turnkey solutions from concept through commissioning with in-house engineering capabilities across mechanical, control, software, and manufacturing disciplines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SP Elements: A sub-brand dealing with collaborative robots (Cobots), MiR autonomous mobile robots, UR cobots, end-of-arm tooling, and the SP-EZPal palletising system.

Products and services

• SP-EZPal Palletiser A collaborative robot (cobot) palletising system built on Universal Robots cobots with built-in safety scanners, an intuitive programming interface, and a standardised platform that can be customised for multiple box sizes, stacking patterns, and space constraints. Supplied with a 15-month warranty as standard.
• Universal Robots (UR) Cobots Range of collaborative robots sold and integrated under SP Elements, including UR3e (3kg, 500mm reach), UR5e, UR10e (12.5kg, 1300mm reach), UR16e, UR20 (20kg, 1750mm reach), and UR30 (30kg). Six degrees of freedom, patented technology enabling setup in hours via touchscreen tablet and 3D visualisation.
• MiR Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs)

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of UR robots worldwide operate with no safety guarding after risk assessment
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BeckhoffcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2024Beckhoff is a key technology partner for the Cobot Monitoring System developed by SP. The partnership enables advanced monitoring capabilities tracking joint performance, movements, and OEE with remote data monitoring through industry standard Fieldbus connections. Beckhoff and SP showcased the Cobot Monitoring System at Scotland Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference 2024. Became official partners in 2018.
• OnRobotcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Selected as an OnRobot preferred supplier in 2024. OnRobot is a world-leading supplier of end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) including grippers, sensors, and tool changers. SP Elements collaborates with OnRobot to offer fully customised EOAT solutions for customer applications. Also received an OnRobot award in September 2021.
• Universal RobotscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2023Universal Robots is a key partner for SP Elements division. The company resells and integrates Universal Robots collaborative robots including UR3e, UR5e, UR10e, UR16e, UR20, and UR30 cobots. UR cobots feature payload options from 3kg to 35kg with six degrees of freedom, intuitive programming via touchscreen tablet, and patented technology enabling setup in hours rather than weeks.
• ABBminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2018ABB Machine tending Partners established in May 2018. SP Technology became an ABB partner for machine tending applications.
• MiR (Mobile Industrial Robots)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSP Elements is a distributor for MiR autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). MiR AMRs can be deployed and redeployed in hours, moving anything from smaller parts to heavy loads and pallets. They feature 360-degree safety coverage, web-based interfaces, and can be controlled via smartphone. AMRs optimise workflows in dynamic environments alongside humans.
• SchunkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchunk is listed as a partner for grippers and end-of-arm tooling integrated with Universal Robots cobots and SP automation solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CKF Systems: UK-based bespoke automation and robotic systems integrator serving food, pharmaceutical, automotive, and general manufacturing. Directly comparable as a UK systems integrator building special-purpose machinery and robotic cells of similar size and scope.
• RARUK Automation: UK distributor and integrator of Universal Robots cobots and complementary automation products. Direct overlap with SP Elements' cobot resale/integration business and target SME customers.
• Olympus Technologies: UK-based automation and robotic systems integrator offering bespoke assembly, testing, and material handling solutions. Comparable in scale and market focus to SP Automation & Robotics.
• Geku Automation: UK systems integrator specialising in robotic automation for manufacturing. Comparable as a mid-sized UK integrator delivering bespoke automated cells.

Broad incumbents

• Mills CNC: UK supplier of CNC machine tools and automated machining solutions. Overlaps in factory automation, machine tending, and manufacturing customer base but operates at a larger scale with broader portfolio.
• FANUC UK: UK arm of global industrial robot and CNC manufacturer. Competitor and potential partner; offers cobots, industrial robots, and integrator programmes that overlap with SP's offerings.
• ABB Robotics: Global industrial robot supplier with machine-tending integrator network (SP itself is an ABB Machine Tending Partner since 2018). Represents both a partner and competitive incumbent in industrial automation.
• KUKA Robotics UK: Global industrial robot and automation systems manufacturer with UK presence. Overlaps in industrial robotics integration and serves similar manufacturing end-markets.
• Yaskawa UK: UK division of Yaskawa, a global manufacturer of industrial robots and motion control. Comparable as a broad automation incumbent with integrator and OEM positioning.

Emerging players

• Balyo: Provider of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for material handling. Comparable through the MiR AMR product line SP Elements distributes, addressing similar warehouse/logistics automation use cases.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sp_automation
• Facebookfacebook.com/spautomationdundeedd2
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sp-automation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SP Automation & Robotics