Fives Supplies Fourth V-STAR Machine to KNDS Production

Fives Machining has signed a contract with KNDS to deploy a fourth V-STAR flexible manufacturing system machine at the Roanne production facility in France. The industrial automation contract expands precision machining capacity for critical military land defense vehicle components to support accelerating production rates.

Strategic Cooperation and Industrial Context
The contract was signed at the Eurosatory Exhibition in Paris Villepinte on June 17, 2026. European defense manufacturers face the operational challenge of accelerating production volumes for modern ground forces while maintaining strict technical sovereignty and supply chain security.

KNDS utilizes its specialized armored vehicle production facility in Roanne to manufacture structural components for defense programs, including the Griffon armored vehicle. This rapid change in industrial scale requires advanced heavy machinery partnerships to minimize processing times, master critical defense technologies, and eliminate manufacturing bottlenecks on national territory.

Technical Solution and Flexible Manufacturing Systems
The technical solution centers on the integration of a V-STAR machining unit configured within a Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS). This architectural framework is engineered specifically for high-precision milling, drilling, and profiling of complex, large-scale aluminum parts used in armored vehicle hulls and internal structures.

The V-STAR system functions via digitalized automation paths that allow the machine to adapt to variable part geometries without manual re-tooling delays. Fives Machining divides responsibilities by providing the core mechanical equipment, alongside operational digitalization, industrial maintenance protocols, and specialized filling and pressure testing modules, while KNDS manages the line execution and structural assembly workflows.

Site Implementation and Production Integration
The automated machining unit is scheduled to enter active operational service in 2027 at the KNDS facility in Roanne. The deployment strategy integrates the fourth V-STAR machine alongside three existing, identical lines already functioning within the plant's production floor.

This addition interfaces directly with the facility’s current digital infrastructure, asset tracking software, and material handling systems. The engineering teams from Fives provide systemic integration and ongoing technical support to ensure the expanded configuration maintains continuous component workflows without disturbing the active manufacturing lifecycle of the vehicles.

Anticipated Operational and Capacity Impact
The expansion of the V-STAR FMS infrastructure yields measurable advancements in process stability, volume throughput, and component quality. By scaling the parallel machining footprints from three units to four, the Roanne site directly mitigates operational variability during complex aluminum milling sequences. The inherent flexibility of the automated system allows KNDS to adjust production mixes rapidly, optimizing equipment utilization rates and stabilizing the mechanical lead times required to meet scaled land defense delivery schedules.

Edited by Natania Lyngdoh, Induportals editor, assisted by AI.

www.fivesgroup.com