Robotics: Making intelligence real through materials

With a comprehensive portfolio spanning polycarbonates, polyurethanes, coatings, and Thermoplastic Polyurethanes (TPUs), we deliver tailored solutions for almost every critical component and application. Supported by a resilient global supply chain, dedicated R&D expertise, and an expanding range of more sustainable materials, we offer robotics innovators a single, trusted partner from early-stage development through to full-scale production.

Structural integrity is fundamental to robotics, especially for critical parts like sensors, actuators/joints, antennas and our high-performance polycarbonates and polycarbonate blends are engineered to meet exactly that demand and provide functional performance and distinctive aesthetics in a single material solution.

• Lightweight yet exceptionally impact-resistant, these materials reduce the overall weight of robotic platforms, directly enhancing agility and extending battery life
• Flame retardancy ensures safe operation across a wide range of environments, making them a trusted choice for structural housings, frames, and load-bearing components
• The same family of materials delivers optical clarity and high infrared transmittance enabling precise sensing and perception in vision and LiDAR systems alongside exceptional colorability and design freedom

For Robots to truly interact with the physical world: Our flexible TPU films are engineered as substrates for flexible printed electronics, these films enable tactile sensors in dexterous hands and electronic skin applications, combining the softness and conformability required for human-like touch with the electrical reliability needed for precise signal transmission. To protect these delicate flexible units, waterborne PU textile coatings can be applied on top to enhance durability and functionality. 

• The TPU films stable dielectric properties, inherent insulation, and resistance to mechanical stress, chemicals, and temperature extremes ensure consistent performance even under demanding operating conditions. Backed by dedicated application development expertise, Covestro works directly with robotics manufacturers to translate these material capabilities into real-world sensing solutions
• For robotic complex parts, such as e-skins and dexterous hands, Covestro provides waterborne PU textile coating solutions with outstanding flexibility, abrasion, and chemical resistance

For enhanced human machine interaction: Our soft-touch coating, TPU material and tailor made polyurethane foam solutions ensure that contact is both functional and refined. Making them the material of choice for robot manufacturers where aesthetics, touch, and performance must work seamlessly together.

• Our polyurethane soft-touch coatings deliver a silky, warm tactile feel combined with a premium matt appearance, enhancing the human-robot interaction experience while providing robust protection against scratches, abrasion, and fingerprints
• Our flexible TPU solutions bring a new dimension to robotic hands and fascia offering the softness, elasticity, and skin-like conformability needed for fingertip coverings and outer body panels, while maintaining durability and chemical resistance under repeated mechanical stress
• Polyurethane foam gives the robot body a soft, pleasant feel while acting as an invisible airbag absorbing impact during falls or collisions to protect core components. The result is a robot that is not only safer, but also exceptionally comfortable to interact with

For balancing safety, weight and performance: The battery system is the energy core of any robot and protecting it demands materials that combine flame retardancy, thermal management, and structural resilience. Our Polycarbonate and Polyurethane solutions offer robotics manufacturers a comprehensive, proven approach to battery protection.

• Our flame-retardant polycarbonate blends are engineered for battery pack enclosures and cell holders, delivering V-0 level flame retardancy even in ultra-thin wall designs, along with high temperature resistance and dimensional stability for long-term safe operation
• Our Thermal Management polycarbonates with high RTI help maintain uniform temperature distribution and reliable long-term operation, while high flowability enables thin-wall, space-efficient battery enclosures
• On the polyurethane side, our PU encapsulation foams provide a critical layer of protection for battery modules sealing cells against moisture, vibration, and thermal stress while ensuring electrical insulation and safe containment. PU composite material provides light weight solutions for battery housing, delivering V-0 level flame retardancy

Our TPU cable jackets bring exceptional flexibility, abrasion resistance, and durability to robotic cable management withstanding the continuous bending, torsion, and mechanical stress of dynamic robot movements while maintaining reliable signal and power transmission throughout the robot's lifetime.

Every step a robot takes and every surface it rolls across demands materials that can absorb impact, resist wear, and deliver consistent performance over thousands of operating cycles

• Our cast polyurethane elastomer solutions bring exceptional dynamic load-bearing capacity, fatigue resistance, and wear performance to robot feet and joints protecting critical components, reducing noise, and extending service life under the most demanding conditions. As a one single source provider, Covestro Elastomers also provides processing equipment, with its Baulé® machines globally renowned for their accuracy and reliability in cast polyurethane elastomer processing
• For wheeled platforms and automated guided vehicles, the same elastomer technology delivers proven performance in heavy-duty wheels and rollers, enabling reliable, around-the-clock operation
• Our TPU solutions offer a versatile alternative for wheel coverings and foot pad applications combining flexibility, abrasion resistance, and thermal wear resistance in a lightweight, processable material that supports both performance and design freedom

Modern robots are complex assemblies of dissimilar materials. Reliable bonding between them is critical to structural integrity, precision, and long-term performance. Our polyurethane-based adhesive solutions are engineered to bond composite materials such as carbon fiber, metal, and plastics with high strength, chemical resistance, and durability enabling thinner, lighter robot designs without compromising reliability

• For actuator assemblies, where precise component bonding and resistance to dynamic stress, vibration, and thermal management are essential, our thermal conductive adhesive solutions provide the performance needed to maintain accuracy, functionality and longevity over the robot's operational lifetime

Our high-performance polycarbonates and polycarbonate blends including Makrolon®, APEC® XT, Bayblend® FR, and Bayflex® are engineered to be lightweight yet exceptionally impact-resistant, directly reducing the overall weight of robotic platforms. This weight reduction translates into greater agility and extended battery life, since less energy is consumed moving the robot's own mass. These materials deliver functional performance and distinctive aesthetics in a single solution, making them ideal for structural housings, frames, and load-bearing components across humanoid and industrial robots alike.

Bayblend® FR, our flame-retardant polycarbonate blend, delivers V-0 level flame retardancy even in ultra-thin wall designs without compromising impact resistance, flowability, or colorability. Its high flowability enables the thin-wall, space-efficient geometries demanded by modern battery pack enclosures and cell holders. Complementing this, our Thermal Management polycarbonates with high RTI (Relative Thermal Index) support uniform temperature distribution and long-term dimensional stability, ensuring safe and reliable battery operation throughout the robot's service life.

Platilon® TPU films are specifically engineered for this application. They combine exceptional stretchability with full compatibility with conductive inks, making them the ideal substrate platform for flexible printed electronics in robotic e-skin and dexterous hand applications. Their stable dielectric properties, inherent electrical insulation, and resistance to mechanical stress, chemicals, and temperature extremes ensure consistent signal performance under demanding operating conditions. For added durability, our waterborne PU textile coatings can be applied on top to enhance abrasion and chemical resistance.

Makrolon® TC replaces traditional metal cooling components with a lightweight polymer alternative, enabling efficient heat dissipation in robot electronic housings, motor controllers, and actuator assemblies. By integrating thermal management directly into the structural part, robot designers can reduce component count, lower overall weight, and simplify assembly while maintaining the impact resistance and design freedom that polycarbonate is known for. This is particularly valuable in compact humanoid robot architectures where space and weight budgets are tightly constrained.

Baysafe® polyurethane potting foam is purpose-built for battery module protection. Despite its low density and lightweight nature, it significantly enhances the battery pack's overall structural strength and impact resistance. Critically, it effectively insulates heat transfer between cells and, in extreme thermal runaway scenarios, slows the propagation of heat. This is a key safety requirement increasingly mandated by global battery safety standards. The foam seals cells against moisture and vibration, providing comprehensive mechanical, electrical, and thermal protection for the robot's energy core.

Desmopan® UP TPU resin enables self-healing, highly durable surface protection films that act as a protective paint sealant. Minor scratches and chips on robot outer body panels are autonomously filled in over time, restoring the surface to its original appearance without any manual intervention. This is especially valuable for service robots and humanoids operating in public or consumer-facing environments, where maintaining a premium, unblemished appearance is as important as functional performance.

Vulkollan® cast polyurethane elastomers are the proven industry benchmark for heavy-duty AGV wheels and rollers. They deliver exceptional dynamic load-bearing capacity, fatigue resistance, and wear performance enabling reliable, around-the-clock operation in demanding logistics and warehouse environments. As a single-source provider, our Elastomers also supplies Baulé® processing equipment, globally recognized for accuracy and reliability in cast PU elastomer processing. For lighter-duty or design-flexible applications, Desmopan® FLY TPU resins offer an excellent alternative, combining flexibility, abrasion resistance, and thermal wear resistance in a processable, lightweight material.

Yes. Covestro's CQ (Circular Intelligence) portfolio, including Makrolon® RE bio-circular attributed polycarbonates and Bayblend® RE, delivers the same high performance as conventional fossil-based grades, as a true drop-in solution with lot-to-lot consistency. Makrolon® RE grades can contain up to 89% attributed bio-circular raw materials (ISCC PLUS certified via mass balance), significantly reducing product carbon footprints. Covestro has already demonstrated this in real-world robotics applications: together with Alibaba DAMO Academy, Makrolon® RE bio-circular attributed PC was used in an inspection robot, and sustainable TPU solutions have been deployed with Roborock for robot vacuum components proving that lower-carbon materials and rigorous robotic performance are fully compatible.

Covestro's IMSE® technology integrates illumination, touch controls, display functions, and electronic circuits into a seamlessly formed surface in a single injection-molding manufacturing step. By replacing multi-part conventional electronics assemblies with a single molded part, IMSE® reduces device weight by 50–70% and part thickness by up to 90%. For robotics, this enables sleek, lightweight human-machine interaction surfaces combining ambient lighting, touch functionality, and embedded circuitry directly into robot body panels or control interfaces without the bulk, assembly complexity, or reliability risks of traditional electronics. The technology is already proven in automotive applications and is rapidly expanding into robotics and smart devices.

Covestro's Desmodur® E and Dispercoll® polyurethane-based adhesive systems are engineered for exactly this challenge. They bond composite materials such as carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP), metals, and engineering plastics with high strength, chemical resistance, and long-term durability enabling thinner, lighter robot designs without compromising structural integrity. For actuator assemblies requiring precise component bonding alongside resistance to dynamic stress, vibration, and thermal cycling, Covestro's thermally conductive adhesive solutions provide the additional performance needed to maintain accuracy and longevity over the robot's full operational lifetime.