Implementing autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs, into material handling operations promises unrivaled efficiency gains. However, not all integrations are success stories.
To avoid common integration mistakes, professionals must select the right robots, adopt fleet orchestration software, develop maintenance programs, and create accountability frameworks.
Which AMRs are safe around workers?
Not all AMRs are collaborative. To work safely alongside humans, AMRs use advanced orchestration software, lidar, and cameras to map their environments and detect obstacles. Those equipped with artificial intelligence, vision systems, and sensor arrays can make split-second decisions based on a wealth of real-time data.
Unlike fixed-path automated guided vehicles (AGVs), experimental humanoids, or heavy-payload AMRs, these mobile cobots typically have built-in mechanisms to ensure safe operation around human workers.
Setting a maximum speed and adjusting based on curved paths and load weight is recommended to avoid collisions. Failsafe encoders and communication protocols enable AMRs to adjust their velocity based on their surroundings.
During initial implementations, facilities should also avoid interactions between forklifts and mobile robots by using separate aisles or by establishing traffic rules.
Integrating AMRs into material handling systems
Integration starts with a thorough assessment of existing workflows and ends with deployment. Decision-makers must evaluate their workflow, define key performance indicators, and calculate the business case.
Technology stack compatibility and facility layout are essential considerations. One automotive parts supplier recognized the need to automate material handling to meet customer demand. The team lacked workers on the production floor and visibility into product flow.
Forklift drivers had to hand-scan material multiple times at key stages. This process relied entirely on manual labor, making it susceptible to errors.
Based on the facility’s layout, the AMRs needed to charge 30% of their operational time to keep the cell blockage rate below 2% on average. A low percentage is acceptable, as production areas can manage a small buffer. However, a large bottleneck would increase the number of empty totes, preventing parts from being produced.
Cost is another major consideration. Advanced robotics may have a high upfront cost, especially for large-scale, multishift facilities. However, it may only take a handful of robots to automate most, if not all, material handling operations, keeping capital investment costs low.
Selecting solutions with a two-year payback period is a good rule of thumb. Companies can quickly recoup costs by running operations with multiple shifts at high velocity.
Who is responsible for maintenance?
The service-level agreement (SLA) determines responsibility for maintenance and ongoing support. Typically, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) handles individual hardware replacements, while the integrator ensures the functionality and compatibility during installation.
Software integration with warehouse management systems (WMS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms is key. For instance, facilities can use fleet management software for orchestration, oversight, and organization. Depending on the robot’s age and brand, it may not be compatible with the existing material-handling system or the intended software.
Rather than using in-house teams for software patching and parts repairs, organizations can purchase OEM maintenance support contracts. Alternatively, they can partner with third-party providers that deliver vendor-agnostic repair and information technology services.
Even with robust post-sale support, facilities should still optimize day-to-day operations. For instance, they can reduce traveling distance to increase robots’ efficiency. This includes proximity to charging bases, not just the route between material storage and destinations. How far the robots travel determines everything from throughput to downtime.
Lessons learned from success stories
Examining how real companies have successfully integrated AMRs into material handling operations demonstrates their potential impact.
Eliminating manual transport
One precision engineering company was struggling with low throughput, physically strained staff, and a high risk of handling errors because employees were spending hours transporting small load carriers by hand. Sometimes, they had to walk over 9 mi. (14.4 km) and make 50 trips per shift just to move crates between the storage and production areas.
To address this issue, MPA Technology designed a fully integrated solution featuring OMRON LD-90 AMRs, automated shelving and custom stacking units. Employees now simply order materials from their workstations. The robots dispense small load carriers to a stacker that organizes up to four crates at once, and the robots pick and deliver those stacks. Finished goods are returned through the same process.
Just five LD-90 AMRs cover the 53,819.5-sq.-ft. (5,000-sq.-m) facility, transporting 200 crates daily. Connected to a manufacturing execution platform (MEP), it ensures safe, accurate handling and scalability for future growth.
Achieving high-precision handling
IPLUSMOBOT, an intelligent mobile robotics company, supplied a lithium battery manufacturer with a range of mobile robots to meet its stringent input-to-output ratio requirements. The facility had previously relied on manual labor for loading, unloading, and material transfer, which created bottlenecks and safety concerns. Its unique production environment mixed human and vehicle traffic in narrow aisles, complicating implementation.
A fleet management system calls them so that the Standard AMRs can receive materials. They automatically position and place full racks at the dedicated receiving location. Task execution status updates in real time, so every robot remains synchronized.
Using vision and laser navigation technology, the Omnidirectional Cantilever Forklift AMRs achieve ±5mm docking accuracy in confined aisles just 4 ft. (1.2 m) wide. For instance, over 10 cartridge-handling robots load, unload, and buffer with ±1mm precision.
Due to this precision, the lithium battery manufacturer can meet its high-frequency material turnover requirements. IPLUSMOBOT estimated that the deployment will save almost $295,150 annually.
Optimizing heavy load transport
The Pentair Water Filtration Equipment Factory deployed Apex 1500 Forklift AMRs from ForwardX Robotics throughout its facility, replacing 75% of its human-driven forklift operation. This strategy significantly reduced its reliance on manual labor for heavy load transportation.
The AMRs could safely handle pallets weighing up to 1.5 tons and measuring 5.2 ft. (1.5 m) in length, eliminating the risks of manual handling. Their task completion rate exceeded 98%, demonstrating high reliability. By optimizing heavy-load transport routes, they increased material-handling throughput by 25%.
Key takeaways for manufacturers
Automated material handling integration solves critical labor and safety issues, requires deep analysis of facility layout and workflows, and delivers measurable improvements in precision and throughput when the right technology matches the right task. Decision-makers should consider starting with a small pilot project to ensure success and scalability.
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