By Renee Pieti, Auto Tier 1 Global Leader, Rockwell Automation
The competitive edge for tier suppliers in the automotive industry is razor-thin and shrinking fast. While the workforce shortage remains a priority as an ongoing, expensive constraint on growth, increasing global competition is also raising cost pressures. And while EV sales appear to be slowing, tier suppliers are still scrambling to meet demand as the powertrain evolution continues.
To help manage these challenges, tier suppliers are deploying autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for material movement on the plant floor and between production, warehouse and shipping operations. AMRs help tier suppliers make significant advances in reducing costs, augmenting their workforce, optimizing production, and improving safety with indoor logistics.
Shift from Automated to Autonomous
An AMR can look like an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV), but that’s where the resemblance ends. An AGV works like a conveyor, moving material from point A to point B. In contrast, an AMR functions more like a material handler, with the flexibility to move wherever the fleet manager sends it.
Some key ways AMRs allow tier suppliers to reduce costs and maximize productivity without compromising on safety include the following:
- AGVs are preprogrammed, while AMRs have onboard intelligence to quickly choose faster, repeatable paths within the factory floor traffic rules. Onboard intelligence also lets AMRs navigate safely alongside people on foot or operating tuggers or other material handling equipment.
- AGVs require physical infrastructure such as magnetic tape, wires and beacons to stay on track. AMRs don’t need this infrastructure to navigate the facility.
- AGVs travel fixed paths in a controlled space; AMRs use machine learning (ML) to become more efficient and accurate as they encounter new situations throughout the plant floor.
As a result, the shift from automated to autonomous means AMRs often can more fully meet the demands of material-handler roles while lowering costs.
