The issue is that rolling out AMRs on production floors essentially becomes a system integration project – introducing layers of complexity at the deployment stage that are rarely encountered in logistics environments. Applying AMRs to the factory floor is therefore a tough challenge for AMR vendors. And, even within segments, application scenarios often vary widely. Every manufacturing industry segment has its own specific requirements. the production of custom-made products at low unit costs). Additionally, manufacturing operations have an increasing need for flexibility as factories respond to growing demands for mass customization (i.e. And there tend to be many more instances of human-machine interaction than would be encountered in a warehouse too.įor AMRs to operate in factories they therefore must usually be highly customized, and they must meet much more stringent safety and accuracy requirements. Using AMRs alongside production lines therefore requires the ability to interact with much more diverse equipment and machinery in multiple ways. There are far more people on production lines than there are in warehouses, and far more complex activities tend to take place. G2P is a standardized application, making it relatively easy to deploy standardized AMR technology at large scales.

Logistics AMR applications are usually focused on goods-to-person (G2P), a relatively mature technology. And, compared to logistics warehouses, these needs are complex. Manufacturing customers have unique operational needs. Sales of mobile robots are growing more rapidly in logistics- major opportunities in manufacturing But this is a global trend and AMRs will soon be ubiquitous on factory floors around the world. Right now, it is Chinese factories that are furthest ahead in recognizing the potential of AMRs. And it is important that AMR vendors are conscious of the rapidly growing opportunities in manufacturing, because there are strong reasons why AMRs are well suited to modern factory environments. But this disguises a key trend: AMRs are making major inroads into factories. In 2022 logistics will overtake manufacturing as the largest user of mobile robots. The big difference between the two is that AMRs feature onboard navigation. In contrast to this, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) – the other type of vehicle within the wider mobile robot market – are primarily sold into manufacturing applications. So much so that the image of an AMR gliding round a warehouse has become almost synonymous with e-commerce. In the future, these robots will become even more efficient and cheaper, therefore they have the potential to save companies even more money.The autonomous mobile robot (AMR) market has been heavily driven by logistics customers. We expect that many companies and warehouses will follow Amazon's lead and will begin to implement AGVs on a large-scale in 20 due to the proven high return on investment.

On average, an AGV has a return on investment (ROI) of $2.40 per every dollar spent, or 240%.

An AGV can save $41,000 a year in capital savings, such as the cost of a forklift or maintenance requirements.

One AGV can save $570,000 in annual labor savings. The firm found it replaces about six workers, each of which costs the company $95,000 a year in wage and employee costs (i.e.

The analytics firm tested an AGV and found: Have an account? Log in.ĪGVs, such as the Kiva robots Amazon is using, are so efficient that they can return the company's investment in under 4 months, according to a new cost-benefit analysis from Frost & Sullivan.

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