At Automate 2022, RoEq demonstrated its TMS-CS1500 and S-Cart1500W top modules, both of which were mounted on an MiR1350 autonomous mobile robot (AMR).
Automation technologies aimed at streamlining material handling tasks have been on the rise in manufacturing settings and the logistics space for some time now. This is because companies looking to match supply to demand are increasingly faced with a double bind. On the one hand, labor shortages are reducing the availability of manual workers. On the other, swelling e-commerce sales and a growing demand for customized orders mean that, not only are there more products to be moved, but doing so is more complex than with traditional mass production processes.
AMRs have proven a popular solution to these problems due to their flexibility and ease of deployment. Often seen as a replacement for the automated guided vehicles used to automate material handling tasks, mobile robots offer the advantage of being able to navigate complex environments without the need for permanent wire strips or magnetic tracks along the floor to guide their path. Foregoing fixed infrastructure means that upfront costs are lower, while also allowing for rapid reconfigurations to occur via software alone.
Just as important as the AMR bases themselves are top modules, which can add various additional functionality. RoEqâs TMS-CS1500 top module increases the payload of various MiR AMRs. When equipped with a TMS-CS1500 top module, the MiR500 and MiR600 can transport up to 800kg, while the MiR1000 and MiR1350 can transport up to 1500kg. In addition, the TMS-CS1500 features mounting holes for custom shelving and adapter plates to grant end users flexibility.
In the demonstration given at Automate 2022, an S-Cart1500W was mounted via the TMS-CS1500 top module to allow for heavy-duty pallet transportation. With wheels on either side, the S-Cart1500W can also be pushed manually by human workers when it is not being moved by an AMR.
âRoEq leaves it up to the customers by allowing them to be flexible, and giving them a stable platform to enable that,â says Jonathen Karavolias, head of sales for the Americas at RoEq. âThis solves a lot of intralogistics problems in a wide variety of applications.â