Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR)
MiR (mobile industrial robot) announces “5 important trends related to automation now”
MiR’s Vice President Marketing & Strategy Rasmus Smet Jensen shares his thoughts on the most important trends in automation.
MiR (Mobile Industrial Robots A/S Head Office: Denmark, Japan Branch: Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture) is a global manufacturer of autonomous mobile robots (AMR) that has a sales network in 60 countries around the world. We are contributing to the automation of transport operations in the manufacturing and logistics industries. Automation using Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) holds great potential for streamlining and growth for many companies. Autonomous mobile robots can increase warehouse capacity, improve working conditions, and free up valuable human capabilities. MiR has compiled key trends and developments that will influence the evolution of automation in the coming years.
Trend 1: Investment in automation will become active again
In recent years, socio-economic trends have become increasingly uncertain due to the effects of war, energy crises, and the COVID-19 epidemic. As a result, many companies have been forced to postpone automation. However, companies active in logistics, electronics, the automotive industry, and general production are now showing signs of a gradual restart, and by the end of 2023, this level is expected to almost normalize. Technological developments and increased stability are increasing the demand for new logistics solutions and increased automation in the global market. More and more companies are investing time and money in logistics solutions to remain competitive in their respective business areas. According to McKinsey’s “Global Industrial Robotics Survey 2022,” more companies will invest 25% of their investment capital in automation systems over the next five years.
[Image 1: https://prtimes.jp/i/77773/9/resize/d77773-9-1f8880d76cb4b2ba9342-0.jpg&s3=77773-9-bf6ab1ee0b42df42ca69e943db4479d4-2100×1401.jpg] Heavy duty mobile robot automating pallet transport at FORVIA Faurecia, global leader in the automotive technology industry Trend 2 Increasing demand for automation due to labor shortage With markets stabilizing again and production gradually returning to pre-pandemic levels, one of the major challenges companies must grapple with is the shortage of skilled workers. At the same time, the unstable supply chain has forced many companies to reshoring or onshoring to bring their production facilities closer to the domestic market, inevitably leading to the problem of securing human resources to fill more vacancies. is exacerbating
Automation enables optimal utilization of resources, freeing human hands and minds to more complex tasks. In addition, there is also the merit of improving the working environment by having robots take over routine work, which is synonymous with monotonous and inappropriate work. Meanwhile, in the field of automation, a major challenge is the lack of skilled workers to introduce robots. Therefore, if companies are to leverage automation to increase talent acquisition and retention, they need to focus on training, not only within the company, but society at large.
[Image 2: https://prtimes.jp/i/77773/9/resize/d77773-9-4d3ee11c25ebca7ac1f6-1.jpg&s3=77773-9-3f2bd1009252828477b4ef71ef6c908b-2000×1333.jpg] TE Connectivity leverages safe and flexible mobile robots to strengthen in-house logistics and optimize personnel placement Trend 3 Incorporating human colleagues becomes important
While automation investments, such as autonomous mobile robots, are on the rise, having a robot as a colleague isn’t necessarily a good thing for human staff. Many employees feel uneasy about their assignments and jobs, and it seems that dispelling that uneasiness is one of the important issues for companies. But the reality is that it’s easy, safe, and intuitive for employees to master robots, and they just need to be given the opportunity to do so.
A strategy for a successful automation deployment is for the company to communicate clearly before, during and after the robot is deployed. When it comes to automating processes, it’s important to have employees with the necessary skills and knowledge on board from the start so they can contribute to the solution. And by getting your employees involved early on, you can help them understand how robots can make a positive difference to the jobs of the future.
In order to promote such corporate efforts, MiR has started an initiative for employees to take online academies to deepen their basic understanding of our products and general understanding of robot functions. bottom. The aim is to equip employees with the knowledge they need to drive the adoption of robots.
[Image 3: https://prtimes.jp/i/77773/9/resize/d77773-9-7b1cacd10fb5ab69458f-3.jpg&s3=77773-9-eb667bc780d3b25b0396451b10cba37a-2100×1400.jpg] The introduction of autonomous mobile robots has freed six workers from pushing carts and allowed them to move to higher value-added roles.
Trend 4 Robust software solutions are required due to the increasing scale of robots
Due to increased investment in automation, the number of robots in individual companies is steadily increasing. In particular, it is common for large companies that are expanding globally to have many robots performing various tasks at multiple locations. Against this background, it is essential to introduce robust and advanced software solutions for the optimal functioning of large-scale robot systems. Successful automation of large-scale robots also requires reducing the time and complexity of controlling individual robots. For example, programming should be easy and intuitive to adjust as the robot performs new or different tasks. In such situations, it is impractical to manually calibrate each robot. For example, to address everyday challenges such as robots automatically returning to charging points, being non-obtrusive to each other and human colleagues, and being able to integrate into other enterprise systems such as ERP and WMS. We believe in software for intelligent fleet management. Additionally, software is needed to collect and analyze data to improve robot efficiency and operational reliability. To that end, MiR is focusing not only on robot development, but also on software development.
[Image 4: https://prtimes.jp/i/77773/9/resize/d77773-9-815b46a1eb19749d8fe2-3.jpg&s3=77773-9-1b2be4ea046b6cf6ee135ac5900f7129-2048×1154.jpg] Autonomous mobile robot fleet supports lean manufacturing at global electronics manufacturer IFM in Germany
Trend 5 Flexibility is required by the market
The mobile robotics and automation market is still immature, but there is no doubt that it is developing at an exponential rate. At MiR, we see more and more companies using mobile robots to automate more and more diverse work processes than ever before.
There are also more complex processes where mobile robots supply parts to other automated systems. In addition, such automated processes require robots that can transport goods of different materials and weights and perform a variety of functions according to the company’s production process. This calls for more flexibility in the selection of robots and accessories, as well as the associated software. [About MiR (mobile industrial robot)] MiR is a company that develops and manufactures the industry’s most advanced autonomous mobile robot (AMR). Founded in Denmark in 2013. In 2018, it became part of Teradyne, and in 2022, Teradyne integrated AutoGuide Mobile Robots into MiR, offering a wide range of AMR products from low to high payloads. Headquartered in Odense, Denmark, the company has regional offices in Holbrook, NY; San Diego, CA; North Reading, MA; Georgetown, KY; Singapore; Frankfurt; Barcelona; Yokohama; Seoul; and Shanghai. Today, we have grown into a global leader with approximately 220 distributors and certified system integrators in 60 countries around the world.
For more information, please visit https://www.mobile-industrial-robots.com/en/.
[Image 5: https://prtimes.jp/i/77773/9/resize/d77773-9-c505fdae8cd9a3090974-4.png&s3=77773-9-fcaf2280559031838ee2b744d7848860-1500×728.png] MiR product lineup
MiR products make it possible to automate in-house logistics and optimize material handling quickly, easily and cost-effectively. We have a lineup of state-of-the-art mobile robot products that are widely used by large companies, small and medium-sized companies in various industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare. Details about this release:
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