Process transfer
Automated flow between processes
A typical PCB or electronics plant replaces manual cart pushing between processes with lifting AMRs that take their tasks straight from the MES. The result is steadier WIP flow, fewer people tied up in handling and round-the-clock operation.
Typical results
- Handling labor
- −65%
- Operation
- 24 h
- To go-live
- 9 wks
Figures are typical values from comparable projects. Your site assessment gives the exact numbers.
The challenge
- Operators push racks and carts between processes many times per shift, which takes skilled people away from their stations.
- WIP piles up at some steps and runs short at others, because transfers depend on who is free rather than on what the next process needs.
- Night shifts are hard to staff, so material handling, not equipment, limits round-the-clock output.
- Manual moves leave no reliable record of where a lot is between processes, which weakens traceability in the MES.
The solution
- Lifting AMRs drive under the plant's existing racks and carts, lift them and deliver them between processes, buffers and storage. Rack and cart fit is checked during the site survey.
- When a lot completes a step, the MES sends a transfer task to the dispatch system. Call buttons cover stations that are not yet connected.
- The dispatch system assigns each task to a suitable free robot, manages traffic at intersections and sends robots to charge between jobs.
- Robots navigate by laser SLAM on existing walls, columns and racks, so the floor needs no tape, magnets or QR codes.
- Shared aisles have their own speed limits, and robots slow down and stop for people and obstacles.
How the rollout ran
The project started from a CAD layout and a list of the main transfers: which racks move, between which processes, and how often per shift. The proposal set out routes, robot count and a payback estimate. The site survey then checked floor condition, Wi-Fi coverage along the routes and the busiest crossings with people and other traffic.
The pilot covered a single high-frequency loop first. Once task times and handovers were stable, the remaining routes were added to the same map and dispatch system. Operators and shift leads were trained on calling tasks, handling alarms and moving a robot out of the way manually.
What made it work
A few decisions made the biggest difference in comparable projects:
- Triggering transfers from the MES instead of from people, so robots move material when a lot is actually ready.
- Keeping the existing racks and carts, which avoided new tooling and kept changes on the shop floor small.
- Defining fixed pick-up and drop-off points with clear floor markings for people, so operators always know where a rack will arrive.
- Starting with one loop and scaling once it ran reliably across all shifts.
Related cases
- Roll handlingStraight from storage to line-sideA typical plant handling battery electrode rolls, film or tire materials uses AMRs with a roller top module to carry rolls from storage and dock directly with line-side conveyors. Rolls transfer between robot and conveyor with no manual loading.View case
- Finished goods in/outFinished pallets in and out of storageA typical tire plant or warehouse uses autonomous forklifts, driven by tasks from the WMS, to move finished pallets from the end of the line into storage and out to shipping. Half the manual forklift fleet is freed up while the operation runs three shifts non-stop.View case
Get a plan for your site
Send a floor plan or a phone video. Within 48 hours you get routes, a robot count and a payback estimate, free.