MiR Viewpoint: How autonomous mobile robots are revolutionizing intralogistics in the electronics industry

In recent years, the electronics manufacturing industry has been undergoing an unprecedented automation transformation. With the rapid changes in market demand and the continuous advancement of technology, manufacturing companies have to seek more efficient and flexible production models to cope with increasingly fierce market competition. But at the same time, it also brings many challenges and pain points.

The following are three major pain points that the electronics manufacturing industry generally faces during the automation transformation process:

First of all, the customer-to-business (C2B) manufacturing model requires flexible production lines. The needs of end users force companies to respond quickly to market changes and achieve "on-demand production". Traditional manual operation methods can no longer meet the high efficiency requirements of flexible production. Companies need to carry out comprehensive automation transformation of production lines to ensure that equipment can adapt to various production environments, facilitate rapid conversion of production line tasks, and can be seamlessly connected with existing enterprise resource planning (ERP), warehouse management systems (WMS), etc.

The second is the particularity of the production environment. Taking the manufacturing of electronic components as an example, the production process has extremely strict requirements on environmental conditions, such as dust, cleanliness, anti-static, etc., to prevent the components from being contaminated and damaged. Before the automated transportation system was put into use, workers needed to wear a full set of protective equipment to enter the clean room and manually carry materials and finished products, which was not only inefficient, but also posed a risk of contamination, and the slightest carelessness could cause damage to the product. In addition, due to the complex structure and precise components of electronic products, they are very sensitive to impact and collision during transportation. Mistakes in manual handling may cause product damage, thereby adding additional costs.

Human-machine collaboration requires high safety. The working environment of the electronics manufacturing industry is complex, with intensive personnel flow, and some sub-industries have very high requirements for product safety during transportation. This requires that the automation system must ensure the high safety of human-machine collaboration during design and operation. Production equipment and automation systems need to have advanced perception and response capabilities to identify and avoid potential dangers in a timely manner to ensure the safety of workers. At the same time, the automation system must also have a high degree of stability and reliability to prevent production interruptions and product damage caused by equipment failures.

Faced with the challenges of the electronics industry for automated logistics systems, the fixed navigation paths of traditional AGV robots limit the flexibility and scalability of their applications. In contrast, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that do not require track deployment have become innovative solutions for modern industry, simplifying the entire value chain, enabling seamless automation of warehouse logistics, and efficient transportation of parts in core production areas. MiR AMRs can navigate agilely in narrow spaces, making them ideal for a variety of applications in the electronics and semiconductor industries. This comprehensive strategy enables the logistics innovation of the modern electronics industry to significantly improve efficiency and productivity throughout the entire operational process from warehouse to production workshop.

Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), as a leader in the global mobile robot market, is dedicated to providing innovative logistics solutions for the electronics industry. With its intelligent, efficient, flexible, convenient, safe and stable features, AMR has been widely used in the electronics manufacturing industry, helping to innovate internal factory logistics in the following three aspects.

1. Highly flexible and fast expansion: Autonomous Mobile Robot ( AMR) has autonomous navigation capabilities and can be deployed without changing the physical environment of the production line. It can independently and safely complete tasks in complex factory environments. The customized design of MiR top modules meets the diverse handling needs of electronic components. The MiRGo platform brings together more than 70 partners to continuously develop frames/racks, traction devices, lifting devices, conveyor belts, robotic arms, disinfection modules, electric stations and other comprehensive and rigorously tested solutions to ensure production efficiency and product quality.

2. Highly dustproof and IP52-rated: MiR600 AMR and MiR1350 AMR are the first two AMR products on the market to receive IP52 ratings. The IP rating is an international standard for measuring the dust and water resistance of equipment. This feature ensures that the two robots can maintain stable operation in extremely challenging and disturbing environments, ensuring zero downtime of the production line and maintaining efficient operation.

3. Double safety guarantee, stable and efficient collaboration. The safety of MiR AMR is reflected in two aspects. The first is human-machine interaction. MiR AMR is very safe to collaborate with people and complies with ISO 3691-4 safety standards. In dynamic and confined spaces, it can navigate flexibly, optimize efficiency and reduce infrastructure requirements. The second is the safety of the product itself. MiR AMR has passed ESD electrostatic discharge certification to ensure the safety of electronic components during production and transportation.

Although MiR AMR has great potential in the electronics industry, automation is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It needs to be combined with the company's comprehensive management strategy and technological innovation to achieve the best results. With the industry's continued pursuit of automation and intelligence, MiR AMR is expected to play a more core role in future production and manufacturing, bringing more profound changes to the electronics manufacturing industry.