Background and Requirement
Applied Integration was tasked with delivering a fully integrated autonomous logistics solution designed to optimise internal material flow within a high-volume manufacturing environment. The objective was to reduce manual handling, improve work-in-progress (WIP) control, and increase overall line efficiency while maintaining strict safety standards and consistent takt time.
The requirement extended beyond simply deploying Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). The system needed to operate as a cohesive production logistics platform, integrating directly with start-of-line (SOL) feeding, end-of-line (EOL) transport, pallet distribution, stretch wrapping, dunnage handling, and waste management. A key driver for the project was the transition toward a fork-lift free operation within production areas, ensuring predictable material flow without disrupting throughput.
Engineering Challenge
Delivering an automated logistics system in a live production environment required careful consideration of real factory constraints. The solution had to maintain reliable SOL feeding to prevent stoppages while ensuring fast and repeatable EOL removal to protect production output. Integration with stretch wrapping processes was essential to keep finished goods moving efficiently without excessive buffering or congestion.
The system also needed to manage pallets and dunnage dynamically, avoiding manual intervention while operating safely in shared spaces alongside personnel and other traffic. Maintaining takt time across multiple shifts demanded a robust mission control strategy capable of coordinating movements consistently, regardless of operational variability.
Rather than focusing solely on robot deployment, the engineering approach centred on designing a complete workflow that supported production performance from start to finish.
Automated Workflow Design
Applied Integration developed an end-to-end material handling loop that automated the full internal logistics cycle. Empty pallets are collected from an automated dispenser and delivered directly to the start-of-line conveyor, ensuring production always has the resources required without manual intervention.
At the end of the line, finished goods are collected from belt conveyors and transported to a Lantech stretch wrapper, allowing products to move seamlessly from production to packaging. The system also manages cardboard layer and dunnage handling, collecting palletised materials from warehouse conveyor stands, delivering them to line-side locations, and returning empty pallets once they are no longer required.
By integrating these workflows into a single coordinated system, repeated fork-lift movements were removed from production areas while maintaining controlled and predictable material flow.
Solution Architecture
The turnkey system was built around the MiR1350 AMR platform, selected for its ability to support high-reliability internal logistics while accommodating UK and CHEP pallets with payloads up to 250kg. However, the core value of the solution came from the integration layer developed by Applied Integration.
To ensure the AMRs functioned as part of the production process rather than as standalone machines, the fleet was integrated with Applied Integration’s Transyt application. This platform provides mission management, location awareness, and traffic interaction services that align robot behaviour with real production demands.
Through Transyt, AMRs follow predefined routes while retaining flexibility to adapt to operational changes. Mission execution is tied directly to line demand, enabling consistent material flow and ensuring that start-of-line and end-of-line processes remain synchronised with production takt time. Traffic interaction logic supports safe movement in shared environments, while location-aware control allows tasks to respond dynamically to real-world conditions.
The result is a coordinated system where AMRs, conveyors, pallet handling stations, and stretch wrapping equipment operate as a single integrated logistics platform.
Outcome
The implemented solution transformed internal logistics by removing fork-lift dependency from critical production areas and replacing it with a fully integrated AMR workflow. Material flow across the facility became more predictable, enabling improved WIP management and stronger line-side discipline. Start-of-line and end-of-line operations now operate with consistent reliability, supporting increased efficiency and throughput without compromising safety.
Operational costs were reduced through automation of repetitive handling tasks, while enhanced traffic control improved safety within shared working environments. The scalable architecture delivered by Applied Integration provides a foundation for future expansion, allowing new production lines or workflow changes to be integrated without redesigning the entire logistics system.
