AMRs Provide Safer and Less Costly Warehouse Pallet Transfers

Companies can rack up significant numbers of forklift travel miles in large warehouses, distribution centers, and production facilities. By using the traditional human-operated forklift or pallet jack, this can account for eye-popping labor costs… not to mention that trained forklift operators are increasingly difficult to find and retain in a tight labor market.

Thus, many forward-thinking organizations are beginning to adopt warehouse automation… using autonomous robots to handle significant portions of internal material movement. It is true that a mobile robot does not have the capability of raising and lowering pallets in high racks, typically using a pallet transfer station instead. However, warehouse robots are perfectly suited for repetitive tasks such as long hauls of heavy loads across the facility, leaving the human-operated forklifts to handle the more specialized work of unloading trucks and lifting pallet onto and off of racks. A hybrid mix of forklift and autonomous mobile robot can optimize a firm’s use of expensive labor.

There are further mobile robot benefits in the area of safety…

Workplace Forklift Accidents are a Serious Problem

Forklifts and lift trucks are widely used in warehouses, factories, and production facilities. Yet, these powerful machines can be dangerous if not operated properly. According to data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), forklifts are involved in an average of 85 fatal accidents and 34,900 serious injuries each year in the United States. The most common causes of forklift accidents are:

• Operator error, such as not paying attention, traveling too fast, or not following proper procedures
• Lack of proper training for operators
• Poorly maintained equipment
• Overloading the forklift
• Operating the forklift in an unsafe manner, such as carrying a load that is too high or not using seatbelts

Human error, whether through carelessness or lack of focus, is the most frequent cause. And now, with incredible advancements in AI, it is entirely addressable with AMRs in the material handling or manufacturing operation…

AMR Safety Can Be Superior to Human-Operated Forklifts

An AMR robot can offer a safer means of warehouse pallet transport than human-operated forklifts in certain situations.

Autonomous robots are equipped with sensors and cameras that allow them to navigate and avoid obstacles, which can reduce the risk of collisions. They can also be programmed to travel in certain zones or at slower speeds, which can help to minimize operator error. Additionally, AMRs can operate continuously without breaks or fatigue, which can further reduce the risk of accidents.

With proper maintenance and team safety training, AMRs can provide a better alternative to forklifts in the warehouse operation. And by reducing the amount of human-operated forklift and pallet jack activity, the overall facility safety record can be improved.

AMRs Offer Reliable Pallet Transport

Mobile robots can operate across multiple shifts, and show up for work every day they are needed. This reduces the time and effort a company must spend recruiting and training employees, who will not be as reliable as the robot. Further, AMRs are a highly scalable technology. Once tasks and parameters are defined, they can be easily copied as new AMRs are added to the fleet. This allows rapidly growing firms to stay ahead of the business’s material handling needs. Ultimately, improved customer satisfaction is one of the benefits of warehouse automation with the mobile industrial robot.

Contact CSSI To Learn About AMR Pallet Transport

To learn more about implementing pallet transfers with autonomous mobile robots in your facility, and the automated warehouse in general, please contact CSSI. We would be glad to review your internal logistics processes and demo AMR technology for you. Contact us to learn more: