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1,500kg capacity mobile robots can replace forklifts

24 July, 2020

Omron has announced a mobile robot with a payload capacity of up to 1,500kg, capable of carrying large components such as car bodies and pallets that would traditionally have needed forklifts to move. The HD-1500 robot’s on-board battery can recharge in 36 minutes and can handle a full shift on a full load, thus reducing downtime.

The accompanying Fleet Manager software can control up to 100 mobile robots of different sizes, configurations and payload capacities, to automate complex material transport and logistics applications. The robots can calculate the best routes automatically, while collaborating safely with people and navigating around obstacles, without needing magnetic floor tapes or other guides.

With the Fleet Simulator function, users can simulate arrays of up to ten robots, operating in up to three separate fleets.

“Onsite logistics, the movement of products and material within the factory and warehouse, is becoming a real bottleneck for many companies due to the frequency and tediousness of the job, compounded by the need to meet social distancing protocols,” explains Tom Mathias, president and CEO of Omron Robotics and Safety Technologies. “Fast-paced manufacturing environments require speed and flexibility. Omron’s HD-1500 mobile robot can help companies solve this issue with the capability to work 24 hours a day tirelessly, punctually and safely side-by-side with people.”

The high-capacity mobile robots can be used to automate complex and dangerous tasks, reducing the need for forklifts. They can safely transport large pallets containing heavy items, bulky materials and automotive frames. Users can do more with less equipment, workers can focus on more important tasks, and make fewer trips with heavier batches, thus improving ROI.

Omron's HD-1500 mobile robot can carry payloads of up to 1.5 tonnes

The robots incorporate 360-degree scanning lasers that are used both for localisation and for safety. Lidar technology is used to improve navigation using adaptive safety zones.

With the release of the HD-1500, Omron says it can now offer a complete line-up of mobile robots for transporting a wide variety of items from components to WIP (work in progress), finished products and heavy materials.




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