Two North East firms are helping Siemens to develop a mobile robot that it hopes will tap into a multibillion-dollar market.
Gateshead based Parmley Graham and Sunderland's AR Controls have partnered with the software arm of the engineering giant, Siemens Digital Industries, to make 'automated guided vehicles' (AGVs).
The robots are capable of carrying components, products and equipment across factories and distribution facilities and are particularly in demand given the trend towards online retail and supply chain pressures posed by the pandemic.
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Industrial automation specialist Parmley Graham is working with Siemens to supply hardware and materials, and source third-party parts for the AGVs.
Meanwhile integration and robotics specialist AR Control is designing and building the equipment.
The technology includes a standardised system that means the AGVs can be tailored to a variety of uses across different industries. It says the global market for this type of robot is expected to almost double to £2.3bn ($3.72bn) by 2028.
The partnership has already successfully supplied AGV kits to a major, unnamed car manufacturer with a factory in the North.
Siemens says the pandemic has forced manufacturers into rethinking their warehousing processes, how goods are moved internally within factories and how to deal with labour shortages.
Brian Holliday, managing director, Siemens Digital Industries, said: “The UK supply chain market is growing exponentially, and most manufacturers are now investing in technologies to boost their own logistics. AGVs are a crucial part of this investment.
“Partners like Parmley Graham that have a legacy in automation were well equipped with the right technologies and experience to deliver AGVs to the automotive manufacturer. It is also a testimony that given an opportunity, innovation can help generate new income streams for businesses in these testing times.”
Nick Wilson, managing director, Parmley Graham said: “We work in partnership with organisations across a wide spectrum of industries. This collaboration helped produce the AGVs for a burgeoning need to meet efficiencies in warehousing, intralogistics, and logistics across many industries.
“Our experienced engineering team regularly delivers innovative solutions, training, and support that is tailored to the diverse needs of our varied customer base.
"We take our initiatives seriously and have appointed a project manager to oversee the production of the AGVs. We will be able to deliver bespoke solutions for AGVs to a range of customers in the pharmaceutical, food and drink and logistic industries.”
Andy Ramsey, company founder and managing director, AR Controls said: “We have a portfolio of automotive manufacturers for who we provide services like sensing, position control, visual inspection, machine safety, audio-indent, robotics, drives and programmable logic control so partnering with Siemens and Parmley Graham to produce AGVs is a very exciting project for us. We look forward to a fruitful outcome of this alliance.”
