My first stop on May 7 at Automate was at one of Rockwell Automation’s newest acquisitions—Otto Motors. They manufacture autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). These mechanisms are used for material handling logistics within a manufacturing plant. My experience in manufacturing plants for my entire career consisted of staying within the proper painted lines so that the constant towmotor (forklift) traffic didn’t run over me.
These AMRs typically go under a pallet or container, lift, and move them. Otto’s fleet of vehicles includes five models that lift from 650 kg to 1,900 kg. They even have an “AMR” forklift.
Integrating their software with Rockwell’s FactoryTalk Optix. Integrating new acquisitions is always a challenge—both personnel and technology. But as Rockwell’s strategy takes it deeper into the manufacturing sphere, this type of material handling solution will enable even more of an end-to-end solution for its customers.
