Transport automation columnvol.3
AMR is not an expensive purchase after all?
There is a pitfall in simply comparing the unit price with AGVs...
table of contents
The cost of AMR cannot be understood just by the unit price
When introducing AMR, one of the concerns is how many years it will take to recoup the implementation costs.
However, when it is your first time implementing a system, it can be difficult to imagine the total implementation cost. For this reason, most implementation managers probably start by comparing the prices of the devices themselves, which is easy to understand. However, the cost of implementation is not just the price of the device.
When people contact us, a certain number of them ask, "Please tell me the price of the main unit." However, unlike home appliances, the main unit alone cannot operate the AGV. Various additional costs are required to introduce it into a factory and operate it stably. Naturally, if you are comparing only the price of the main unit, there is no doubt that the price of an AGV is cheaper than that of an AMR, but please be aware that there is actually a pitfall here.
AGVs often require high installation and maintenance costs.
If you are already using AGVs on-site, you may be aware of the disadvantages of the high running costs for regular maintenance, route change construction, etc. As mentioned earlier, AGVs are cheaper in terms of the unit price alone, but the following costs are required to introduce and operate AGVs on-site.
Initial investment for AGV
- ・Transport robot body
- ・Costs for building an autonomous driving environment
- ・Initial training costs
AGV running costs
- ・Regular maintenance costs for guide tapes, marks, etc.
- ・Additional construction costs such as route changes and additional destinations
For AGVs, magnetic tape must be applied to the floor to make them travel along a set route. Sometimes this magnetic tape can be applied in-house, but in most cases, an external contractor is required to install it to prepare the driving environment. Moreover, it is difficult to perform a perfect simulation before applying the tape, and various problems are only noticed after the vehicle has actually started operating. Once the guide tape has been applied, it is not easy to fix. In addition, it may be necessary to change the layout of the equipment to apply the magnetic tape, which will further increase the cost of improving the equipment.
In addition, in production sites where high-mix low-volume production is required, frequent process switching and setting changes are required, so it is difficult to consider AGVs that run on fixed routes as an option. If it were to be implemented, it would be necessary to re-lay the guide tape, but it is no exaggeration to say that this is almost impossible.
Including operation and response to future environmental changes,
The advantages of AMR in terms of total cost
On the other hand, the initial investment and running costs of AMR are as follows:
Initial investment in AMR
- ・ Cloth bag
- ・Top module suited to the transported items
- - Traffic management software (both required and optional, depending on the manufacturer)
- ・Initial training costs
- ・When connecting to external equipment or higher-level systems such as automated warehouses or elevators, costs for building the necessary equipment, control panels, and programs
running cost
- ・Software update costs
- ・Maintenance costs for consumables such as tires
For example, if you do not need to make complex connections with peripheral equipment or higher-level systems, AMRs allow your own employees to change the settings themselves, which reduces outsourcing costs. Another benefit of AMRs is that you can perform pre-tests and adjust the system for optimal operation while actually using it. Of course, AMRs are a great ally in high-mix, low-volume production sites where the characteristics of AMRs can be utilized.
As such, rather than choosing between AGVs and AMRs, it is necessary to comprehensively consider the optimal implementation and operation based on the issues at hand and the manufacturing style of the site.
Summary
Many manufacturing companies are suffering from labor shortages due to factors such as a declining birthrate and aging population, as well as a lack of business successors, and I think most companies are aware that using robots is an effective way to solve the chronic labor shortage.
The biggest obstacle to this is the cost, but from the perspective of cost alone, in addition to the implementation and operational costs mentioned above, there are other costs such as recruitment costs and even the risks associated with people performing heavy labor, which must be considerable.
In any case, the investment required to introduce AGVs or AMRs is not small. It is important to consider not only the model selection but also the long-term perspective of problem-solving, including the post-operation production system.
As experts in transport automation, we can provide support tailored to your on-site issues, including the introduction of AMR systems to manufacturing processes. Please feel free to contact us.
