Siemens Switchgear Expands Deployment of Geek+ Mobile Robots for Lean Production

The Shanghai-based electronics components manufacturer expands its use of four different robots for its "Plan for Every Part" strategy.

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Geek+ P800R robots receiving raw materials at Siemens Switchgear Shanghai's facility.
Siemens Switchgear has expanded its deployment of four types of Geek+ mobile robots as the electronics components maker automates both picking and picking-line distribution.

Geekplus Technology Co. last week said it has expanded its collaboration with electronic components manufacturer Siemens Switchgear Ltd. in the second phase of a smart manufacturing automation project.

The expansion introduces more of Geek+'s goods-to-person picking and materials handling robots to the multi-robot configuration and opens up a further 3,000 sq. m (32,291 sq. ft.) of automated warehousing space. The system has achieved a delivery accuracy rate of 100%, with materials accuracy of over 99.98% in the production line, said the companies.

“We are very proud of this end-to-end automation success with Siemens Switchgear,” said Junzhe Yang, vice president of China region at Geek+. “The company makes cutting-edge electronics technology, and Geek+ uses robotics technology to power their operations. The result is a beautiful example of how well smart intralogistics can function.”

Siemens Switchgear demands accurate logistics

With the growth of Siemens Switchgear's business, new demands for storage capacity, material informatization, distribution timeliness, and accuracy have arisen. The Shanghai-based Siemens unit said it has implemented the “Plan For Every Part” (PFEP) logistics model to react to this new reality.

Geek+ said its robots and software provide the 360° inventory oversight that the strategy requires. It has deployed a fully automated, flexible, multi-robot system that it claimed “represents a breathrough in intelligent manufacturing.”

Beijing-based Geek+ said it applies autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and artificial intelligence to warehouse and supply chain management.

Siemens Switchgear first joined forces with Geek+ in 2019. It successfully automated logistics with four models of Geek+ robots: the P800R goods-to-person picking robots, the MP1000R AMRs, the RS2 totes-to-person robots, and the X-series four-way shuttles for high-density storage.

The electronics components maker said its entire process is now automated, from inbound receiving to in-store stock management, outbound stock collection, and production-line delivery.

Geek+ adds more robots in Phase 2

In this second phase of the Siemens Switchgear project, Geek+ added more MP1000R AMRs equipped with laser-guided simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) capabilities to the production line without interrupting operations. Geek+ said its warehouse management system (WMS) enabled the robots to raw materials to where they are needed on time.

Geek+ added that its engineers learned from Siemens Switchgear's experiences with the first-phase configuration. To better meet the client's needs, the team optimized the paths of the four-way shuttle storage system and the layout of the picking workstations.

The outbound throughput rate has increased from 500 pallets per day to 1,000 pallets per day, said the company. The Geek+ team also added a steel platform to create a second storage level operated by the original P800R fleet, with a new cluster of P800Rs equipped with square pallet docking with low-level hoists in the materials receiving area on the ground floor.

These additions, along with more MP1000Rs, have been seamlessly integrated into Siemens Switchgear's fully automated facility and freed up storage space, said Geek+.

The companies said they expect to further deepen their cooperation, expand application scenarios, explore innovations, and continue to lead the intelligent transformation of the manufacturing industry.

Geek+ and Bosch Rexroth also deployed the Geek+ MP1000R AMRs.

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Geek+ P800R robots receiving raw materials at Siemens Switchgear Shanghai's facility.


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