Autonomous Mobile Robots Greater Flexibility in Assembly Automation

At Schnaithmann Maschinenbau, Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) increase flexibility in the production process. When combined with cobots, they create mobile robot stations that can be deployed without fixed infrastructure.

Industrial production is undergoing a transformation: Instead of high volumes and short cycle times, today’s manufacturing requires flexible production processes that accommodate a wide variety of product types, frequent model changes, and smaller batch sizes. That is why Schnaithmann has expanded its assembly and transfer systems to include autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for transporting workpiece carriers, small load carriers, and assemblies.

Schnaithmann’s partner for autonomous transport systems is W. Gessmann GmbH, based in Leingarten near Heilbronn. “The goal of the collaboration with Gessmann is to intelligently combine assembly automation with mobile intralogistics,” says Thomas Wahl, who is responsible for technical sales at Schnaithmann in Remshalden and oversees the project. “With the modular GESSbot robot system, Gessmann brings its expertise in intralogistics, mobile automation, and safe human-machine interaction to the joint solution concept.”

Dynamic Material Flows in Scalable Production Concepts

“Autonomous mobile robots like the GESSbot enable dynamic material flows in scalable production concepts,” says Steffen Kuhnle, head of the Robotics division at Gessmann. “That’s because production lines today must be able to respond more quickly to new products, fluctuating production volumes, and changing material flows. This is precisely where AMRs demonstrate their economic benefits—especially when used in conjunction with modular assembly systems.”

The autonomous transport vehicles navigate safely and precisely even in narrow aisles less than 1.2 meters wide (approximately 4 feet wide)., making them ideal for compact production line layouts. The complete control system, including safety components, is integrated, eliminating the need for an external control system. To respond to dynamic production processes, the AMRs are equipped with advanced safety technology. 360-degree scanners handle navigation and safety monitoring. For industrial communication, a Wi-Fi-based system with roaming functionality is used, which supports stable connections in large-scale assembly and logistics environments.

Highly Flexible Material Feeding and Retrieval

The integration of autonomous mobile robots into existing or new Schnaithmann assembly lines offers a high degree of flexibility in material feeding and retrieval: The Gessbots autonomously transport workpiece carriers, small-load carriers, or complete assemblies between defined transfer points, thereby enabling a decoupled material flow architecture.

Typical application scenarios include supplying buffer areas and shelves, picking up finished products, dynamically rerouting around bottlenecks or malfunctions, docking with conveyor belts or transfer stations, and handling SPC parts for quality assurance. Mechanical, electrical, and safety-related transfers can be reliably implemented using standardized and configurable interfaces. Future expansions or layout changes to the assembly line can be flexibly implemented.

Cobots Can Be Integrated as Mobile Units

In addition, the combination of AMR and collaborative robots enables maximum flexibility. Cobots can be integrated into the production line as mobile units for handling and inspection processes directly at the point of use. Typical applications include bin picking, visual quality inspections, and coordinate adjustment via landmark recognition.

When using cobots, Schnaithmann benefits from the close technical collaboration between Gessmann and the cobot manufacturer TechMan Robot: Thanks to the fully integrated control architecture, the cobot can utilize the AMR’s safety sensors, dynamically orient itself based on the vehicle’s position, and autonomously pick up, load, or inspect workpieces. This results in highly flexible mobile robot stations for production and handling processes that can be deployed directly where they are needed, without requiring rigid infrastructure or costly modifications.

AMRs Complement Traditional Transfer Systems

“We view autonomous mobile robots as a complement to traditional transfer systems,” explains Wahl. “While our transfer systems ensure high reproducibility and stable cycle times, AMRs provide flexibility and adaptive material logistics. Cobots round out the concept with variable automation cells.”

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This offers customers a wide range of technical and operational advantages: increased adaptability during product and layout changes, shorter integration and commissioning times thanks to standardized interfaces, lower conversion costs for layout changes, transparent material flows through digital AMR monitoring, and improved scalability through modular expansions such as cobots, scanners, or transfer modules. Overall, these dynamic transport processes can boost the overall efficiency of the production line and improve workplace safety by reducing the need for manual internal transport.

Schnaithmann views AMR-based production as a “logical next step”: “By integrating Gessmann technology, we are specifically expanding our transfer and assembly lines to include flexible intralogistics and robotics systems,” says Wahl. “This allows us to offer comprehensive solutions for adaptable production environments.” Kuhnle adds: “The collaboration with Schnaithmann is an excellent fit, both technologically and strategically. Together, we combine modular assembly automation and mobile robotics to create flexible production concepts that are highly adaptable to modern factory layouts. After all, customers aren’t looking for isolated, stand-alone technologies, but rather end-to-end solutions for flexible production processes.”

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