an HVAC equipment manufacturing plant in Spain running continuous assembly shifts
How an HVAC Plant Saved 3 Staff-Hours a Day With One Line-Side AMR
One AMR on an eight-hour HVAC assembly loop saved about three staff-hours per day versus manual trolley runs and cut forklift traffic in production aisles.
- 3 hr
- Saved daily
- 12 km
- Per shift
- <2 yr
- ROI target
- 1
- AMR deployed
Based on a documented real-world deployment. Figures are from public reporting; the organization is not named.
Trolley runs and forklifts crowded the line
An HVAC equipment manufacturing plant in Spain moved materials to assembly with manual trolleys during full eight-hour shifts. The work tied up staff time and brought forklifts into production aisles that were already busy with assembly traffic.
Engineering wanted steadier line-side stock without adding headcount or widening forklift routes every time the line layout changed.
- Manual trolley loops each shift
- Forklift traffic near assembly aisles
- Need for constant material availability
One AMR on a dedicated internal loop
The site deployed an autonomous mobile robot sized for the plant payload to run packaging materials between storage and the line on a repeatable route. The unit operated a full shift each day while keeping stock levels stable at the production edge.
Leadership compared robot distance to the prior trolley workflow and tracked time returned to higher-value production support tasks.
- Autonomous loop between store and line
- Full-shift daily operation
- Reduced forklift movements in aisles
Three staff-hours back every day
After rollout, the plant reported about three man-hours saved per day compared with workers moving the same loads by trolley. The robot covered up to roughly twelve kilometers per shift while maintaining material flow to the line.
Operations cited safer aisles with fewer forklift trips and expected return on investment in under two years, with plans to add more units for raw material and finished-goods moves.
What US manufacturers can copy
Service Robot Co. helps US assembly plants pilot the same single-loop pattern before fleet expansion: prove daily hours returned on one route, then add robots for warehouse and finished-goods legs.
Buy or lease through financing, map the loop with production engineering, and keep service on RoboCare nationwide. Vendor-neutral selection helps when payload, aisle width, and packaging methods vary by line.