Mobile Robots Move Material Stored on Pallets from Station to Station!
By Ashutosh Arora
TRUMPF has introduced the Material Flow Starter Kit, a mobile robot system designed to simplify and automate intralogistics within production environments. The solution enables manufacturers to move palletized loads weighing up to 1 ton seamlessly between workstations, machines, and shipping areas, improving efficiency and reducing manual transport efforts.
At the core of the system are autonomous mobile robots that can navigate production areas and access up to nine designated stations. These stations can include sheet metal production machines, manual assembly areas, or shipping and logistics points. For added flexibility, up to eight transfer points can be defined for each station, allowing companies to tailor the material flow to their specific processes.
The robots are operated through a user-friendly web application that runs on any mobile device connected to the company’s network. Production employees can request a robot directly from their workstation as soon as their parts are ready for transfer. This enables workpieces to be loaded onto the robot via a pallet trolley without operators leaving their stations, minimizing disruptions and saving time.
The Material Flow Starter Kit has been designed with ease of deployment in mind. By offering a scalable, modular logistics system, TRUMPF provides manufacturers with a straightforward way to automate material handling processes, particularly in industries where multiple production steps and frequent part transfers are required.
By reducing reliance on manual material movement, the system supports higher productivity, safer operations, and smoother workflows. The ability to manage heavy loads automatically also reduces the risk of workplace injuries associated with manual handling.
With its compact, intelligent mobile robots and intuitive app-based controls, TRUMPF’s Material Flow Starter Kit represents a step forward in smart factory automation—helping manufacturers integrate logistics into the digital thread of production.
