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OMRON Releases Fleet Management Software for Mobile Robot Fleet Installation on the Factory Floor

September 09, 2021 by Stephanie Leonida

How can OMRON’s new software enable mobile robot fleet installation for manufacturers transitioning to smart factory operations?

OMRON recently released its Fleet Operations Workspace (FLOW) Core 2.1 software. This software enables customers to create a simulation of robotic fleet installation and assess its efficiency, and identify any issues that could arise before actual installation takes place.

 

“innovative-Automation” and FLOW Core 2.1

It is crucial to have a mobile fleet that can work efficiently with existing machines and factory floor operations to maintain productivity. OMRON’s FLOW Core 2.1 software offers customers a way of fine-tuning mobile fleet installation and synchronizing transport operations between humans and machines to optimize facility productivity. This software is one component underlying OMRON’s manufacturing innovation concept, "innovative-Automation.”

 

OMRON’s mobile fleet robots utilizing this new software. Image used courtesy of OMRON

 

OMRON’s FLOW Core 2.1 allows customers to clarify mobile fleet installation efficiency and identify issues before actual fleet installation. This is possible through a fleet simulation function. With insights gained from the simulation, mobile fleets can be deployed with more precision and speed. This can help establish more efficient mobile systems for manufacturing facilities looking to bring traditional modes of in-house transport up to smart factory standards. 

The FLOW Core 2.1 software also allows users to control multiple types of mobile robots with varying payloads. This helps to avoid the complexity and time needed to create a system for each different robot.

 

New Features

The new software comes with FLOW iQ, which allows customers to visualize travel data and analysis functions. FLOW-iQ can output visualizations in the form of heat and path maps. This means that the movement of autonomous transfer robots that may be stagnating can be identified, and those that are moving can be tracked. 

FLOW-IQ has been designed to help plant operators maintain fleet movement and manage complex fleets.

 

OMRON’s fleet operations workspace IQ interface. Image used courtesy of OMRON

 

The fleet simulation function enables the digital portrayal of a mobile fleet of robots, considering the fleet’s size and the desired workflow before physical deployment. With the simulation function, multiple robots can be controlled as a swarm. 

OMRON’s FLOW Core 2.1 MobilePlanner6 provides a fleet control function for building mobile robot fleets with varying sizes and payloads. The planner helps customers to integrate and synchronize fleet activity for improved manufacturing throughput.

 

Why Manufacturing Needs Mobile Robots

Mobile robots play a key role in manufacturing facilities by transporting goods and materials safely, relieving the labor burden upon workers. Goods and material transport conducted by mobile robot workers can also benefit facility efficiency because machines are not liable to sickness and can keep operations running smoothly. 

Using mobile robots can reduce physical human contact and reduce the likelihood of disease transmission during the coronavirus pandemic. 

OMRON is hopeful that this new fleet management software will help engineers control their robots and logistics on the factory floor much faster and with better accuracy.