Feasibility study of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs): The Case of Mitsubishi Electric Hydronics & IT Cooling Systems S.p.A.

This thesis investigates the feasibility of introducing Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) for the internal transport of materials in a manufacturing context characterized by single-unit lots and a high variety of configurations, where assembly remains largely manual and internal handling absorbs a significant share of the workforce on activities that add no value to the product. The study was carried out at the Bassano del Grappa plant of Mitsubishi Electric Hydronics & IT Cooling Systems S.p.A. and aims to establish whether, and under which conditions, the technology is technically and economically feasible, and what the case can teach the other plants of the Group. The research adopts a structured methodology. Following a review of the literature on line feeding and on AMR technology, the current material flows are mapped and assessed against the conditions that an automated transport mission requires, and the role of the ongoing layout redesign and of the warehouse management system in creating those conditions is analyzed. The transport demand of the future configuration is then quantified and filtered through the constraints of the selected vehicle, whose performance is verified through a field test in the plant. The fleet is sized with an analytical model and validated through a discrete-event simulation, and a cost-benefit analysis finally compares the solution with manual handling. The results show that automation cannot simply be added to the existing organization but becomes possible once transport is separated from picking and each movement is defined as a mission with known ends. Combining analytical sizing with simulation proves essential to determine the correct fleet size, since the static model alone does not capture the empty travel and the peaks generated by the dynamics of the requests. The resulting solution requires a fleet of two AMRs and shows favorable economic prospects, with a payback period of less than two and a half years driven mainly by the reduction of the workforce required for line feeding. Beyond the specific case, the work delivers a replicable framework for assessing AMR technology and the organizational and layout conditions it requires, offering the Group a structured basis for deciding whether and how to introduce autonomous vehicles in its plants.