Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), a provider of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), today announced a 55 percent increase in sales in Q1 2021 over the same period last year. A large number of Q1 sales are of the MiR250, MiR’s latest and most compact AMR, with multiple orders from multinational organizations that continue to invest in large fleets of MiR robots as they automate material handling and internal logistics.
“Automation and digitalization are critical measures to strengthen manufacturing businesses during and after the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Søren E. Nielsen, president, Mobile Industrial Robots. “Consequently, many companies that successfully tested AMR solutions are returning for more and planning full-scale deployments of up to 50 robots to improve internal logistics and efficiency and enable their workers to focus on higher-value tasks.”
According to MiR, automotive and electronic companies continue to automate internal transport with AMRs; these robots are also widely used in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector, the pharmaceutical industry, and logistics. The global pandemic has also propelled the development and growth of cleaning modules for MiR robots as they are deployed to disinfect offices, hospitals, and other public places to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
MiR AMRs are used at companies including Novo Nordisk, Ford and Honeywell. The largest percentage of orders in Q1 were for the company’s MiR250 model.