Shigemasa

Shigemasa Co., Ltd., a machinery parts and tools supplier, was founded in November 1954 in Fukuyama-shi, Hiroshima, with the philosophy of "providing comprehensive support both domestically and internationally”. Automated systems are essential in improving the safety and efficiency of towing operations. Therefore, we decided to install the MiR250 Hook to address the transportation issue caused by our warehouse expansion. The MiR250 Hook is an autonomous towing cart that has been tested on actual equipment to assure safety and efficiency. The MiR250 Hook, which automates transportation operations, is linked to the company's warehouse management system to save manpower.

Shortage of human resources due to warehouse expansion: as products for handling have increased, and the warehouse has been expanded, there has been a significant increase in transportation distance. For this reason, the company plans to increase the workload placed on robots, and utilize human labor in situations where manpower is needed.

Ritsuo Kosaka, executive officer and general manager of the overseas sales department at the Shigemasa Co., Ltd., who was in charge of the introduction of MiR, said, "The expansion of our warehouse has greatly increased the distance over which goods need to be transported. Until now, we have been using manpower to carry goods, but we are considering that it would be better to let people do what only humans can do, and let robots do what they can do", explaining how he came up with the idea.

Initially, from a cost perspective, we were considering AGVs and AMRs from other companies, but these equipment required changes such as magnetic tape or layout. In addition, AMRs from other companies required manpower for loading and unloading, which did not meet our requirements for labor reduction and efficiency improvement. However, after watching the MiR video, I was convinced that an AMR with a towing hook was what I was looking for.

Linkage with existing inventory system: The ideal operation that the company is looking for is a system that can accurately evaluate the inventory status in the warehouse and can be linked to the inventory management system to collect and transport cargo.

Mr. Kosaka mentioned that "operation from multiple terminals” is one of the key features of MiR. "For products from other companies with dedicated remote controls, you have to use that remote control to operate, which is very inconvenient. For MiR, you can operate through multiple devices, such as iPads or PCs, so you can operate it without going to the office and looking directly at it, but operate it from a distance, which is very convenient," he said, explaining its appeal.

Compared to other companies' products, MiR can be operated remotely from multiple locations, as its dedicated remote control can be operated via multiple terminals. "I saw a video of this MiR with a towing hook, and knew this is what I was looking for! I fell in love with it at first sight, so that's why I chose MiR." Furthermore, the operation screen of the user interface is simple, and mission instructions can be given with one click or touch.

Actual equipment verification prior to installation: verification of the towing cart was conducted at the DAIKI ROBOTICS Robotics Lab in Osaka. The verification involved attaching jigs to frames and dollies, and simulating casters in real situations. After the verification, we decided to introduce the system.

According to Masaru Takemura (Executive Officer, General Manager of the Strategy Promotion Department, and Head of the Robotics Business Promotion Project), "The deciding factor in the introduction of the Hook module is that it can tow carts in use and automatically transport them from one place to another, rather than simply transferring them between processes.

We also believe that the fact that the customer was able to verify the safety of the system and the speed of the setup time during the on-site verification in our demo room prior to the introduction of the system was a major factor in their understanding of the safety and operational aspects of the system. Additionally, the user interface has been praised as very simple and easy to operate.

In response to delivery instructions from the inventory system, the process is to tow carts from a designated location in the yard to a designated location at the shipping base."

"We feel that MiR in particular meets our requirements for safety and ease of use. Additionally, we feel that scalability is also an important factor."