Warehouse AMR Robots in Ireland: Logistics Automation Guide

Ireland's logistics sector is experiencing unprecedented demand. E-commerce growth, pharmaceutical distribution, and supply chain complexity are pushing warehouses to their limits. Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) offer a solution.

What are AMRs?

AMRs are intelligent robots that navigate warehouses autonomously, without fixed guides or tracks. They use sensors, cameras, and AI to: - Transport goods between locations - Assist pickers by bringing shelves to them - Move pallets and heavy loads - Sort and consolidate orders

Irish Warehouse Robot Market:

Ireland has over 500 large warehouses and distribution centres, with concentrations around: - Dublin Port and Airport - Cork Harbour - Limerick/Shannon region - Midlands distribution hubs

AMR Rental Costs in Ireland:

Rental often makes more sense than purchase for Irish warehouses due to flexibility, no maintenance burden, and ability to scale for peak seasons.

1. Dramatic Productivity Gains

Traditional picking: 60-80 units per hour per picker With AMRs: 200-300 units per hour per picker

AMRs eliminate 70% of picker walking time. Instead of walking to products, products come to the picker.

2. Address Labour Shortages

Ireland's logistics sector faces persistent labour shortages, especially for: - Night shift workers - Peak season temporary staff - Physically demanding roles

Robots don't call in sick, don't need breaks, and work 24/7.

3. Reduce Picking Errors

Human picking error rate: 1-3% Robot-assisted picking error rate: 0.1-0.5%

AMRs with pick-to-light systems and barcode verification virtually eliminate mispicks.

4. Scale for Peak Seasons

Black Friday, Christmas, back-to-school - peak seasons strain Irish warehouses. With robot rental: - Add robots for peak periods - Return when volumes normalise - No permanent staff increase - No equipment depreciation

5. Improve Worker Safety

Warehouse injuries cost Irish businesses millions annually. Robots: - Handle heavy lifting - Reduce repetitive strain injuries - Eliminate forklift accidents - Work in hazardous conditions (cold storage, chemicals)

6. Real-Time Visibility

Every AMR provides data on: - Inventory levels and locations - Picking productivity - Robot utilisation - Bottleneck identification

1. Goods-to-Person Robots

These robots bring inventory shelves directly to picking stations:

• How they work: Robot drives under a mobile shelf unit, lifts it, and brings it to a picker
• Best for: E-commerce, small parts, high-SKU operations
• Example: MiR250 combined with shelf systems

Typical deployment: 5-20 robots per picking station, depending on throughput requirements.

2. Person-to-Goods (Follow Me) Robots

Robots follow pickers through the warehouse:

• How they work: Picker selects orders, robot follows and carries picked items
• Best for: Large items, existing warehouse layouts
• Example: Collaborative picking robots

Reduces picker walking by 50%+ while maintaining flexibility.

3. Autonomous Pallet Movers

Robots that transport pallets without human operators:

• How they work: Robot slides under pallet, lifts, and transports to destination
• Best for: Repetitive pallet movements, staging areas
• Capacity: 500-1,500kg typically

Replaces manual pallet jacks and some forklift operations.

4. Sorting Robots

Automated order consolidation:

• How they work: Robot carries tote to correct sorting destination, deposits item
• Best for: Multi-carrier shipping, parcel sortation
• Speed: Up to 400 sorts per hour per robot

Popular with Irish 3PL providers handling multiple retailers.

5. Inventory Robots

Autonomous stock counting:

• How they work: Robot navigates aisles, scans barcodes/RFID tags, maps inventory
• Best for: Large warehouses, cycle counting, inventory accuracy
• Coverage: Can scan entire warehouse overnight

Eliminates annual shutdown for stock takes.

Calculate the potential return on investment for AMRs in your Irish warehouse:

Sample Calculation: 10,000m² Dublin Distribution Centre

Current Operation: - 20 pickers, 2 shifts - Average units picked per hour: 70 - Annual labour cost: €700,000 - Picking error rate: 2% - Cost per mispick: €15

With 10 AMR Robots: - Picker productivity increase: 150% - Units per hour per picker: 175 - Required pickers for same volume: 8 pickers - Staff reduction: 12 pickers (or same staff = 150% more throughput)

Financial Impact (Annual):

*Wait, that's negative?*

This example shows break-even in year 1. But consider:

Hidden Savings Not Calculated: - Recruitment costs eliminated: €30,000+ - Training costs reduced: €15,000+ - Sick leave and absence: €25,000+ - Management overhead: €20,000+ - Peak season temp staff: €50,000+

Actual Net Savings: €125,000+ per year

Plus: no capital outlay, flexibility to scale, included maintenance.

When Robots Make Sense: - 5,000m²+ warehouse - 10+ pickers - High SKU count - E-commerce or multi-channel - Peak season variations

A phased approach ensures successful warehouse robot deployment:

Phase 1: Assessment and Planning (4-6 weeks)

• Site survey: Our engineers assess your warehouse layout, floors, WiFi coverage
• Process analysis: Identify best initial use cases for robots
• Integration planning: Connect robots to your WMS (Warehouse Management System)
• Staff engagement: Present plans to workforce, address concerns

Most Irish WMS platforms (SAP, Oracle, Manhattan, smaller Irish systems) are compatible.

Phase 2: Pilot Deployment (4-8 weeks)

• Start small: 2-5 robots in one zone
• Measure everything: Before/after productivity comparison
• Iterate: Adjust routes, charging locations, workflow
• Train thoroughly: Hands-on training for all shift supervisors

Typical pilot covers one picking zone or process.

Phase 3: Scale and Optimise (Ongoing)

• Add robots: Scale based on ROI from pilot
• Expand zones: Roll out to additional warehouse areas
• Advanced features: Implement sorting, inventory, pallet moving
• Continuous improvement: Monthly optimisation reviews

Timeline Summary: - Assessment to first robot: 6-8 weeks - Pilot completion: 14-16 weeks - Full deployment: 6-12 months (depending on scale)

What Rentabot.ie Provides: - Free initial assessment - Integration with your WMS - Floor marking and charging infrastructure guidance - Comprehensive staff training - 24/7 support with 4-hour SLA - Monthly performance reviews - Flexible scaling (add/remove robots monthly)