A personal note
Please keep in mind that the assessments on this website are my personal opinions, based on my previous work experience. The content is not legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. I am not paid to write; I blog for fun.
From California to Germany and back
Henry Miller is originally from Dana Point, California. He spent 20 years working in Germany in the automotive industry, in Stuttgart and around Munich. Now retired, he is back in his hometown of Dana Point and writes about mobile robotics and intralogistics on AMR Consultants.
When he is not blogging, he surfs at Doheny State Beach, spends time with his wife Kim and their two daughters, or goes hiking with his German Shepherd, Baxter.
20 years in the German automotive industry
Twenty years in the German automotive industry form the background to his work as an author. AMR Consultants covers automated guided vehicle systems, fleet control and connections to existing business software. Each technology is explained in the context of material flow.
The discussion starts with straightforward questions: where does the pallet come from? Who receives it at the destination? What happens when the handover station is occupied? These questions reveal the work the software actually needs to do.
Why AMR Consultants?
Through AMR Consultants, Henry offers an introduction to a field with many suppliers, interfaces and abbreviations. The articles move from the basics to practical use cases and detailed software comparisons. Readers should be able to understand why a solution may fit their operation and which questions remain before deployment.
The guiding principle of this website is: automation has to work on Monday morning. That means understandable controls, reliable handovers and a clear response to faults.
A practical approach
A clear first step. Solve one useful transport properly, learn from it and then expand.
Understand what is already there. An older warehouse system can still work well. What matters is how new technology fits the existing operation.
Take operations seriously. The articles consider operators, handovers, shift changes and faults as part of selecting a system.
Topics covered here
AMR Consultants covers automated guided vehicle systems, autonomous mobile robots, fleet control and connections to existing business software. The articles are written for manufacturing and logistics operations looking to automate a specific transport process.
Sources and assessment
Product statements link to vendor sources. Editorial assessments explain where a capability may matter in a particular operation. The comparison does not claim that controlled product tests were personally conducted. Read the methodology.