Heavy-Duty AMRs
and Shuttles
and Shuttles
AMR and Shuttles
When material flows between automated warehouse systems and production lines must be tightly synchronized and controlled with precision and reliability, shuttles and heavy-duty AMRs are the connecting links that offer the greatest flexibility. They bridge distances between process areas, maintain exact handoff positions, and integrate into the rhythm of adjacent systems—without the bottlenecks of fixed, inflexible routing paths.
The difference from standard intralogistics lies in the weight: Heavy loads generate high acceleration and braking forces, place special demands on navigation, positioning accuracy, and safety, and require a robust, continuously available design. Vollert develops rail-guided shuttles and driverless heavy-duty AMRs specifically for this environment—for loads up to 50 metric tons and beyond, integrated into existing warehouse structures and communicating with higher-level control systems.
Design for the specific load condition
The performance of a heavy-duty shuttle or AMR is not determined by its rated load capacity, but rather by its ability to handle dynamic conditions and integrate seamlessly with neighboring systems. Accelerating and braking heavy loads, precise positioning at transfer points, and protecting sensitive material surfaces are the real design challenges.
Vollert designs the drive, support structure, and control system to handle actual operating loads, taking into account weights, diameters, surface sensitivity, and the requirements of adjacent warehouse and production systems. With AMR, navigation safety, collision protection, and positioning accuracy are not optional extras, but fundamental design requirements.
Integration into production and warehouse processes
Shuttles and AMRs only realize their full value when working in tandem with the systems that connect them. Therefore, integration with warehouse management systems (WMS), higher-level control systems (MES), and the control systems of adjacent equipment is crucial.
Vollert designs shuttle and AMR solutions as an integrated component of the entire material flow: transfers to warehouse systems, conveyor lines, and production lines are synchronized to ensure reliable throughput and availability. Driverless heavy-duty AMRs can be integrated into existing facility structures and communicate with higher-level control systems. In brownfield situations, existing facility structures, traffic routes, and control interfaces are incorporated from the very beginning.