Danish industrial automation firm Mobile Industrial Robots expands in U.S. and Latin America

Danish industrial automation firm Mobile Industrial Robots ApS (MiR) said today it has expanded its presence in North and South America, adding six distributors to meet rising demand for automating warehouse logistics with mobile robots.

Odense, Denmark-based MiR supplies autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for the internal transport of goods, with North American sales accounting for nearly a quarter of its worldwide growth, the company said.

The company's catalog of AMRs includes the MiR100 and MiR200, which can autonomously transport up to 100 kg (220 lbs) and 200 kg (440 lbs) respectively. In June, MiR said it added the MiR500 with a payload of 500kg (1,102 lbs) to meet an industry need for bigger, stronger, faster AMRs.

With their squat, rectangular appearance and capability to autonomously transport goods around a DC, MiR's robots share some features with comparable products from logistics robotics providers such as GreyOrange, CommonSense Robotics, 6 River Systems Inc., Fetch Robotics Inc., and Clearpath Robotics Inc.'s Otto Motors.

MiR says its robots are distinguished from the pack because they can perform a wide range of tasks, such as using the MiR500 to transport heavy pallets across manufacturing floors and warehouses; attaching a robot arm and gripper to the MiR200 to allow it to pick up, autonomously transport, and deliver delicate circuit boards; and linking a hook onto the MiR200 so it can tow carts weighing up to 1,102 lbs.

By adding six new distributors in the U.S., Mexico, and Argentina, MiR brings its total number of distributors to 143 in 40 countries. The new firms are: Allied Automation, based in Indianapolis, Ind.; Empire Automation System in Rochester, N.Y., known as MASEAS; Lydey Automation in Maumee and Brecksville, Ohio; I3 Mexico in Monterey, Mexico; Murten S.L.R. in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Macon, in Tierra del Feugo, Argentina.

"Not only are U.S. companies benefiting from our autonomous mobile robots, but there is great potential for growth in Latin America, since many of our multinational customers in the automotive, consumer goods, and electronics industries have production plants in Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina," Ed Mullen, MiR's general manager, North America, said in a statement.