A global automotive manufacturer set out to automate internal material movement across multiple production facilities in North America.
A global automotive manufacturer set out to automate internal material movement across multiple production facilities in North America. The aim was to reduce reliance on manual forklift operations and improve safety, while maintaining reliable, continuously operating material flow. The project included the deployment of a fleet of MaxMoverTM CB D 2000 autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) across multiple sites.
The automation rollout covered eight production facilities in total, with this case study focusing on two of the clientâs flagship sites where we delivered the complete autonomous mobile robotic solution. The remaining sites were delivered as part of a broader AGV program involving multiple vendors and integrators.
25 at one site and 11 at another
Spanning more than 200 routes and drop off and collection points
Delivering resilience, standardization, and enterprise-level readiness
We delivered an endâtoâend autonomous material transport solution designed to solve real production challenges, spanning system design, engineering, implementation, commissioning, and longâterm operational support across multiple manufacturing environments.
Oceaneering Mobile Robotics delivered an endâtoâend autonomous material transport solution designed to solve real production challenges, spanning system design, engineering, implementation, commissioning, and longâterm operational support across multiple manufacturing environments.
The MaxMoverâą counterbalance forklifts were custom configured to meet the clientâs specific operational, safety, and throughput requirements. Each deployment required targeted engineering to adapt the system to siteâspecific conditions. This included tailoring vehicle configurations, safety fields, navigation parameters, and pitchâadjustment settings to address floor variability, dynamic asset movement, and close interaction with surrounding automation.
Design: Engineered the system around real production demands
- Defined materialâmovement tasks between production and robotic welding cells
- Planned routes, workflows, and dispatch logic across brownfield and greenfield environments
- Configured vehicle behavior, safety fields, and pitch adjustment for uneven floors and mixed traffic
- Aligned autonomous operations with existing production schedules and task requirements
Implementation: Deployed and commissioned under live production conditions
- Installed and commissioned 36 MaxMoverâą AGVs across two flagship sites
25 at a legacy manufacturing facility and 11 at an electric vehicle facility - Validated precise docking and handâoffs to robotic cells with no human interaction
- Iterated maps, routes, and safety zones to account for infrastructure conditions and changes in layouts at each of the facilities
- Achieved cycleâtime compliance across more than 200 unique routes
- Delivered siteâspecific training for operators and system supervisors, alongside handsâon commissioning support, to build confidence, accelerate adoption, and enable the client to manage dayâtoâday operations and firstâlevel troubleshooting
Optimization: Sustained performance after goâlive
- Resolved issues in real time through onsite technicians working with the customerâs operations teams
- Analyzed fleet data remotely via customized artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced data collection techniques to identify bottlenecks and improve responsiveness
- Deployed incremental software and configuration updates across the fleet
- Updated maps and safety fields as facilities evolved to preserve 24/7 reliability
The autonomous systems established a reliable, 24/7 materialâmovement capability that removed the staffing variability, safety exposure, and response delays inherent in manual forklift operations.
Through close collaboration with the client, the system was engineered, configured, and commissioned to reflect siteâspecific operational realities rather than forcing standardized processes into complex environments.
Adopting automation required the client to move beyond familiar manual routines and embrace a new operational mindset. As their teams experienced the systemâs reliability firstâhand, confidence in autonomous, predictable material flow steadily grew. This willingness to evolve how work gets done was critical to achieving safer, more consistent 24/7 operations.
The client now benefits from a productionâready autonomous transport solution at both sites. They are now equipped with a fleet of MaxMoverâą mobile robots, validated routes and workflows, tailored safety configurations, and a combined onsite and remote support model that sustains performance as layouts and production needs evolve. This customized, repeatable approach not only met immediate production aims, but also established a scalable foundation, positioning the client to confidently expand the fleet and extend autonomous operations to other facilities.
Preguntas frecuentes
We configure MaxMoverâą vehicles to your specific routes, task, and safety requirements, then validate docking accuracy and cycleâtime performance during commissioning. Maps, safety fields, and dispatch logic are refined with your team and kept current through ongoing onsite and remote support.
We provide structured training for operators and system supervisors, handsâon support during commissioning, and documented procedures for exception handling and firstâlevel troubleshooting. A combined onsite and remote model monitors performance, deploys incremental updates, and helps your team maintain reliability as layouts evolve.
Yes. As needs grow, we replicate validated routes, safety settings, and support practices, enabling confident fleet expansion across additional lines and sites without reâengineering from scratch.
Safe operation is our number one priority. Safety fields, speed profiles, and interaction rules are tailored to each area. We verify stopping distances, clearances, and handâoffs during commissioning and update them as floor conditions or layouts change.
The system is designed for easy reconfiguration. Our teams analyze performance data, adjust software and configuration parameters, and reâvalidate affected routes to preserve cycleâtime compliance and throughput.
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