Geek+ has automated goods-to-person picking in BMW’s main factory in China. The plant at Shenyang becomes the largest BMW production plant in the world incorporating AMR technology.

BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) manufactures a range of BMW’s leading vehicles as part of a joint venture between BMW and Chinese manufacturer Brilliance Automotive. BBA’s main plant at Shenyang has implemented Geek+’s automated mobile robot (AMR) as part of an Industry 4.0 strategy. The Shenyang plant becomes the largest BMW production plant in the world with AMR technology.

BBA’s Shenyang plant was the first BMW factory in China. It has been operating for around twenty years and today produces vehicles such as the BMW 5-series, the new X5, and the innovative all-electric iX3.

In order to modernise operations at the Shenyang plant, and keep up with accelerating demand, BBA chose Geek+’s goods-to-person solution to shift operations up a gear. The solution was deployed at high speed. AMRs were in place in the plant and underway ahead of schedule in only two months from start to finish.

The Shenyang plant represents a significant milestone for both companies on the road to Industry 4.0. BBA and Geek+ are working together to develop both software and hardware to power the digital intelligence upgrade.

The new software aims to refine warehouse management systems by connecting upstream and downstream systems, while hardware upgrades include customisation of the AMRs to meet the requirements of BMW and the auto industry.

Ralf Schieder, vice president of BBA Strategy and Logistics, said: “This project is an important step in BMW Brilliance’s move towards smart manufacturing and digital factories, and a key milestone in our logistics transformation! I like to call it ‘collaborative innovation.’ We worked closely with Geek+ to develop an efficient and flexible smart logistics solution, which not only realised the integration and coherence of the warehouse management system, but also provided us with more flexible and faster solutions for future upgrades and renovations, setting a model of a people-oriented sustainable green factory for the industry.”

Yong Zheng, founder and CEO at Geek+, said: “AMR technology holds tremendous potential for the automotive industry, and we are very proud to be able to demonstrate that with what we’ve achieved with BMW Brilliance Automotive. Working together to create digital logistics and advancing the digital standard in the auto manufacturing industry has been a real pleasure. This digital upgrade definitely puts BBA in the driver’s seat for the ongoing digital transformation in their industry.”

The Shenyang plant is recognised for its sustainable production technology, environmentally friendly plant design, and various environmental protection and energy-saving measures.

Geek+ and BBA aim to further optimise operational processes and human-robot interaction to produce automobiles ready for a range of potential future strategies.