Warehouse automation is transforming how businesses use space, move products and increase efficiency.
In this blog, we’re going to look at the physical environment that supports that automation – from specialist warehouse automation flooring and mezzanines to fit-out, acoustics and aesthetics – and how getting these elements right can help create a better environment for both robots and people.
The floor plays a key role in how AMRs and AGVs move and perform. Mezzanine structures can unlock valuable additional space for automation. And the wider fit-out brings the different elements together into one integrated environment.
At Robot Floor, we look at the complete picture.
We provide robot-ready flooring, mezzanines and fit-out for Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) and other warehouse automation systems.
Our aim is simple: to create an environment that supports the performance of the automation while also considering the people working alongside it.
What makes a floor robot-ready?
There isn’t one floor specification that works for every robot.
The right solution depends on the automation itself -the robot type, wheels, payload, speed, turning movements, navigation and manufacturer tolerances all play a part.
For AMRs and AGVs, some of the key things we consider for warehouse automation flooring are:
- Flatness and surface regularity
- Consistent traction
- Joints and changes in level
- Vibration and acoustics
- Wear resistance
- ESD requirements
- Fixed travel paths and turning points
- Cleanability and appearance
It’s also important to remember that robots don’t simply need the lowest possible friction. They need the right level of consistent traction to accelerate, brake and turn reliably.
Understanding the automation first allows the floor to be designed around what the robots actually need.
Flooring designed for robotic traffic
Robots use a floor differently from conventional warehouse traffic.
An AMR may follow the same route, turn at the same point and dock in the same position thousands of times. This creates concentrated wear in very specific areas.
Robot Floor has been working in robotic environments since 2018, using R&D, testing and experience from live installations to understand how flooring performs under continuous robotic traffic.
This has helped us develop resin systems specifically for robotics, considering not only durability but also traction, vibration, acoustics, cleanability and the overall quality of the finished surface.
It’s a different approach to simply taking a standard industrial resin and applying it to a robotic environment.
Creating smoother transitions
Joints and changes in level are another important consideration for AMRs and AGVs.
A robot repeatedly travelling over a joint can experience impact and vibration through its wheels, components and payload. The condition and size of a joint may also affect the tolerances required by the robot manufacturer.
There are several ways this can be addressed.
Existing concrete and screed floors can be surveyed and, where appropriate, joints and problem areas can be remediated. For new installations, a seamless resin system can provide a consistent operating surface across the robotic area.
So, importantly, not every warehouse automation project needs a completely new floor.
The starting point is understanding the existing floor, the proposed automation and what needs to be achieved.
Taking automation onto a mezzanine
Mezzanines can create significant additional capacity within an existing warehouse footprint, making them an important part of many automation projects.
When robots operate at mezzanine level, however, the floor and structure need to work together.
Loads, deflection, movement, vibration and the finished surface can all influence the robotic environment.
Robot Floor can provide the mezzanine and specialist robotic flooring together, allowing both elements to be considered as part of the same solution.
It also means the flooring isn’t simply added at the end. It can be considered from the design stage alongside the structure and automation that will operate on it.
Creating a better environment for people too
A highly automated warehouse is still a workplace.
Operators, engineers, maintenance teams and other employees may all be working alongside the automation, which means the environment needs to work for them too.
This is where acoustics and aesthetics can sometimes be overlooked.
Reducing vibration and the noise generated as robots travel across the floor can contribute to a more comfortable working environment.
The finish matters too.
A clean, seamless floor can completely change the appearance of an automated facility, while different colours, markings and zones can help create a clear, organised space.
The result should be an environment that performs for the robots and works well for the people around them.
Bringing the complete environment together
Flooring is only one part of a successful warehouse automation project.
Mezzanines, racking, flooring and the wider fit-out all need to work around the automation.
By looking at these elements together, Robot Floor can help create a more joined-up environment rather than treating each part as a separate package.
Depending on the project, that could include everything from assessing and improving an existing floor to delivering the mezzanine, specialist flooring and wider fit-out for a new robotic installation.
It also gives us the opportunity to get involved earlier, work alongside automation partners and consider how the complete environment will perform before the robots arrive.
Getting the environment right from the start
One of the best times to think about flooring is at the beginning of an automation project.
Understanding the robot manufacturer’s requirements early allows factors such as flatness, traction, joints, vibration, ESD, mezzanine performance and fit-out to be considered during the design process.
And where automation is being introduced into an existing facility, an early floor survey can help establish what is already suitable and what, if anything, needs to be improved.
It’s not about over-engineering the floor.
It’s about creating the right environment for the automation being installed.
Planning a warehouse automation project?
Whether you’re introducing AMRs, AGVs, ASRS or another automated system, Robot Floor can help create the physical environment around it. Get in touch.