Chery Automobile Co. last month built on its partnership with ForwardX Technology Co. to deploy mobile robots in the final assembly workshop of its factory in Kaifeng, China. The company said the deployment supports its vision of “fully automated automotive manufacturing and digital transformation in the smart mobility era.”
Founded in 1997, Chery has established research and development centers in China, Germany, the U.S., and Brazil. The company also has established a global automotive R&D team of more than 5,500 people and cumulative global sales of more than 10 million units.
Chery first deployed more than 100 autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) from ForwardX Robotics at its Super One Factory in 2023. Last month, it deployed 435 AMRs at its electric vehicle production site in Dalian, China.
Founded in 2016, ForwardX said it delivers innovative, “end-to-end” material handling systems for warehousing and manufacturing facilities. The company, which has offices in Beijing and San Jose, Calif., claimed that its AMRs and fleet management software help businesses achieve higher performance and value within their supply chain operations.
ForwardX said it has deployed more than 4,200 vision-guided AMRs in over 200 facilities across four continents. The company added that it is expanding and “applying its proven solutions to empower the workforce of tomorrow.”
Chery adds automation in final assembly
ForwardX said it has automated intralogistics in Chery Automobile’s final assembly line—from parts warehousing and material delivery to sequencing, line-side replenishment, and the return of empty racks. The deployment includes:
- 83 Max AMRs, capable of lifting and transporting full and empty racks for automotive parts.
- 15 Lynx AMRs, specialized for set parts supply (SPS) operations and towing tasks tailored to complex automotive assembly environments.
All AMRs are integrated with the factory’s existing logistics execution system (LES) and production data acquisition (PDA)-based material call system. This ensures seamless data flow across the manufacturing workflow, according to ForwardX.
ForwardX takes steps to smarter logistics
With intelligent AMRs responding in real time to production demands, each step of Chery’s automotive assembly process becomes faster, leaner, and more agile, said ForwardX:
- Inbound logistics:Â AMRs deliver full racks of components to the line upon PDA-triggered requests.
- Empty rack returns: Robots retrieve and return empty racks to designated sorting zones
- Sequencing transfers: Pre-sorted parts are transported to the appropriate stations for just-in-time assembly.
- SPS support: The Lynx AMRs bring empty racks to picking stations, return with loaded racks to the line, and repeat—creating a closed-loop replenishment system.
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Vision-driven AMRs can minimize downtime
ForwardX noted that because its robots navigate with machine vision, they don’t need additional infrastructure such as magnetic tape, QR codes, or fixed track lines. This makes them suitable for dynamic automotive environments where layouts shift and routes evolve frequently.
Operating in parallel lanes, the AMRs can support two-way traffic and dynamic task dispatching during peak production, said the company.
In particular, the Lynx AMRs are optimized for narrow aisles and complex workflows. They can support continuous operations between picking stations and the assembly line—minimizing delays and maximizing uptime, ForwardX asserted.
In April, the company announced a factory that can produce 5,000 AMRS per year.
Chery finds measurable results
Since going live, Chery Automobile’s Kaifeng Factory has achieved measurable improvements in production response times, operational flexibility, and on-site safety.
“We are proud to support Chery Automobile in driving smart manufacturing forward,” said Nicolas Chee, founder and CEO of ForwardX Robotics. “This deployment highlights our vision-based AMRs’ ability to adapt to complex environments and sustain continuous production in high-demand automotive settings.”
In addition to its prior deployments, the Kaifeng project reinforces ForwardX Robotics’ role as a trusted automation partner for the long term. The company added that its scalable AMRs now support one of China’s premier vehicle production lines, contributing to Chery’s vision of global leadership in intelligent manufacturing.
