ForwardX deployed 435 autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) at Chery Automobile’s Dalian factory, one of the largest electric vehicle (EV) production sites in China. The company said that as OEMs face mounting pressure to reduce costs, boost speed, and increase production flexibility, it delivers scalable automation built for the complex demands of manufacturing.
ForwardX and Chery have been working together since 2023, when Chery deployed over 100 ForwardX AMRs in its super one factory.
“Our ongoing collaboration with Chery highlights how scalable automation solutions can evolve as automobile OEMs’ needs grow,” said Nicolas Chee, CEO at ForwardX. “Starting with 100+ AMRs at Chery’s Super One factory in 2023 and expanding to 435 AMRs at Dalian, our solutions have continuously adapted to meet Chery’s expanding production requirements. The ability to scale and integrate seamlessly into production lines showcases ForwardX’s commitment to long-term partnerships with automobile OEMs.”
ForwardX offers a range of vision-based AMRs, and its lineup is growing. Last year, it launched smaller, nimbler, middleweight AMRs. The Flex 300-L Mini is a platform AMR that also serves as the mobile base for the Flex 300-SCB Mini. In April, the Beijing, China-based company unveiled a robotics factory that will handle its entire production process, from assembly to testing.
The company is showcasing its AMR portfolio at Automate 2025 in Detroit this week. You can find them on the showfloor in Booth 5632.
Inside the deployment
Chery deployed ForwardX’s AMRs across key areas, like welding, stamping, and final assembly. The company said the AMRs have helped to streamline operations by reducing manual touchpoints, improving delivery accuracy, and boosting workflow reliability.
Additionally, the optimized material flow supports the automaker in reaching a production milestone of one car every 100 seconds.
The automaker deployed AMRs from three different ForwardX lines. The first is its Flex Series, which aims to accelerate material flow in tight spaces. Chery deployed 195 Flex AMRs to streamline delivery across welding and assembly zones. Since implementing them, it has seen a 40% increase in material handling speed and a 30% labor cost reduction during the initial rollout. These robots are operating across 80% of Chery’s key workshops.
Next, it deployed robots from the heavy-duty Max Series, which sync with robotic arms. Chery implemented 226 Max1500L and Max2500O AMRs for large payloads. These omnidirectional AMRs support 5,500 lb payloads and 2.5-ton payloads, respectively.
Finally, Chery deployed some of ForwardX’s Lynx Series towing AMRs. The company designed these to solve pain points in automotive manufacturing. The AMRs fully integrate with Chery’s SPS system and are optimized for high-mix, narrow-space environments.
