Dongguan PCB Factory Automation Transformation
How a leading PCB manufacturer achieved 40% efficiency gains and 24/7 continuous operations with Reeman's autonomous forklift fleet
Dongguan Precision Electronics Co., Ltd.
A Tier-1 PCB Manufacturing Facility
Located in Dongguan, China's electronics manufacturing hub, this 45,000-square-meter facility produces high-density interconnect (HDI) printed circuit boards for consumer electronics, automotive, and telecommunications industries. With annual output exceeding 2 million square meters of PCBs, the factory operates three shifts to meet global demand.
The facility faced mounting pressure to modernize material handling operations while maintaining strict ESD (electrostatic discharge) compliance and cleanroom standards required for precision electronics manufacturing.
Operational Bottlenecks in Material Flow
Before automation, the factory relied on manual pallet jacks and human-operated forklifts for material transport between production lines, warehouse, and shipping areas—creating significant operational constraints.
Production Delays
Inconsistent material delivery timing caused frequent line stoppages. Manual transport averaged 15-20 minutes per trip during peak shifts.
Inventory Inaccuracy
Manual tracking led to 8% inventory variance. Misplaced raw materials and WIP (work-in-progress) caused production delays and excess buffer stock.
Labor Constraints
High turnover in material handling roles (35% annually) created training burdens. Night shift staffing was particularly challenging.
Safety Incidents
Three forklift-related accidents occurred in the year prior to automation, with one resulting in injury and equipment damage.
Cleanroom Requirements
Traditional AGV solutions required magnetic tape or QR codes that disrupted cleanroom protocols and created contamination risks.
Space Constraints
Narrow 2.5-meter aisles between production equipment made conventional forklift navigation difficult and collision-prone.
Autonomous Mobile Robot Fleet Deployment
Reeman implemented a comprehensive AMR solution featuring laser SLAM navigation, enabling infrastructure-free deployment that met strict cleanroom requirements.
Implementation Highlights
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Zero Infrastructure Installation
Laser SLAM technology eliminated need for magnetic tape, QR codes, or reflectors—critical for maintaining cleanroom ISO Class 8 standards.
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ERP/WMS Integration
Seamless API integration with existing SAP system enabled real-time inventory tracking and automatic transport job generation.
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Dynamic Path Planning
AI-powered navigation adapts to temporary obstacles, personnel movement, and changing production layouts without manual reprogramming.
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24/7 Continuous Operation
Auto-charging stations enable opportunity charging during breaks; hot-swappable batteries ensure zero downtime during shift changes.
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Narrow Aisle Navigation
Advanced obstacle detection enables safe operation in 2.3-meter aisles—20cm narrower than manual forklift requirements.
Transformation Impact After 12 Months
Comprehensive metrics demonstrating the operational and financial benefits achieved through AMR automation.
"Reeman's AMR solution exceeded our expectations. The laser SLAM navigation meant we could deploy in our cleanroom environment without compromising our ISO certification. Within three months, we saw measurable improvements in delivery consistency. The fleet now handles 85% of our internal material transport, and our staff have been upskilled to higher-value quality and technical roles."
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