70,000 pallets. Zero downtime.

The world’s largest bearing manufacturer replaced an underperforming AGV system with Nord Modules’ Pallet Mover 800 and Dock Target solution — delivering safety, near-100% throughput, and a full year of uninterrupted operations.

Company: SKF Group
Industry: Automotive
Location: France
Local Partner: HMI-MBS
AMR setup: Nord Pallet Mover 800 + MiR AMRs

THE CHALLENGE

SKF’s French manufacturing site had been operating with an AGV-based pallet handling system that was falling short on every front. Pallets were frequently mispositioned on strapping units, creating both safety risks and operational bottlenecks on a busy automotive production floor.

“The AGV often placed pallets incorrectly, leading to safety concerns and operational inefficiencies. We needed a solution that could address these challenges and propel us towards success.”

Alain Boutet – Manufacturing Process Manager, SKF

The root issues were threefold: pedestrian safety near cart traffic, unreliable pallet positioning on strapping units, and a lack of confidence that any single system could handle the full range of pallet models SKF works with. A new approach was needed, one that could run reliably across long daily shifts without manual intervention.

THE SOLUTION

SKF partnered with Nord Modules and Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), with HMI-MBS — Nord’s local partner in France — overseeing implementation. The core of the solution is Nord Modules’ Pallet Mover 800, designed specifically for MiR AMRs, combined with the Dock Target for precise, repeatable positioning.

The system operates autonomously from 6 am to 10 pm, five days a week, moving pallets through production and packaging without human intervention. The Dock Target ensures each pallet arrives correctly aligned on the strapping unit — eliminating the misplacements that plagued the old AGV setup.

“Nord Modules’ commitment to understanding the market’s needs and designing tailored solutions sets them apart. They helped us choose the right product to ensure the application would work perfectly for the customer.”

Nicolas Bouhet – General Manager, HMI-MBS (Nord Modules partner, France)

WHY NORD MODULES & MIR

Alain Boutet points to three clear reasons SKF chose this combination – each addressing a pain point the old AGV system had failed to resolve.

1. Safety

Significantly reduced pedestrian-cart interaction risks that existed both in manual mode and with the previous AGV — which was not always reliably secured.

2. Productivity

Close to 100% of all pallet models are now processed through the MiR/Nord Modules system, with no manual fallback required.

3. Reliability

100% of pallets are now correctly positioned on strapping units — the precise, consistent performance SKF needed from day one.