How Axis Robots deployed 12 humanoid robots at TerraMotion Industries, reducing labor gaps by 87% and improving throughput by 31%.
TerraMotion's Chattanooga facility was struggling to meet production targets. A combination of labor shortages, rising injury rates, and quality inconsistencies threatened their contracts with three major OEM customers.
They needed automation that could handle diverse tasks — from heavy material transport to precision sub-assembly — without ripping out their existing infrastructure. Traditional industrial robots were too rigid; they needed something more versatile.
Turnover rates exceeded 35% annually, with critical positions remaining unfilled for months. Production output dropped 20% below target in Q3 2024.
Repetitive lifting and assembly tasks caused a 12% increase in workplace injuries, raising insurance costs and reducing morale.
Human fatigue on 12-hour shifts led to a 4.2% defect rate — well above the 1.5% industry benchmark for precision assembly.
Existing conveyor systems, AGVs, and legacy PLCs needed to coexist with any new automation — ruling out single-vendor solutions.
A phased deployment combining humanoid robots from two manufacturers under a unified control system.
Axis Robots conducted a comprehensive facility audit, mapping all workflows and identifying 14 tasks suitable for humanoid automation. We designed a hybrid system architecture where humanoid robots would work alongside existing AGVs and conveyor lines.
After evaluating 6 humanoid platforms, we selected 8 Agility Robotics Digit units for material handling and 4 Apptronik Apollo units for heavier assembly tasks. Custom end-effectors were designed in-house for TerraMotion's specific component geometries.
All 12 humanoid robots were configured and tested in our Austin integration lab. We developed a unified control layer using our proprietary AxisConnect™ middleware, enabling the humanoids to communicate with TerraMotion's existing Siemens PLCs and fleet management system.
Staged rollout across two production lines. Week 17–19 covered Line A (material handling), Week 20–22 covered Line B (sub-assembly). Each phase included safety validation, operator training, and parallel operation with human workers.
Remote monitoring via AxisConnect™ dashboards, with AI-driven task scheduling that continuously optimizes robot assignments based on real-time production data.
Measured 6 months after full deployment, compared to baseline metrics from Q3 2024.
Axis Robots didn't just install robots — they architected a system where our existing AGVs, conveyors, and new humanoids all speak the same language. That's something no single robot manufacturer could have delivered.
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