The three-year collaboration will see future generations of Dürr’s EcoProFleet vehicle, the first AGV designed specifically for paint shops, being built upon BlueBotics’ state-of-the-art ANT® natural feature navigation technology – providing Dürr’s automotive customers with the ultimate in flexible, accurate and fleet-ready AGV technology.

October 27, 2021, Bietigheim-Bissingen, DE / St-Sulpice, CH:Autonomous navigation leader BlueBotics SA has signed an exclusive agreement with Dürr Systems AG, one of the world's leading automation and digitalization specialists in vehicle manufacturing, to create innovative autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) that will revolutionize paint shop efficiency, safety and flexibility.

The three-year collaboration will see future generations of Dürr's EcoProFleet vehicle, the first AGV designed specifically for paint shops, being built upon BlueBotics' state-of-the-art ANT® natural feature navigation technology - providing Dürr's automotive customers with the ultimate in flexible, accurate and fleet-ready AGV technology.
Stefano Bell, Product Manager at Dürr, said: "A successful AGV within a paint shop environment has to be robust, safe, reliable and adaptable to changing conditions. Our EcoProFleet combined with ANT® navigation technology meets all these requirements. The performance of ANT® and BlueBotics' excellent support make the company the perfect development partner for us to meet the logistical requirements in Dürr's ‘paint shop of the future'."
EcoProFleet AGVs are the first AGVs designed specifically to operate in paint shop environments. Using the AGVs to move car bodies between storage, work zones and final inspection points negates the need for permanent conveyor installations and makes the system highly adaptable for the introduction of new car models and changing production sequences. The AGVs are designed with an incredibly low profile, at an overall height of 225 mm, meaning they can easily drive under work zones and conveyor systems to transfer car bodies throughout the paint shop.
Dr. Nicola Tomatis, CEO of BlueBotics, commented, "We are delighted to work with such a leader in vehicle manufacturing automation. By upgrading their EcoProFleet with ANT® navigation technology, Dürr have created a future-proof AGV that will meet the demanding needs of its automotive customers."
With over 1,000 projects installed and over 3,000 vehicles in operation, ANT® navigation technology is proven in its ability to meet the evolving needs of vehicle producers and end operators alike ANT® driven vehicles such as the EcoProFleet are not only simple to use and cost-effective to install since no permanent changes to a site's infrastructure are required.
Using the BlueBotics ANT® server platform, ANT® vehicles can work together seamlessly in a scalable fleet. ANT® server can also connect to Dürr's DXQlogistics.control in order to bring AGV operational data inside this MES/SCADA software.
BlueBotics ANT® lab software further enables vehicle routes and actions to be quickly and easily updated to meet new production needs, making this a highly capable and adaptable solution.
Bell concluded, "We are extremely excited about the potential of ANT® driven EcoProFleet AGVs to help our vehicle OEMs increase manufacturing safety, efficiency and reliability, and lower production costs. This agreement really is a win-win, for both our companies and for vehicle manufacturers alike."
Dürr's EcoProFleet was released into production in May 2019 and has already been deployed by several major vehicle producers. To see the EcoProFleet in operation, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS7xwvOxjlk.
To learn more about ANT® natural feature navigation, please visit www.bluebotics.com.
======================
About BlueBotics
BlueBotics is the reference in natural feature navigation and has the mission to help companies meet the challenge of vehicle automation. With its 20 years of industry experience, the company provides the autonomous navigation technology (ANT®) and expert support customers need to bring their AGV, automated forklift or mobile robot successfully to market. Today, there are more than 3,000 ANT® driven vehicles in operation worldwide. https://www.BlueBotics.com

About Dürr
The Dürr Group is one of the world's leading mechanical and plant engineering firms with extensive expertise in automation and digitalization/Industry 4.0. Its products, systems and services enable highly efficient and resource-saving manufacturing processes in different industries. The Dürr Group supplies sectors like the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, chemical, pharmaceutical, medical technology and woodworking industries. It generated sales of € 3.32 billion in 2020. The company has more than 17,000 employees and 121 business locations in 33 countries. Since February 2021, the majority-owned automation specialist Teamtechnik has also been part of the Group. The Dürr Group operates in the market with the brands Dürr, Schenck and HOMAG and with five divisions:

• Paint and Final Assembly Systems: paint shops as well as final assembly, testing and filling technology for the automotive industry, assembly and test systems for medical devices
• Application Technology: robot technologies for the automated application of paint, sealants and adhesives
• Clean Technology Systems: air pollution control, noise abatement systems and coating systems for battery electrodes
• Measuring and Process Systems: balancing equipment and diagnostic technology
• Woodworking Machinery and Systems: machinery and equipment for the woodworking industry