Factories & Warehouses

Buying advice

Pick the integrator before the arm brand

In a factory, the arm maker rarely delivers the finished cell. ISO 10218-1:2025 treats the industrial robot itself as partly completed machinery, which leaves the safety of the full application to whoever designs the tooling, guarding and controls around it. Before choosing between ABB, FANUC, KUKA or Yaskawa, find out which integrators near your site already build cells with each brand. The Association for Advancing Automation runs a Certified Robot Integrator program that includes on-site audits and safety training, which gives you a sensible first filter. A strong arm with no trained integrator within reach will cost more in travel, delays and rework than a slightly weaker one with a busy local partner.

Read the parent company behind each brand

Several makers on this page show a parent group in brackets, such as MiR and Universal Robots under Teradyne, OTTO Motors under Rockwell and Fetch Robotics under Zebra. Ownership changes how you buy and who answers when something breaks, because a brand inside a large automation group may route service through regional offices while an independent maker may lean on distributors. Ask how long the current model will be sold and supported, and whether software licenses carry over if a product line is merged or renamed. Legacy names in the list, including Kiva Systems and Adept, call for a direct question about who supplies their parts today. Our October 2026 pass found that the Elroy Air Chaparral carried the top sticker at roughly $500,000 and the Parrot Mambo the smallest at roughly $100, and 42 more needed a quote.

Insist on open interfaces for mixed fleets

Each mobile-robot maker tends to supply its own fleet software, so a building that runs AMRs from several brands can end up with several control screens and no shared traffic rules. The Association for Advancing Automation reports that ISO 21423, a standard for communication between industrial mobile robots from different vendors, has reached the final stages of publication. Ask each maker whether it plans to support that standard, and write the answer into the contract. For sites in Europe, also confirm which company acts as the legal importer, because that party carries compliance duties for the equipment you receive.

What to look for

• Integration partners and fleet software that work with your systems
• Safety certification for the countries you operate in
• Lead times, spares stock and on-site service response

Common questions

Should I buy arms and mobile robots from the same maker?

Not necessarily. Many sites mix makers, so check that each robot works with your fleet manager and safety setup, or ask THG to plan the combination.

Are these prices for the robot alone?

Listed prices usually cover the robot itself. Tooling, integration, chargers and safety equipment are quoted separately, and a landed quote adds delivery and duties.

Sources and further reading

• ISO 10218-1:2025 Robotics: Safety requirements, Part 1: Industrial robots — International Organization for Standardization.
  Safety requirements for the industrial robot itself, treated as partly completed machinery.
• Robotic Integrator Certification Program — Association for Advancing Automation (A3).
  How integrators earn A3 certification through on-site audits, safety training and assessments.
• The Robot Industry Is Finally Getting a Common Language — Association for Advancing Automation (A3).
  Explains ISO 21423, the coming standard for communication between mobile robots from different vendors.