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Robotics Help Bring Pre-Owned Mobile Devices Back to Life
Processing 10 million pre-owned mobile devices by hand isn’t just slow—it’s unsustainable. At its new Device Care Center, Assurant turned to KUKA robotics and AMRs to automate every step, from intake to inspection, accelerating throughput and consistency at scale.
A Smarter Approach to Reverse Logistics
As one of the world’s top mobile and electronic device insurers, Assurant processes more than 160 million preowned devices annually. To maximize the latent value of these devices for refurbishment, resale, or recycling, each unit passes through 52 unique processes from receiving to inspection and grading, processing through refurbishment and shipping.
Automation transforms device recovery processes at Assurant
Solving the challenges of processing millions of devices
About five years ago, Assurant transitioned its processes from human- to automation-driven to address production, training, and staffing issues that were exacerbated by pandemic and hamstringing operations. Early automation iterations with three-axis robots and gantry systems were slow, cumbersome, and ponderous to deploy, so Assurant decided an automation evolution was necessary.
Pivotal to that evolution was AMR and industrial robot technology from KUKA. With KUKA automation, Assurant gained speed and efficiency while KUKA customer support made the transition easy and profitable.
Assurant has evolved from manual to high-speed, automated processing to overcome production and staffing challenges.
A dock-to-dock solution
Assurant involves automation from the very beginning of the recovery process. KUKA autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) transport heavy cases of devices from unloading docks throughout the facility to various processing and workstations. Designed with advanced sensor and battery technology, the AMRs can safely navigate obstacles autonomously and find alternative routes in the case of path obstructions. State-of-the-art Li-ion batteries and inductive charging modes provide 24/7 operation with 99% availability.
The KMP 1500P AMR optimizes internal logistics with smart, autonomous movement.
High-Speed Handling with Robotic Accuracy
For Assurant’s core recovery tasks – inspection and processing – 18 KR 6 R700-2 AGILUS robots work in its OmniVision and OmniLink cells where cosmetic condition scanning and data collection and resets are performed, respectively. Driven by KR C5 robot controllers and using KUKA.ForceTorqueControl and a vision system, the robots deftly plug mobile phones into Assurant’s devices that collect device and operating data and then wipe it clean.
The KR AGILUS robot handles mobile devices with speed and precision.
Rapid handling with compact industrial robots
The KR 6 R700-2 AGILUS is an extremely fast 6-axis robot that provides dexterity and precision within confined spaces, making them ideal for Assurant’s linking and inspecting stations. KUKA.ForceTorqueControl allows the process to proceed without damaging phone ports or other equipment. KUKA.ForceTorqueControl technology enables the AGILUS to react to forces and torques it encounters in the connecting process, ensuring consistency and reliability in a phone design agnostic process.
KR AGILUS robots streamline inspection, grading, and device resets.
To inspect and grade a phone’s cosmetic quality in the OmniVision cells, the AGILUS orientates and manipulates the device at a constant distance past scanning cameras that use artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithms for quality assignments. In total, the linking and scanning process involves 27 station points the robot must engage, which directly figured into Assurant’s requirements.
OmniVision cells scan the mobile device, which is handled autonomously by a KR AGILUS.
High-speed handling with robotic accuracy
“We were looking at linear speed, workspace, and reach as our primary criteria,” said Nathaniel Payne, Assurant senior automation engineer. “We needed the biggest robot we could fit in a tiny cell that could reach all the positions, and the AGILUS was tremendously effective with the perfect fit and exact amount of payload capacity we wanted from a robot.”
When inspection, processing, and sorting are completed, KUKA AMRs return the devices back to the docks for shipment.
Updated automation helps Assurant process millions of electronic devices at a much faster rate.
Benefits of intelligent automation
Improvements in efficiency and throughput were obvious for Assurant after integrating a full system of AMRs and fixed robotics into a previously human-centric, manually driven system.
Recovering the time lost to manual processes has provided significant cumulative gains over time, as well. A recent production snapshot showed the company was operating two months ahead of schedule while processing devices through its peak period over every other year historically.
A KR AGILUS robot manipulates a mobile device for processing, replacing earlier manual and semi-automated systems.
Our rates were incredibly slow, and our results were incredibly inconsistent. The addition of KUKA robotics has allowed us to increase velocity with a high degree of accuracy while maintaining our labor costs.
When Assurant started its investigation into making the move to automation, it found KUKA “head and shoulders” above the competition, Bremer said. In addition to the range and diversity of KUKA’s automation portfolio, the ability to integrate AMRs with fixed robotics was a major factor in the company’s decision to move forward with KUKA.
“It became very clear as we moved through the automation environment that KUKA was a great choice for us as a partner,” Bremer said.
Digital tools power scalable automation
Ease of commissioning the various cells and systems was another key factor in automating with KUKA. Engineers used KUKA.WorkVisual engineering suite to program and configure the automated processing systems.
“KUKA.WorkVisual was incredible for replicating and rolling out new systems,” Payne said. “We could configure and replicate the logic off-line so new cells would function the same way. It was great for mass deployment.”
With KUKA.WorkVisual, robotic systems can be programmed and configured offline.
Support and collaboration
As a total package, Assurant felt KUKA was the clear choice for everything from hardware to support.
“One of the biggest advantages of switching to KUKA is its support system,” said Senior Engineer Najib Seguias-Banday. “With 24/7 support and 24-hour turnaround time, you get a solution over the phone, and if that doesn’t work, they send someone down.”
Robotic workflows are optimized by simulating with Visual Components before deployment.
Additionally, KUKA worked with Assurant to dispel common misunderstandings and clarify the roles of robotics and automation with the company’s partners.
“KUKA was particularly helpful in working with our team to help them understand robots are not coming for their jobs. Instead, the automation works as a trusted partner, not a replacement,” Bremer said.
Assurant explains that automation complements—not replaces—the workforce.
A clear choice for an automation partner
The partnership is also for the long term and on a global scale, Assurant said. Advanced systems for material handling, bin picking, and AMR migration with KUKA automation are already being designed for the company’s other facilities.
“The future of Assurant is committed to automation,” Bremer said. “Recent events have let us know that an automated future is our only future, and that’s the direction we continue to head. For a velocity-based business, KUKA is an invaluable partner.”
