Signode, a global provider of transit packaging equipment, automation solutions, materials, and aftermarket support with over $2 billion in revenue, more than 80 manufacturing facilities across six continents, and over 6,000 employees, announced on October 22, 2026, an expanded portfolio of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) specifically designed to extend automation beyond the packaging line into broader manufacturing and warehouse operations. The expansion focuses on scalable pallet movement, offering configurations that include lifting robots, pallet trucks, counter-balanced forklifts, reach trucks, and stacker forklifts to handle a wide range of pallet-handling requirements across varying weights and applications. These AMRs navigate without fixed lines or magnetic strips, dynamically rerouting around obstructions using onboard sensors and intelligence, enabling flexible deployment in existing facilities without major infrastructure changes.
The portfolio builds on Signode’s existing automation ecosystem, connecting end-of-line packaging, robotic palletizing and depalletizing, conveying, and warehouse technologies. It complements the company’s StorFast automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS), which uses powered carts for automatic pallet storage and retrieval and has seen more than 800 vehicles deployed across over 80 global locations. AMRs facilitate automated pallet setup and delivery from production or packaging areas into the ASRS, while expanded lifting capabilities support transitions from floor-level transport to elevated storage or dynamic handling.
Integration with warehouse management systems (WMS) and fleet management software coordinates robot activity, material flow, and real-time telemetry on navigation, battery health, and task status. Shawn Semer, Vice President of Global Automation at Signode, emphasized that end-of-line automation does not end at palletization; pallets must still move through facilities into storage or distribution. The expansion provides customers more options to automate these movements and achieve consistent approaches across multiple facilities.
Deployments can scale over time as needs evolve, with one customer integrating more than 17 robots in a single warehouse, illustrating progression from targeted automation to larger fleets. The focus remains primarily on pallet-based systems, with additional configurations possible based on specific application requirements.
This development addresses labor shortages, rising e-commerce fulfillment demands, and the need for higher throughput and reliability in intralogistics by enabling seamless connectivity between packaging processes and high-density storage, reducing manual touchpoints, improving inventory control, and supporting 24/7 operations through intelligent fleet orchestration. Manufacturers gain flexibility for multi-site standardization, adaptive routing in changing layouts, and enhanced ROI by linking packaging efficiency with downstream material handling without isolated system silos.