wheel.me and Metronelec bring flexible factory automation to Tunisia and Morocco

Manufacturers in Tunisia and Morocco can now automate existing carts, racks and workstations without replacing their infrastructure. Through a new partnership with Metronelec, wheel.me is bringing its Genius technology to North Africa, helping manufacturers modernize internal material flows with faster deployment, lower investment and minimal disruption to production.

Automating internal material flows can improve productivity, safety and operational efficiency. Yet many manufacturers still hesitate to begin because traditional automation projects can require significant investment, extensive planning and major changes to existing facilities.

Manufacturers are therefore looking for solutions that are easier to deploy, cost-effective and able to integrate with the equipment and processes already in place.

Through its partnership with wheel.me, Metronelec is expanding its automation offering in Tunisia and Morocco with Genius, providing manufacturers with a new approach to intralogistics automation.

Rather than replacing existing equipment, Genius turns carts, racks, tables and other load carriers into autonomous mobile robots.

A set of autonomous wheels replaces the equipment’s existing castor wheels. Each wheel includes the sensors, navigation technology and safety systems needed to move the object autonomously through the facility.

Once installed and configured, the equipment can follow assigned missions and adjust its route around obstacles in real time. No fixed tracks, floor markings or navigation beacons are required.

This means the automation adapts to the facility, rather than requiring the facility to be redesigned around the automation.

The approach offers four practical advantages:

• Keep existing equipment: Manufacturers can continue using their current carts, racks and workstations without replacing their wider infrastructure.‍
• ‍Deploy in days, not months: The selected equipment is fitted with autonomous wheels and configured for the required missions, allowing projects to move from assessment to operation quickly.‍
• Reduce the initial investment: Because there is no need to purchase a new cart, rack or dedicated mobile robot platform, total investment can be reduced by up to 50% compared with conventional robotic automation, depending on the application.‍
• Automate different types of loads: Genius can be installed beneath loads of different lengths, widths and formats without requiring a separate robotic platform for each application.

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The partnership was launched with a technical day in Tunis, bringing together more than 25 manufacturers from the automotive, electronics and wider manufacturing sectors.

Live demonstrations and technical discussions gave participants an opportunity to see how existing equipment can be automated and to explore how the technology could address real intralogistics challenges in their facilities.

The event confirmed strong interest in flexible automation solutions that can complement Metronelec’s existing AMR offering and be introduced gradually, according to the needs of each site.

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"Manufacturers consistently tell us that they want to modernize their internal flows without stopping production or taking on several major projects at once. With wheel.me, teams can continue working with equipment they already know, which can make a significant difference to both adoption and start-up time. Genius adds another option to our portfolio, alongside our existing AMR solutions, allowing us to recommend the right approach for each facility.”

Mustapha Ismaili – Head of Metronelec Tunisia/Algeria

"This partnership is based on a shared goal: giving manufacturers in North Africa access to automation that fits their existing operations without requiring major infrastructure changes. Metronelec’s knowledge of the local industrial landscape and its ability to support customers from assessment through deployment make it a strong partner for introducing Genius across the region.”

Mayuran Ponnampalam – Head of Partnerships, wheel.me

About wheel.me

wheel.me is a Norwegian robotics company that develops Genius, the world’s first autonomous wheel.

Genius combines robotic components, indoor navigation and data capabilities to turn existing carts, racks and other equipment into autonomous mobile robots. The technology is used across manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, research and other sectors, helping organizations automate internal material flows without major changes to their infrastructure.

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About Metronelec

For more than 35 years, Metronelec has been supporting manufacturers in their automation, inspection, assembly, testing and electronic board protection projects. The company draws on a portfolio of complementary technologies and close technical expertise to offer solutions tailored to its customers' production, quality and performance requirements. Present in France and internationally, particularly in North Africa, Metronelec is involved from needs assessment through to installation, training and technical support.