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The intralogistics world is in continuous
evolution at the pace set by the
technology itself. One company, ASTI,
has been offering internal logistics
solutions for more than 30 years and
the concept about how to optimize the
internal transport processes has not
changed much from the beginning.
What has changed is the way to do it.
ASTI continues to study the concrete
problems to solve in order to develop
the best solution for each customer.
What has changed is the way to carry
out the projects, from design software
to previewing the 3D solution, improved
materials, to more sophisticated
mechanisms.
But without a doubt what has changed is
the importance of automation in logistics.
For years all the efforts have been
focused on improving the productive
processes. Just a few years ago logistics
started to get the attention it deserves as
an important source of costs and in most
of the cases unnecessary ones that can
be significantly reduced by using new
technologies.
The market is analysing the processes,
identifying those that provide value
to get them systematized as much as
possible. Those processes that do not
provide any value are identified as well,
so as to be reduced; the remaining
ones will get automated. ASTI observed
the urgent need to look for a solution
to tasks, such as transportation among
working stations or assembly processes
that do not provide added value to the
product but on the contrary represent a
significant cost.
Until the ‘EasyBot’ development, ASTI’s
AGV were conceived as vehicles which
had a conventional truck as mechanical
base used to transport palletized loads
among determined loading and unloading
points. Specialization in this kind of
solution posed a question: Why not use
them to transport other kind of loads,
designing a made-to-measure chassis to
be used on assembly processes as a tool
to link different productive procedures?
When the size does
not matter
That was the moment when ASTI’s
grey matter got into gear. One of
the objectives was maximum cost
reduction, as the tasks that they
were conceived to carry out did not
require great sophistication and it was
not necessary to employ high cost
technology to guarantee maximum
accuracy. The first step was to identify
the elements that form part of an AGV.
Five basic modules were identified:
mechanical, guidance, safety, power
supply and auxiliary systems.
In addition, the AGVs can be
implemented with the capacity to
communicate with the elements in
the plant. Apart from collecting the
production data, they are also able to
automate the operations, as a received
signal from a machine will be enough
to make the vehicle start a pre-
programed operation.
The initial offer and aftersales support
for a system based on EasyBots to
an automotive company was the
starting point used by ASTI as pilot test
for development and performance.
The project included 37 vehicles
to automate the assembly lines of
bumpers, boilers and cockpits. The
concrete needs of the customer were
studied in order to design the most
suitable system to obtain the highest
benefits. A small chassis was designed
to let the AGV move freely around the
plant, but big enough to house all the
electronic and mechanical components
required to carry out the tasks it was
conceived for.
The AGV area itself got the capacity to
work in automatic mode. As a result ASTI
installed 37 integrated towing AGVs, with
the load transport tool that has an optic
guiding system and that moved from one
station to another along the assembly
lines. These three lines communicated
with a principal truck assemble line,
synchronizing the parts production
with the final product assembly line. Its
performance is very simple, an EasyBot
conveys the base part before different
components are added along the other
work sites.
This way, the product to assemble moves
towards the worker, instead of having
the worker move to the product, thus
improving ergonomics for the workforce.
The project was a complete success as
it automated these three lines, gaining
more efficiency in the process and so
higher productivity rates. Now, after the
installation of more than 350 vehicles
all around the word, ASTI has found in
the EasyBots the perfect tool to boost its
customers competitiveness.
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Logistics Business Magazine | September 2015
AGVs