LogBer Contributes to Productivity by Switching to Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs)

By switching the internal material transport to Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and reorganizing the warehouse management, LogBer has significantly contributed to increasing the productivity of an industrial client. Where production was previously only possible in a two-shift operation, capacities can now be optimally utilized around the clock.

(Ahrensburg) Limited space for maneuvering, several intermediate storage areas distributed across the factory premises, and high time pressure: Transporting bulky and heavy material packages with 8-ton forklifts became increasingly problematic for a LogBer client. Forklifts repeatedly collided with each other or damaged highly automated production facilities, and the necessary repairs incurred high costs that could hardly be reconciled with the rapidly growing order volume.

LogBer actively advised the company from the situational analysis to commissioning and beyond, planning and implementing the high-bay warehouse, conveyor and control technology, AGV deployment, and other elements of intralogistics with renowned suppliers. “The most economical and sensible solution was to concentrate the storage of intermediate products in a high-bay silo and switch all material transport to heavy-duty AGVs,” summarizes LogBer Managing Director Gerhard Keller. To realize the project without significant operational interruptions, the LogBer team developed a customized concept and accompanied its implementation up to successful commissioning.

Automated and Uninterrupted Material Flow

In parallel with the construction of the new high-bay warehouse, the company’s 20 production facilities were already prepared for future interaction with AGV systems. Instead of manually moving the transport and storage units weighing up to 4.5 tons and measuring 2.8 x 2.0 x 0.9 meters with forklifts, the handling of semi-finished products is now fully automated. The high-bay silo and production facilities are directly connected via a conveyor technology bridge, and the material flow of packages between the individual stations is precisely organized and coordinated by control software. Heavy-duty AGVs from the Finnish manufacturer Solving are used as a replacement for the 8-ton forklifts, ensuring the safe transport of materials without human intervention.

Growing Order Volume Can Be Easily Managed

After two years of project duration, the desired effects quickly became apparent: “Production interruptions due to accidents are a thing of the past, the material flow runs absolutely smoothly, and production capacities can now be utilized around the clock instead of just in a two-shift operation,” reports LogBer Managing Director Gerhard Keller. As a result, the growing order volume of the company can be easily managed in the long term, and thanks to the absence of costs for ongoing repairs to forklifts and production facilities, the investments pay off within just a few years.

Photo: © LogBer