Thursday 2022-12-01

What is still largely a dream of the future on public roads is now reality at the lighting plant in Lippstadt: driverless transport vehicles that find their own way, while transporting products from the assembly line to the shipping area and empty containers back to the production line. Comparable systems are also already in use at other HELLA locations worldwide, for example at the electronics plant Hamm, in Recklinghausen, Bremen or in Changchun in China.

These vehicles are called Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV), they navigate independently and without a driver in the production areas. Lasers scan reflectors scattered throughout the factory floors which help them to move along their routes. Over 380 of these reflectors, which show the AGVs the way, were installed in Plant 2 for this purpose. Thanks to their 360-degree perception, the AGVs also independently avoid obstacles; by means of a scanner, they detect people who are in their driving range and stop automatically before a collision occurs.

"With our lighthouse project, we have given the starting signal for a new era of fully automated transport processes at Plant 2," explains Tim Schröder, Logistics Manager at Plant 2. "Within just about one and a half years, we have succeeded in fully integrating ten AGVs into the IT landscape of the lighting production. This not only means that the AGVs shuttle independently between the assembly lines and the dispatching area, transporting finished headlamps and empty containers from point A to point B. But also that orders can be sent automatically between the internal SAP and ITAC production systems and the AGV supplier's fleet management software after an employee initiates the order."

The AGVs move along a distance of more than one kilometer in Plant 2. Along this route, adjustments were made as part of the project to allow vehicles to make their way unimpeded. For example, gates had to be equipped with automatic opening mechanisms. In addition, four fully automatic charging stations were installed, which the AGVs approach autonomously to recharge.

"Automation in production has long been on the agenda at HELLA. Nevertheless, the potential for automation, especially in the logistics sector, is far from exhausted," says plant manager Axel Luttermann. "Therefore, we can start here to optimize the flow of materials, reduce logistics costs and thus also further strengthen our competitiveness. At the same time, the transport systems also eliminate sometimes strenuous and repetitive tasks for our employees."