Automated transport of bulk containers
Audi partners with STILL and DEMATIC ⎜Egemin for innovative project.
At the Audi Summit in Barcelona, automotive manufacturer Audi presented an innovative project for its vision of a smart factory: the automated transport of bulk carriers from high rack warehouse to packing lines. Vehicle components are then supplied from there to production sites on several continents. The project is the result of a partnership with STILL and DEMATIC Egemin.
The automation solution that Audi is developing with STILL and DEMATICE Egemin, which is intended to be put into regular operation in December, was commissioned at Ingolstadt CKD (Completely Knocked Down) logistics site of the automotive manufacturer in May. In CKD logistics, the components and units required for car production are sent out from logistics centres and only assembled into finished vehicles in the importing country. Accordingly, smooth and efficient load handling is key here.
At the Audi Summit, which took place on 11 July to mark the première of the new Audi A8 in Barcelona, Audi presented the target state of the innovative project carried out in Ingolstadt: two automated STILL FM-X reach trucks fill a high rack warehouse with bulk containers and, from there, serve 24 packing lines – all without a single driver.
Two significant challenges lie at the heart of the project. The first is the variance of the containers. A total of 12 different types of containers have to be automatically stored and retrieved. Challenge number two lies in the communications between the automated forklifts and Audi’s IT systems. ‘In 2015, we carried out a market analysis and got in touch with various companies in order to find a solution to these challenges,’ says Stefan Meier, Audi Logistics Planner, of the project’s initial phase. ‘STILL and DEMATIC Egemin wanted to join us on this path with our complex processes, high container variance and integration of our IT systems.
The residual load capacity also had a role to play, as Meier adds: ‘Containers weighing over one tonne had to be stored at a height of five metres. At the time, this was also a challenge for other manufacturers.’ This is where the STILL FM-X reach trucks came into their own, as they can bear residual loads of one tonne even at a height of 13 metres. Audi supplies production sites in China, India, Brazil and Mexico with the parts packed in Ingolstadt, where they are assembled into Audi A3, A4, A6 and Q5 models among others.
This innovative project promises Audi more space, an increase in logistics performance, increased packaging capacity and more flexibility. The CKD logistics site in Ingolstadt also functions as a pioneering Competence Centre in which the automotive manufacturer tests the practical added value of innovative solutions. If the pilot project with the automated reach trucks proves a success, Audi will consider automating two more processes in Ingolstadt and extending them to other locations.
