Automation has long been used to undertake repetitive or dangerous tasks in factories, or to bring efficiency gains (look at the role it plays in the legendary Toyota Production System through the concept of jidoka). Likewise, automated vehicle technology has been mooted for decades, although the technology is only now beginning to become viable for the mainstream. However, the two technologies have never really combined to become commonplace in factories – until now.
Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are becoming an increasingly common sight in today’s factories and warehouses as organisations begin to realise the advantages that they can bring.
“An automated truck is basically a transport solution that carries out a repetitive task between two processes and connects them together,” explains Frank Halseden, logistics solutions manager at Toyota Material Handling. “Usually, these two processes at the end will have people attached to them, but the transport element of the chain is a key area for automation, as you don’t want to be paying someone to do that job when there are people at each end that are actually adding value to the operation. Automation is efficient because it can be regulated and well controlled. Because of this, it reduces labour costs.”
These cost-savings are the key driver for AGV technology in manufacturing, but they are not the only ones. AGVs offer a level of flexibility, which other systems cannot reach, explains Edward Hutchison, managing director of BITO UK. “In the past, people may have used conveyors for a similar purpose, but people are now realising that they don’t really fit the bill anymore,” he says. “To get from A to B on a conveyor means a lot of installation, and a permanent ‘thing’ in the middle of the factory floor. In today’s environment, companies need to be more flexible – changing on a regular basis to demands, for example. They want a materials handling solution that can adapt and change as the company does.”
“Truck-based automation is the most flexible compared to other automation systems, which tend to be fixed doing one job,” adds Halseden of Toyota. “Automated trucks are flexible because, by their very nature, they are mobile units. You can easily change layouts or the configuration of the vehicle should the need arise.”
Likewise, safety. While the recent high-profile story of a man in the USA being killed while driving his Tesla in ‘autopilot’ mode (and watching a Harry Potter film at the same time) has hit the headlines (http://bit.ly/29byniC), automated vehicles are inherently safer than manually operated ones. “AGVs will always follow the speed limits and know exactly where they are meant to be going,” says Jeff Christensen, VP of products and services at US automation specialists Seegrid. “They never stamp on the throttle or jump on the brakes and certainly won’t knock into racking or other equipment – or people.”
Technology is now helping take AGVs into the mainstream, says BITO’s Hutchison. “If you walk into a sophisticated manufacturing environment, there are some very high-end AGVs in there that have been in use for 15 years or more. It’s always been something that the wealthier clients have been able to look at and take advantage of the savings in money and efficiency that AGVs offer. The big gap in the market is something that is lower down the level as far as technology is concerned.”
There is, of course, an elephant in the room. One that has been concerning workers since the early days of automation – what happens to the people who drive the forklift trucks once automation arrives? Well, says Hutchison, they are free to be redeployed elsewhere in the factory. “Take our own factory in Germany as an example. We used to have a pallet racking plant that employed over 100 people. We then invested in automation technology and we now have a handful of workers, most of whom are quality controllers. The others have largely been up-trained to be able to work in other departments that provide more value to the business, such as design. Progress shouldn’t be something we are frightened of.”
However, don’t panic too much, says Seegrid’s Christensen. The robots won’t be coming for your jobs just yet. “We tell our customers that there are plenty of economic benefits to automating 80% of the materials handling tasks and leaving the most complex 20% to humans,” he says. “An incremental approach to getting into automation is much better than going all-in. You don’t have to do all or nothing.
“There’s this sexy vision for so-called ‘lights-out’ manufacturing, where everything is automated and there are no humans in the building at all,” he adds. “Is that theoretically possible? Sure. Is it economically viable? Not really. It’s extremely expensive to go for 100% automation.”
“Somewhere like Nissan in Sunderland has become one of the most efficient car plants in the world thanks to automation,” says Steve Brambley, director of Gambica, the UK’s automation trade association. “Yet they still employ a lot of people in that region, and those jobs are safer, less repetitive and more rewarding as a result, so nobody is particularly worried about the impact of automation.”
So, by employing AGVs for your material handling, you will save money, make your site more efficient and safer, and give you the opportunity to upskill your workforce. But are there any downsides? Well, unfortunately, there potentially could be. Turning your warehouse into a ‘robot-friendly’ zone can be a challenge, and can involve laying cables or installing magnets under the floor of the factory. Also, the pervading culture and recent news stories have done nothing to quell the thought that automated vehicles are a bit, well, creepy. The way to solve this, says Halesden of Toyota, is education. “We need to educate people more to the benefits, and not just as a sales pitch,” he says. “The way to do it is to present some business cases and identify the benefits automated forklifts can bring.”
Furthermore, some areas of manufacturing are more suitable for AGVs than others. “The automotive sector is very highly automated, as they have to be to be able to cope on a global basis,” says Gambica’s Brambley. “Other sectors, such as food and bev for example, may still rely more on low-cost, low-skill labour.”
You wouldn’t think twice about buying a car with all manner of driver aids, such as anti-lock brakes, cruise control or parking sensors, so why not let technology take over the more menial tasks in a factory? The automated materials handling market is expected to be worth almost £35 billion a year globally by 2022, according to MarketsandMarkets. As Brambley says, “automation is making manufacturing a more attractive industry” for investors and potential new recruits alike. The days of factories being dirty, sweaty places are on their way out. In their place is a newer, more technically minded industry, with technology at the forefront. And AGVs are now finally joining the party.
