At the beginning of the year, KUKA successfully integrated an automated guided transport system in the body-in-white production. The aim was to achieve maximum flexibility on a limited footprint.
Using artificial intelligence, the KUKA AIVI control system guides the automated guided vehicles (AGV for short) and ensures optimum material flow to the production line, while at the same time ensuring perfect utilization of the AGVs. In the future, 16 additional KMP 1500 will ensure the flexible material flow of an additional production line at BMW.
The key to success: making industrial production processes more flexible
The key factor for a versatile production is the connectivity of industrial production processes and components. IIoT and autonomous conveyor systems are important drivers that enable fully automated and versatile intralogistics concepts.
“Our intelligent automated guided vehicle systems make the intralogistics of production fully automated, locally flexible and scalable ” Michael Jürgens, Head of KUKA AGV Solutions
The KMP 1500 thus delivers components for the front and rear of the vehicle, such as floor panels, engine mounts, rear panels and partitions, along the optimal route to the process station.
KUKA AIVI: intelligent networked production
KUKA AIVI controls all intralogistical production processes for faster throughput times, a more efficient supply chain and thus greater production cost-effectiveness. “Thanks to AIVI, our control system based on artificial intelligence, the number of AGVs used has been reduced thanks to the flexible controller,” explains Michael Jürgens.
For the Bavarian car manufacturer’s body shop, AIVI currently controls five AGVs, which supply the individual production stations with component containers and also remove empty containers. In addition, the software interacts with other (automated) vehicles, machines and employees and reacts flexibly and reliably to the constantly changing production requirements.