Page 107 - Glass-Technology International no. 5-2018

Production processes are constantly

being optimized. Both time and cost

pressure require the constant revision

and reorganization of organizational

structures in internal logistics, and this scanner which detects how transport system itself us-

is no different in the glass industry. light reflects off reflectors ing safety scanners.
installed on the walls at
Source: Grenzebach
With companies increasing their digital certain distances. As soon STILL ROOM FOR
as two or more reflectors
are detected, the vehicle is IMPROVEMENT
networks, the use of automated guided able to accurately deter- According to Dipl.-Ing.
mine its current position. Thomas Albrecht, an expert
vehicles will also make it easier to Using a triangulation algo- on automated guided vehi-
rithm in the control soft- cles at the Fraunhofer Insti-
implement these processes. ware, the necessary steer- tute for Material Flow and
ing commands are sent to Logistics (IML), the topic
the vehicle. The company has been trending across
also uses a second navi- industries for three to four
uct. Transporting glass ed to the server via adapt- gation system, known as years. Compared to other
is a particular challenge. ers, allowing adjustments a dead reckoning naviga- automation solutions, these
Grenzebach GmbH & Co. to be integrated quickly and tion system. This system is systems are the most flex-
KG has devised solutions the results to be analyzed. equipped with an odometer ible when it comes to link-
for these specific appli- The quantity and speed and an angle encoder and ing production processes.
cations, in particular for of production require the is installed on the vehicle’s Compared to manually op-
transporting glass racks material flow to be reli- drive wheels, resulting in erated forklifts, AGVs are
and L-frames. However, able, a step during which even more accurate navi- gentler on the transported
this is just a single part automated guided vehicles gation, while a map of the product and also do not
of the digital system. The are often deployed to cov- environment is marked cause accidents. However,
company has developed its er a wide range of tasks. with the precise positions as long as people remain in
own application server as a Grenzebach has installed of the wall reflectors. An the driving area, the vehi-
modular platform on which a laser system in the en- alternative method is to use cles must be able to perform
all digital production pro- tire driving area which is contour navigation, which emergency stops, a process
cesses can be mapped. All used to navigate the ma- does not require an unre- generally associated with
devices and machines on chines. The environment is stricted view of reflectors, abrupt braking.
the shop floor are connect- mapped using a navigation but is performed by the The share of automated
guided vehicles in the floor
conveyors product group
is currently still in the low
single-digit percentage
range, exact figures are not
(yet) available.

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