Rawlplug’s new crew member. You won’t have a chat, but a break together is an option
It’s official: the first autonomous vehicle has passed its tests and made its way to the Wrocław manufacturing plant. It’s the first, but definitely not the last one. AGVs will soon start to play an important part in the development of our company’s internal logistics.
What are AGVs?
For those unacquainted with the term, automated guided vehicles (AGV) are somewhat reminiscent of the popular cleaning robots used by many of us to vacuum our homes. Their basic operating principle is similar: both devices first map (or in other words, become familiar with) the rooms in which they are to be operated, and then – once programmed – they begin to perform the tasks assigned to them. But that’s where the similarities end, because there is a chasm separating even the best Roomba from the technologically superior AGV.
Priority – safety
Dominik Graba
Logistics Manager at Rawlplug
At the same time, the AGV is an extremely safe vehicle. Its Lidar scans the area in real time while dedicated systems react immediately when it is necessary to slow down or stop in front of an obstacle. Also for safety reasons, the vehicle’s maximum speed has been limited to 5 km/h.
Processes made even more seamless
The AGV runs for 6–6.5 hours on a single charge. If necessary, it can be recharged at any time; a five-minute pit stop is enough for it to catch its breath and return to its duties. If an employee working in the area served by the vehicle decides to take a 25-minute break, the AGV is prompted to chill out a bit as well and recharge the battery.
Dominik Graba
Logistics Manager at Rawlplug
All of this is of great importance, since the AGVs (it is likely that two such autonomous machines will have been deployed in the Wrocław facility by the end of this year) are ultimately to serve the entire plant and take care of its internal logistics.
Dominik Graba
Logistics Manager at Rawlplug
Eco-logistics
We will soon announce further changes to Rawlplug’s internal logistics. They will be oriented not only towards safety, but also towards environmental protection. Here’s an example. Owing to certain technological developments, we will reduce plastic film consumption by approx. 60–70 per cent per pallet. This eco-friendly effort will allow us to save literally tonnes of plastics.