Global Automotive Supplier Adds 14 Mobile Robots with Incredible ROI
With 266 sites, 39 R&D centers and 114,000 employees in 35 countries, Forvia Faurecia is a top ten global automotive supplier. One of its manufacturing facilities in the Czech Republic, Faurecia Clean Mobility Písek, focuses on producing exhaust systems for a wide range of customers, mainly Volvo, Daimler and PSA. Company officials decided to add 14 autonomous mobile robots (AMR) to its operation -- and the ROI was less than two years.
MiR develops and manufactures one of the industry's most advanced range of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), which can quickly, easily, and cost-effectively automate internal logistics and optimize material handling.
In order to continually increase its competitiveness, Faurecia Clean Mobility has been running different digital projects, including installations of mobile robot technology in logistics operations. Besides Písek, the mobile robot technology has been implemented also on other production sites in the Czech Republic, France, Italy and Portugal.
Issue & Solution
Before the project had been initiated, the logistics on the factory floor relied mostly on manual processes, forklifts and stackers equipment, without any automation. The risk of human injuries or health problems had been quite high, so the company decided to automate the most heavy and dangerous processes. The principal goal was to bring technology that increases both a level of safety and productivity.
There were a number of other requirements considered when selecting the right vendor, including global presence since the automatization and digitalization project in Forvia is worldwide. Complexity of the autonomous technology was another consideration -- including wi-fi connectivity, independent mapping and fleet software. And finally, the level of service and maintenance the robot manufacturer provides.
MiR Robots for 24/7 Automated Workflows
Currently in the Písek location, 14 MiR robots are deployed. 7 of them -- heavy duty MiR robots, mainly MiR600s -- work in the area of finished goods, taking empty pallets to the assembly lines and picking up full pallets from the logistics area. The second area, where MiR250 robots operate, is supplemental to the components used to move items from the warehouse to the assembly lines. The robots in the plant work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, covering all three shifts.
Mobile robots help make the production processes more stable and reliable; especially important is stability for operating all three shifts.
One of the most challenging applications was handling monoliths that are moved from the warehouse to assembly lines. The company increased productivity with karakuri top module ensuring full automaton of unloading. When the robot unloads monoliths in the production, it automatically picks up waste materials simultaneously. Another highly specific application is cooperation of the robots with a strapping machine, where the robots stop on the way from assembly line to the finished goods logistics area.
MiR Fleet software is used to organize tasks and together with using internal script helps to optimize the logistics flow to the lines and between the lines. All the communication with doors, gates, the strapping machine etc. is fully automatic without any need of operators' assistance. A target for next year is to integrate MiRFleet into the company's ERP system.
Easy to Use, Easy to Program
When employees started to work with robots, they needed to quickly learn how they could help them with the everyday workload. In the beginning, it was quite new and hard to imagine. But, they quickly adapted and it wasn't long before they were using robots to complete all of the tasks.
The highly adaptable mobile robots can be deployed in hours and move anything from smaller parts to heavy loads and pallets.
"We are now operating 14 robots in everyday use," said Benjamin Paillusson, PC&L Improvement Leader in Faurecia Clean Mobility Písek. "As any other automation technology, it needs some supervision, but operation of MiR robots is very smooth and fully autonomous. From time to time, we just need to bring an improvement, but basically the technology does not need any human intervention."
Instead of heavy tasks with manual loading and unloading materials and finished goods, employees on the factory floor can now focus on more valuable activities like supervision, being in the production, or programming robots. "The MiR interface is really user friendly, the way of building mission is very easy made through building blocks instead of code lines. Thus, it is understandable enough even for people without previous programming experience," added Benjamin.
Return on Investment Less than 2 Years
MiR mobile robots provide the customer with full autonomy enabling them to easily set up new routes without additional magnetic tape or other external guidance necessary for using other intralogistic technologies. The MiR robots and people can work well together. The robots are smart and can recognize people on the factory floor. If necessary, they will stop or bypass those people, which helps increase efficiency by avoiding bottlenecks.
Seven of FORVIA's heavy duty MiR robots, mainly MiR600s, work in finished goods, bringing empty pallets to the assembly lines and picking up full pallets to transport to the logistics area.
"Mobile robots help us to bring more discipline to the shop floor and make our production processes more stable and reliable, especially important is stability for operating all three shifts. What we appreciate most about robots is their autonomy, meaning they move freely on the shop floor without any specifically needed equipment," added Martin Horáček, Supply Chain Operations Manager, Faurecia Clean Mobility.
General benefits of deploying MiR mobile robots span into three main areas. The first is improved safety by eliminating forklifts on the shop floor. The second is increased productivity in all areas of operations. And third, it is their return on investment. At Faurecia Písek, the payback was less than 2 years.
"Our next automation plans are quite ambitious, as there are new locations to deploy MiR robots next year. In 2023, another big complex project here in Pisek called "Warehouse 4.0" is planned that will fully automate materials flow from warehouse to production and from production to warehouse. Once completed, it will secure components' delivery from warehouse to all 16 production lines by 10 MiR robots," concluded Horáček.
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