Automating material transport in production poses challenges for many companies. Typically, the company must digitize and network its entire production. Not every company can afford this investment. With the 'Material Flow Kit', TRUMPF, in collaboration with SAFELOG, has developed a solution that is easy to use and requires reduced installation effort. Mobile robots transport the material through production. The vehicles can be controlled via a web application that works on any mobile device within the user's network. 'With the Material Flow Kit, production employees can focus more on value-adding activities at the machines. Transport orders for the mobile robot can be created with just a few clicks via the web app. This alleviates the shortage of skilled workers and increases productivity in sheet metal production,' says TRUMPF product manager Christian Frei. TRUMPF is showcasing the solution for the first time at its in-house exhibition INTECH and is simultaneously launching it in the market.
Machine operators can easily request vehicles via the web app
With the Material Flow Kit, the mobile robots can visit up to nine stations. These include machines in sheet metal production, as well as manual workstations or shipping. For each station, up to eight handover points for the transport goods can be defined. Once a production employee wants to transport their processed parts further, they request the mobile robot via the web app. This allows them to hand over the workpieces on a pallet truck to the vehicle without leaving their workstation.
The mobile robot can transport up to one ton of weight and is therefore suitable for a large part of the components in sheet metal production. Changes in route planning, for example, when a machine changes location, can be made by the customer themselves using a provided software tool.
Intelligent control simplifies commissioning
During commissioning, a service technician from SAFELOG guides the mobile robot through the factory, for example, with a tablet. In this way, the vehicle scans the environment with its built-in sensors and creates a virtual map of the factory. In the next step, the technician creates the driving route and the associated process steps at the individual stations in the software tool, such as bending, punching, and laser cutting. Subsequently, the web application seamlessly transmits the transport order to the vehicle. This allows the mobile robot to navigate autonomously and safely through production.
Solution prepares companies for TRUMPF software Oseon
The Material Flow Kit is suitable for companies that want to gradually digitize their production. 'Once companies have gained initial experience with the Material Flow Kit, we recommend implementing the TRUMPF software Oseon. This allows them to synchronize the material flow with the production plan. In this way, the material is always automatically delivered to where it is needed – without media breaks and paper,' says Frei.
TRUMPF relies on strong partners
TRUMPF developed the Material Flow Kit together with partner SAFELOG. The high-tech company combined its expertise in sheet metal production with SAFELOG's know-how in intralogistics. Thanks to the partnership, TRUMPF customers can also use SAFELOG's other robotic solutions for their Smart Factory. 'We collaborate with market-leading companies in their respective industries for our technologies. This enables TRUMPF to offer each customer a tailored complete solution from a single source,' says Daniel Andreas Bühler from the partner management department at TRUMPF.
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