Autonomous Transports in Car Manufacturing

Abstract

Volvo Cars is working with continuous improvement thus looking to optimize every process in their operation in an efficient manner. This thesis investigates the utilization of Volvo Cars´ self-driving technology in their vehicles for Autonomous Transports (AT) focusing on the aspects, on-board and off-board sensing. The vehicles are currently manually transported by operators from the factory out-bound port to the parking yard, with the objective to transition the operation to an automated system. The research methodology used in this thesis consists of an empirical study including observations, interviews, data triangulation, workshop and data analysis and a literature study. The findings indicate that an off-board solution would be preferable due to the technology addressing the challenges that Volvo Cars is today facing which primarily consists of vehicle covers that limits the cars sensing capabilities. However, the off-board solution is a short-term solution because Volvo Cars long-term goal is to fully use the vehicles' on-board autonomous driving capabilities for transporting and parking vehicles. This would lead to reduction in operational costs, minimizing emissions and improving safety. However, the implementation of autonomous transports poses challenges that need to be addressed such as fulfilling cyber security demands, standards, and regulations. This thesis concludes that AT have a high potential of transforming the hazardous tasks in automotive industry for the operators into a more safe and sustainable work environment while simultaneously optimizing their operation. Moreover, the transition from manual to autonomous transportation would provide Volvo Cars with competitive edge within the automotive industry.