Transformation of internal logistics: with autonomous transportation
Publicerad
Författare
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
Automation in internal logistics is becoming more relevant for industries today. Ef ficiency and cost reduction is what gets talked about the most. But automation can
also be ways to improve the accuracy and reliability in the logistics processes. Man ual logistics processes are usually the most accident prone processes and automation
can be a good way to reduce the risks of accidents occurring, protecting the em ployees in the production. Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs) or Autonomous
Mobile Robots (AMRs) are used within many different industries for automating
internal transport of material. As the name suggest an AGV requires guidance in
form of sensors, wires or magnetic strips that are built into the facility. An AMR on
the other hand is capable of navigating independently through the use of a software
utilizing data from cameras, senors and scanners. The different vehicles receive an
order, which is then processed and material is delivered to the chosen destination.
The process of picking-up and delivering material varies, and is often specifically
designed for the process.
This thesis covers the different aspects related to evaluating the feasibility of im plementing an AGV or AMR into an small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) as
a pilot project. While expanding their business the company Skandia Elevator AB
(SE) is also interested in creating safer working environments, and utilizing their
resources and competence for more value-adding processes as the internal transports
increase. How could the implementation of an AGV or AMR not only yield benefits
in terms of safety and economics, but also help increase sustainability. The process
chosen in this study is the transportation of material between manual press brakes
and high storage units. A repetitive work task currently performed manually by
forklifts. As a backbone of the thesis the Define, Measure, Analysis, Improve and
Control (DMAIC) methodology was chosen, an iterative process commonly prac ticed at SE. The framework was used throughout the study, except for the last two
steps, Improve and Control which are beyond the scope of the project. From the
results it was possible to identify that from an economical perspective the Return
on investment (ROI) for this specific process will not meet the company’s require ments. There are great value to be found in terms of safety along with other aspects
discussed in the thesis. The findings from this thesis provide valuable insights and
lessons in the implementation of this digital technology. Based on the overall assess ment, it is recommended that SE continues its efforts to integrate AMR into their
business operations.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
AGV, AMR, SME, DMAIC, ROI