More and more companies are relying on automated guided vehicles, or AGVs, in intralogistics to increase efficiency and meet challenges such as a shortage of skilled workers, said ek robotics. This is also the case at GGP Media GmbH in Pößneck, Thuringia, which produces high-quality print and digital publications.
Until recently, the company carried out material transportation in production manually, leading to a bottleneck.
“We were having increasing problems finding skilled workers and therefore had to look for future-proof alternatives,” said Matthias Stumpf, head of intralogistics at GGP Media. “Rising labor costs and the shortage of skilled workers made the use of an AGV increasingly attractive in order to find a reliable and efficient solution without additional personnel costs.”
In view of the shortage of skilled workers and rising costs, GGP Media decided to use an AGV in March. Since then, it has been in consistent 24-hour operation.
ek robotics provides VARIO MOVE robots
ek robotics aimed to automate the transport processes between the printing presses and the high-bay warehouse. To meet GGP Media’s requirements, the Hamburg, Germany-based company developed a concept with three driverless transport vehicles from is modular VARIO MOVE series.
The VARIO MOVE systems are designed for the sustainable optimization of transport and material flows, said ek robotics. The fully automatic transport robot fulfills a wide range of transport requirements, it claimed.
The modular concept, availability, maintenance-friendly design, and a long-life cycle ensure sustainable cost and competitive advantages, said ek robotics.
These vehicles are equipped with shortened forks and counterweights to pick up the finished goods on Euro pallets and transport them safely to the transfer stations of GGP Media’s warehouse.
Before implementing the AGV, ek robotics carried out a material flow simulation. It said this provided important insights into the optimum number of vehicles and potential bottlenecks in the layout.
GGP Media gets more efficient material flow
ek robotics said the automation project at GGP Media shows that AGVs are a future-proof solution for overcoming challenges in intralogistics.
Even with complex, tightly timed processes and limited space, the AGVs improved efficiency, said the companies. GGP Media added that it found that automated systems can not only be easily integrated into existing working environments, but they can also lead to cost savings.
ek robotics is a manufacturer and systems integrator of transport robotics for production and warehouse logistics. With locations in Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, and the U.K., the company has more than 300 employees.
It provides support throughout the entire AGV life cycle and said it continues to assist global customers even decades after commissioning.
