Steel supplier De Cromvoirtse deploys an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) for internal transport between two departments. The company from Oisterwijk came into contact with Gibas, supplier of the autonomous driving vehicle, at a trade fair. De Cromvoirtse's investment is not just to save time, but mainly to gain experience with this new technology. And that experience tastes like more, says director/owner Janwillem Verschuuren. "Our employees are proud of their new colleague."
De Cromvoirtse supplies sheets of steel, stainless steel or aluminium. The production company cuts, trims and saws the sheets to size. And if customers want, De Cromvoirtse also takes care of the edge work. "We are particularly strong in small quantities, from series size 1 to 100. And we have very short lead times, usually between two and five working days," explains director/owner Janwillem Verschuuren.
The short lead times are possible because of the far-reaching degree of digitalisation and automation. "As a result, we have been able to reduce the time required for programming our machinery to virtually zero. A new order takes us just as little time as a repeat order. This is why we are mainly called in by companies that make prototypes or customised products. Think of manufacturers of machines, boats or transport systems."
From ten to sixty metres
Two years ago, De Cromvoirtse took a new step in automating its business processes. The reason was the relocation of the bending department, which increased the distance to the laser cutting department from ten to sixty metres. Until then, employees would quickly push carts with semi-finished products from the laser cutting department to the bending department between jobs. After the move, this suddenly became a considerable walk, for which employees had to make time. "A distance of ten metres is still manageable, but a distance of sixty metres no longer is," Verschuuren explains.
The solution was found in an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV). It now flawlessly transports carts with semi-finished products from the laser cutting department to the bending department. Empty carts are brought back. And if a cart with products needs to be transported from the laser cutting department to the customer collection desk, the AGV is also called in. "The choice of an AGV was made with the future in mind. We were looking for a low-threshold, easy-to-implement solution to gain experience with autonomous vehicles."
Autonomous vehicle
The AGV purchased by De Cromvoirtse is the MiR 200, whose supplier is Gibas, a specialist in production automation. "We started talking to Gibas at a trade fair. There we talked about the MiR 200, an easy-to-program and operate autonomous vehicle. What sets this AGV apart from others is its flexibility. If it sees an obstacle in its path, it automatically finds a new way around it. Other AGVs stay where they are until the obstacle is manually removed. That is not convenient for a flexible company like ours - which regularly has goods in unexpected places.
Installation of the AGV actually required only a few hours. The vehicle first made a round to scan and digitally map the environment with its laser. Then, someone had to indicate on that digital map which objects were permanent and temporary. "The temporary objects were removed, after which the AGV had an adequate map of the hall. Based on that, it now automatically finds its way around."
One touch of a button
Operating the MiR 200 is simple. The trolley to be taken to the other department must be prepared in a compartment with a tolerance of about ten centimetres. One press of a button on the control panel is then enough to actually put the AGV to work. "The MiR has a hook to which the carts are attached. Over time, we only had to modify the hooking system. With a total of sixty carts, it took us a while to finish that," Verschuuren explains.
The commissioning was accompanied by some teething problems. For instance, the AGV had to cross a lane where lorries also drive. These turned out not to be able to see each other. "But a flag on the AGV solved that. We also noticed that the AGV cannot see the bottom two centimetres. That's why we now park our forklifts with the forks slightly raised. And when the sun shines on the sensor, the vehicle starts seeing ghosts. We solved that with a sun protection film on the sensor. Together with Gibas, we managed to overcome these teething problems."
New colleague
The employees of the Cromvoirtse are happy with the AGV. "They are proud of their new colleague," laughs Verschuuren. "We notice that when customers visit our company. When the AGV is not running, they switch it on manually to show what it can do. In that respect, the investment has been good for our image as an innovative and progressive company. No employee sees the vehicle as a threat, but much more as an addition."
The MiR 200 not only saves time but, as envisaged, has provided the necessary learning experiences. Verschuuren expects to deploy more AGVs in the future. "Among other things, we are thinking of an AGV for automatically loading our machines. That should then be an AGV that automatically picks up a sheet from a stack and places it in the machine. We are also now looking at AGVs that can put goods in our racks at height. Then we are basically talking about an unmanned forklift."
"Start small"
Verschuuren can recommend De Cromvoirtse's decision to invest in an AGV to anyone. This technology is the future. "If I may give one piece of advice: do like us and start small. It is a new technology, which you have to get to work with to discover what the possibilities and impossibilities are. And look not only there the AGV itself, but also the control software and the supplier. Those three factors together determine the success of the solution."
Curious about Gibas' robotisation solutions? Visit Gibas during Logistica at stand no. B021 in hall 1 of the Jaarbeurs. The Cromvoirtse is coming to Jaarbeurs in March 2020 for ESEF Maakindustrie.
Logistica will take place on 5, 6 and 7 November at the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht. Register for the exhibition here.
