Will automation in logistics, production and assembly continue to increase? What status will driverless transportation systems have? How to calculate cost?
In a recent study on the transformation of energy supply for industrial vehicles and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in logistics, German experts show that many companies are less concerned about the energy supply of their unmanned material handling and more concerned about driverless transport vehicles. Technology. Although the use of powerful lithium-ion batteries is a trend, their efficiency is currently not fully exploited, and there is no doubt that smart charging solutions make it possible to optimize the entire process - with a significant impact on economic efficiency.
Driverless transportation systems are always at optimal energy and continuously producing. They can be charged at suitable points in the process
The importance of automated transport systems to industrial processes is increasing. In a study on the transformation of energy supply for industrial vehicles and AGVs in the logistics industry, 80% of respondents agreed with this statement. The study examines vehicles used in logistics, production and assembly, as well as their energy supply. It is carried out by logistics and organizational consultancy Prolog-Team in collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences Ludwigshafen in Germany and the company Wiferion. 50 large and medium-sized companies, mainly from the industry, trade and services sectors, provided information on the electric vehicles, batteries and charging processes used.
Lithium-ion batteries have been established
Whether it is AGV or autonomous mobile robot (AMR), the degree of automation of logistics internal processes has reached a very high level. Although forklifts (87.5%) and manual pallet trucks (85.5%) still dominate among electric-driven vehicles, AGVs and AGVs already account for 29.2%, and AMRs account for 12.5%. Of the vehicles in use, 50% are powered by lithium-ion batteries and 43.8% by lead-acid batteries. The proportion of lead-acid batteries is relatively high, possibly due to existing contracts. The advantages of powerful lithium-ion batteries are obvious: longer service life, low maintenance, low weight and reduced operating costs, as well as the possibility of intermediate charging. It is therefore understandable that more than half of the respondents plan to use lithium-ion batteries when modifying or purchasing a new car in the future.
Don't just look at investment costs
But not all companies are paying attention to the energy supply of the systems they use. The study led to the surprising result that one-third of the respondents could not provide any information about the batteries they used. There seems to be a great need for clarification here. In order to focus on the total cost of ownership of their AGVs and AMRs, companies should not just focus on the technology and its investment. It is necessary to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the economic benefits by determining the total costs. Therefore, all efforts involved in selection, procurement, purchase, installation, operation, use and maintenance, training and repair, disposal and return must be considered. In this context, lithium-ion batteries convince due to their numerous advantages. Despite the higher initial investment costs, companies achieve significantly higher ROI by using future-proof technologies.
The charging process is often inefficient
The study shows. AGVs and industrial vehicles typically only charge after get off work, sometimes during breaks or even after the energy is used up. The problem is: if there is no energy for downstream work, irregular charging must be resorted to. This resulted in disruption to workflow and was inefficient. Charging at the end of a shift can also cause problems, for example, in a multi-shift operation where there are not enough charged vehicles available for the next shift. However, most companies in the logistics industry operate more than two shifts. So it's worth taking a look at the charging process. Because faulty charging processes, power failures and voltage peaks during charging can seriously jeopardize supply security and lead to production losses. In daily work life, people often forget to connect and charge their vehicles. As a result, the charging process takes at least 60 minutes for one-third of respondents. A further third of respondents were unable to provide any information on the duration of the charging process and apparently had never dealt with the charging process in more depth. However, lithium-ion batteries are designed for frequent intermediate charging and have the ability to draw large currents for short periods of time. But this potential cannot be exploited with traditional charging technologies. As a result, most companies miss the opportunity to improve their own productivity by optimizing their billing processes. The greater the number of vehicles in use, the more attention should be paid to the charging process.
Problems caused by traditional charging technology
For the energy supply of their AGVs and AMRs, the companies surveyed mainly use charging systems with loop connections. A charging cable with socket connection is also used. In third place is the induction point charging system. This is remarkable considering the technology has only been on the market for a short time. As a result, some companies have recognized the advantages and potential of inductive charging processes. However, others still use systems with sliding contacts and accept the associated environmental contamination, health hazards to employees and safety risks. On the one hand, the sliding contacts mounted on the floor pose a tripping hazard, and on the other hand, the copper dust produced endangers the health of employees. This inevitably happens when the contacts become worn. It causes considerable pollution to charging stations and the production environment. Charging via cable also has a number of drawbacks. On the one hand, the maintenance workload is relatively large, and on the other hand, it is often necessary to install complex peripheral circuits and equipment to protect employees. In most cases, the transport system travels to an external charging station to be charged and then is no longer in the production process. According to the study, 40% of respondents have additional vehicles in use to compensate for these breakdowns. This redundancy comes with high investment and high operating costs.
Leverage modern technology wherever possible
How can these costs be reduced to make the billing process more economical and efficient? Induction point charging systems provide the best solution. AGVs and AMRs can be charged automatically thanks to contactless energy transfer based on the principle of magnetic induction. The vehicle is always in optimal energy condition and continues to produce. Since there are no open contacts, work safety is greatly increased and maintenance costs are reduced. The result is virtually maintenance-free operation and maximum process reliability. Due to the many advantages, the acquisition cost is quickly amortized. It can be assumed that the share of inductive charging systems will increase in the future if companies want to fully exploit the advantages of powerful lithium-ion batteries and make their future-oriented automation projects successful.
