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| Wouldn't it be awesome if automated equipment looked like R2-D2? |
Most people know that assembly lines are a manufacturing process that involves an unfinished product moving through a series of stations, and that at each station new parts are added until the product has been completed. This is generally known because assembly lines have been in use — in one form or another — for over 200 years. But there is a key aspect of modern assembly line production that many people never really think about: material handling.
Modern assembly lines require an intricate dance of coordination and precision to ensure that the right materials are in the right place at the right time so that production can be completed quickly and efficiently. Without proper material handling, production slows or even comes to a standstill, and that’s bad for business. That’s why facilities invest in a wide range of Material Handling Equipment: to make sure that the workers in each station have the raw materials or kitted parts they need to do their job.
Lineside material handling is at least as important as the conveyance of in-progress products from station to station, so let’s take a quick look at some of the material handling equipment that is used in assembly lines today.
Manually Operated Carts
More and more often, the material handling sector is moving toward automation, but there are still many operations that choose to utilize manual solutions in various aspects of their production. One reason for this is because manually operated material handling carts can help create a lean production operation. They are cheaper than their automated counterparts, and provide simpler solutions.
Because every production operation is different, there are hundreds of standard material handling carts available, including carts with pop-up shelves, rotating shelves, and rollers. But the real strength of these manually operated carts is their flexibility and the ability to customize your system for a relatively low cost.
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| Image via FlexQube |
Tugger Cart Systems
The easiest way to understand a tugger cart system is to think of it as a small train designed to move materials within a production environment. Tuggers, like train engines, provide the power to move a series of carts that have been hooked together. Depending on your needs, a tugger can be manned or unmanned, and work with either powered or non-powered carts. They are typically used in place of single load deliveries that had previously been made using forklifts, helping to create forklift-free environments.
Automatic Guided Carts (AGCs)
Unmanned tugger systems fall under the heading of Automatic Guided Carts (AGCs). AGCs are very popular for assembly line use because they can help automate the material handling process without sacrificing flexibility. Their paths are usually determined by the placement of magnetic tape on the floor, and can be easily changed when the need arises. These systems are easy to implement and can be scaled to meet many different material handling needs.
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| Image via Prezi.com |
Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs)
Automated Guided Vehicles are more expensive than AGCs, but they frequently have more sophisticated guidance systems — including inertially guided, laser guided, and vision guided — and they tend to have higher carrying capacities as well. AGVs are typically used in more advanced production settings and can help lower labor costs when compared to traditional forklift systems.
Autonomous Mobile Robots
AGCs and AGVs are great for repetitive assembly line applications, as they are generally designed and programmed to travel from point A to point B along a fixed path. Autonomous Mobile Robots, on the other hand, are more versatile because they can independently navigate and maneuver around both moving and stationary objects as they move from one designated position to another. These robots have the ability to move through large, fast-moving production facilities. While expensive, this type of material handling solution allows a facility to take advantage of the benefits of a dynamic layout like optimized productivity and space efficiency.
By increasing performance, modern material handling systems are designed to help improve assembly line workflow and production time. This results in leaner, more efficient production facilities that can produce more products in the same amount of time. As time marches onward, it’s interesting to think that assembly lines will continue to evolve to meet new and interesting production demands. What do you think the future of production looks like?
