One of the world's leading automakers was looking for a better way to assign manpower in the delivery of discrete parts from workstation to workstation. What better way than to automate the process?

The automaker was using operator-driven tuggers and trailers to deliver center pipe exhaust system components to work areas. The tuggers were not dedicated to transportation of the exhaust components, so availability and timeliness became issues. The tugger units were also costly to fuel. Meanwhile, the manpower needed to operate the heavy-duty tuggers was pulling employees away from value-added duties in the production scheme.

The automaker decided to employ a customized automatic guided cart (AGC) (Click here to see the AGC) solution (Creform, 800-839-8823) to eliminate part delivery delays, reduce overall costs and reassign manpower.

The existing trailers were modified to become AGCs with an onboard drive unit. Custom plastic racking was added to secure the exhaust components during transport.

Now the AGCs automatically follow a path of adhesive-backed magnetic tape on the plant floor. Nearly 125 meters of the tape runs in a single line from the plant's kitting area to its assembly point on the line. A cart-mounted magnetic induction sensor reads the tape guidepath as the cart moves and keeps the vehicle centered along the path during its 250-meter round trip. The tape allows for easy reconfiguration of the cart's path as production needs change.