Fixed path: AGVs play with manufacturing

Sony Digital Audio Disc Corporation (DADC) produces CD audio, Playstation, DVD and Blu-ray discs. Because of the rapid growth in production volumes, the DADC engineering group decided to automate its materials handling. Thanks to a fleet of automatic guided vehicles (AGVs), Sony DADC currently has a production capacity of approximately four million discs per day.

The project involved automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) for work in progress and AGVs for transportation. The AGV system automatically transports trays containing 10 spindles (rods), with each spindle holding 150 discs. Empty trays must be picked up at the AS/RS and delivered to the production machines. Trays full of molded discs must then be collected and transported to the AS/RS for storage.

Sony started with a fleet of two AGVs in the CD molding area and has grown to a fleet of 60 AGVs that handle automated transport for all molding machines. The AGVs are now completely integrated with all manufacturing systems and support all product lines in the molding, printing, and packaging areas.
“The AGV system has helped us improve productivity significantly in all areas by eliminating the manual handling of discs,” says Todd Smiley, automated systems manager. “The AGVs have been an integral part of our expansion and success.”

The AGVs communicate with other information systems within Sony by way of a standard Ethernet-over Wi-Fi. Sony’s management is provided real-time overviews of vehicle positions, transport requests and status charts through the AGV supervisory control system, adds Smiley.

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