Versatile carts selected for two new manufacturing plants

Proterra is one of the largest manufacturers of electric buses in the United States. When developing and planning for two new plants, the company wanted to create a sustainable and effective materials handling flow. With a focus on flexible materials handling, new carts were designed explicitly for the company’s needs.

The cart provider (FlexQube) developed 25 different applications for transportation and presentation of assembly components. The large initial project used a Web-based, on-demand design tool throughout the process. Within these online meetings, Proterra was involved in the creation of carts designed for tires, batteries, windshields, tools, hoses and cables.

“It was a seamless and transparent process from design to implementation,” says Proterra’s Lalit Savalia, who notes that reducing the number of forklifts in favor of cart-based handling paved the way for a much more efficient assembly process.

Shortly after the delivery of the initial carts, Proterra realized they already needed to modify them, a task that would have been difficult with welded carts. Using the new on-demand design tool and modular cart components, the company quickly altered its carts on-site. This harmonized more efficient and more ergonomic designs that were also customized to match the company’s branding.