Less manual handling, greater process reliability, and a continuous supply of materials: With an autonomous tugger train solution from 4am Robotics, ZF has further optimized intralogistics at its Passau site. The system supports material supply in the Assembly Service Center and enables on-demand supply to the production areas.
The solution has been proving its worth in ongoing operations for some time now: Four autonomous tugger trains from the ATi-M series by 4am Robotics, each equipped with four trailers, reliably shuttle back and forth between the goods receiving area and the assembly area. They autonomously navigate to designated stops and ensure the smooth transport of the necessary materials. The driverless route trains now transport approximately 430 shelf carts and 260 KLT towers to the assembly area every day.
The autonomous route trains operate in the midst of ongoing production and share the pathways with both pedestrians and manually operated vehicles such as forklifts. Additional challenges arose due to the sometimes narrow traffic routes within the factory buildings. As
a result, high safety requirements were central to the implementation: from reliable navigation and precise person detection to effective braking and warning systems, as well as clearly regulated traffic management during operations.
Thanks to intelligent navigation systems and precise control, these challenges were successfully overcome and the automated material flow was integrated. In addition to ensuring a reliable supply of materials, the solution also contributed to greater safety in the plant, explains Jürgen Pietsch, foreman in the Assembly Goods Receiving department at ZF in Passau:
“Since the autonomous tugger trains were introduced, safety in the material flow has noticeably improved. Manual trips are no longer necessary, intersections are more clearly regulated, and employees have been specifically trained to work with the new technology.”
A key component of the new system is the live monitoring of the route trains. A large screen at the home station in the goods receiving area displays the vehicles’ locations in real time.
This makes it possible to track exactly where the ARZs are and when the next material delivery will arrive at the assembly line, ensuring that materials are always in the right place at the right time.
The order-picking process itself is also optimally coordinated with the driverless automated guided vehicles. Employees in the receiving area prepare the shelf carts and KLT towers, which are then loaded onto the trailers.
After being dispatched, the automated guided vehicle independently selects the most efficient route and continuously adjusts its speed and driving behavior to its surroundings and obstacles.
To make interaction with the autonomous route trains as efficient as possible, special industrial smartphones were introduced. These devices send a notification to employees in the assembly area shortly before the route train arrives. This allows them to proceed to the stop in time, unload the delivered shelf carts, ensure the supply of materials to the assembly line, and prepare the empty carts for return transport.
Device communication is enabled by intelligent synchronization: The automated guided vehicle continuously sends status updates to the control center and the mobile devices. If a device fails or is unreachable, an alternative notification chain is automatically activated.
The introduction of autonomous tugger trains at ZF demonstrates how modern automation solutions can sustainably optimize intralogistics. Through intelligent navigation, real-time communication via a smartphone app, and the targeted adaptation of logistics processes, transportation processes have been made more efficient, transparent, and future-proof.