 At
one of the largest blow molders of PET bottles for Coca-Cola in the
country, AGVs were installed to maintain order and safety. The facility
produces many pallet loads of PET bottles each shift, in sizes ranging
from 1/2 to 3 liters. The bottles are produced in two steps: first,
the preform is injection molded, then the preforms are blow molded
into the final shape.
Initially, only one fork truck was needed to services two preform
production lines, so vehicle traffic in the preform production area
was not a problem. Today, there are twenty-four preform production
lines, which require six forklifts to handle input and output. Pretty
tight quarters for any type of vehicle traffic! Even the best and
most experienced forklift operators experience minor bumps from time
to time; less skilled drivers may have more costly crashes & equipment
damage. There were also concerns about employee safety and facility
damage.
In 1995, the manufacturer undertook a large expansion. Instead of
adding even more forklifts, they initiated an Automated Guided Vehicle
(AGV) System that effectively replaced the forklifts, eliminated the
bumps and crashes, and perfectly orchestrated vehicle movement between
all production stages. The finesse of the AGV System is evidenced
by the eleven foot turnaround space allocated for the AGVs.
Forklift drivers could not consistently manage within the allotted
space, but the AGVs are always within their operating parameters.
The AGVs have greatly improved productivity, and lowered costs associated
with damage. |
| Project Type: |
Plastic [PET] Bottles |
| Number of Vehicles: |
6 |
| Facility Operations: |
24 / 7 |
| Key Facts: |
AGVs navigate 60 stations in the plant, including 2 at each production
line, 3 empty container areas, 2 full container drop off areas, 1
designated "scrap" area and 6 recharging stations. |
|
 View
PDF Document for this Project - [1.09MB] |
