Fleet management based on the VDA 5050 interface enables the joint control of automated guided vehicles from different manufacturers. However, whether a higher-level control system for automated processes is necessary at all depends on the specific use case. Three different scenarios illustrate when which solution makes sense.
Central control system: yes or no? This type of fleet management is not required in every case. The decisive factors are the specific application, process requirements, and the strategy of the respective company. For example, if driverless transport vehicles from a single manufacturer are used for the simple transport of boxes or pallets, they can communicate successfully with one another even without a central control system.
Mobile Transport Robots Without A Central Control System
Manufacturers such as SAFELOG offer mobile transport robots in various sizes to suit specific use cases. The agent-based control system enables cost-effective operation even with a small number of vehicles. Communication between the devices is facilitated via Wi-Fi. Due to swarm intelligence, this approach eliminates the need for a central control system entirely. Transfer stations and the surrounding peripheral equipment can also be integrated into the system. Hardware and software as a complete package enable the simple and cost-effective implementation of automated processes.
Antalis Switzerland, a distributor of paper, packaging solutions, visual communication materials, and hygiene products, as well as a provider of customized logistics services, appreciates this as well. Up to 1,600 orders are processed there every day. The company replaced its 40-year-old fleet with modern vehicles featuring agent-based control from SAFELOG. The existing transfer stations and interfaces could be adapted to the new system and thus retained. The goods-in and goods-out areas were optimally connected through the use of mobile robots. Each day, 700 pallets with a maximum load of approximately 1,000 kg are transported from the goods-in area to various storage areas, including a high-bay warehouse, an autostore warehouse, and three manual warehouses. This example demonstrates that whether moving pallets and individual boxes or pulling entire containers and trolleys, systems with a small number of AGVs can be efficiently implemented without a higher-level control center. Assembly stations can also be ideally connected through the use of AGVs without the need for a higher-level control system.
Combination of Swarm Intelligence and Central Control
If the automated processes are more complex, a combination of a central control system and agent-based vehicles may be appropriate in some cases. In this scenario, the central control system handles order management, while swarm intelligence manages transport between the source and destination.
KNOLL Maschinenbau GmbH opted for such a system. In a strictly timed circuit in sheet metal production, a mobile transport robot from SAFELOG is used, which travels to five stopping positions and then returns to the sheet metal warehouse. It transports a trolley with five storage compartments, each assigned to a specific station. A fixed dwell time has been defined for each station, during which workers can unload the material intended for them and stow already processed semi-finished products on the vehicle. Cycle times at the individual stopping points are monitored via the SAP control software from FLEXUS AG. As soon as the system detects a delay, the robot alerts the worker with an audible signal. Additional mobile transport robots are on standby at stations to transport heavy-duty trolleys. Once a job is complete, the worker requests pickup via the SAP user interface on their PC. The vehicle moves under the trolley, docks at four connection points, and transports the goods to the warehouse, production, or shipping department. Route guidance is largely based on contour navigation. If the shortest route is impassable, the control software notifies the AGV, and it automatically selects an alternative route to reach the destination as efficiently as possible. This enables KNOLL to transport approximately 1,000 cargo containers and trolleys daily. However, it is not only the transport robots but also the other industrial trucks and tugger trains that have been integrated via the FLEXUS transport control system. As a result, the fully digitized process leads to high transparency and process optimization. All participants are tracked, and status reports from the AGVs-such as battery charge level or status updates on a transport order-are continuously recorded.
Effective Use of a Control System Based on VDA 5050
Manufacturers and operators of warehouses and distribution centers often require a wide range of specialized transport solutions to automate their processes. As a result, vehicles from multiple manufacturers are typically in use. The VDA 5050 interface was developed to enable the synchronization of these devices. It allows different types of autonomous forklifts, tugger trains, mobile transport robots, and other resources to be controlled via a central control station. Processes and transport routes are thus defined by the control center. This collects all information and forwards it to individual participants.
"This places the mobile robots and all other devices under the control of the control center at a subordinate level," said Mathias Behounek, CEO of SAFELOG. "Transport orders are distributed centrally, and route segments are booked and approved by the fleet manager."
Peripheral systems such as fire doors, elevators, or transfer stations with conveyor technology can also be connected to the central control system via the interface. Since the standardized communication interface allows for the management of various fleet sizes regardless of the manufacturer, the trend for these use cases is clearly moving toward the VDA 5050 Fleet Manager.
SAFELOG has also already implemented several successful projects with a central control station based on VDA 5050, including one at a well-known automotive manufacturer. There, the mobile robots are controlled in a network by a central control system. Over 27 mobile robots are in use. Peripheral systems such as fire doors, elevators, transfer stations, and conveyor systems are also integrated.
"We are constantly asked whether our vehicles are VDA 5050-ready, and we can confirm that they are without reservation," explained Behounek. "But with projects, it is always important to consider whether a central control system is even necessary. `Keep it simple' is our motto."
In many cases, fleet control based on swarm intelligence and without a control center offers sufficient flexibility and incurs lower costs. The simpler the process and the more homogeneous the group, the easier it is to scale the system. If the transport process is complex and vehicles from different manufacturers are in use, a VDA 5050-based control system opens up new possibilities. It also increases process transparency. VDA 5050 is now a standard requirement in many tenders for robot fleets and control center systems. It has evolved from a common communication protocol for simpler systems, such as lane-guided vehicles, into a comprehensive global standard that is practical and applicable in real-world scenarios. Every year, companies test their software and hardware in conjunction with VDA 5050 under particularly demanding conditions at the TEST CAMP INTRALOGISTICS in Dortmund. In doing so, processes from warehouse and production logistics are implemented as realistically as possible. When different vehicles are in use and travel paths intersect or run in opposite directions, the strengths of VDA 5050 really come into play.
"The 4th AGV Mesh-up in Dortmund, Germany, demonstrated that the robots from the eight participating manufacturers can be seamlessly integrated," said Behounek. "Others have already implemented the interface as well, and likely many more will do so in the future, as VDA 5050 is continuously revised and further developed by the relevant working groups." The current focus of development is on the integration of maps and zones to enable the optimal integration of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) as well.
For more information contact:
SAFELOG
info@safelog.de
www.safelog.de