​Automated Transportation of Materials and Parts Between Production and Warehouse Stations in Singapore Engineering SME.
ONE unit of Magnus Lifter has improved productivity and efficiency on the shop floor of a mechanical engineering components facility in Singapore. It was designed to automate the transportation of materials and parts placed on trolleys between Production, Quality and Warehouse stations. Previously, human operators had to manually carry critical materials and parts through a space-scarce facility, with a short turnaround time. SESTO Magnus AMR automates the handling and delivery of raw materials and finished goods, allowing operators in this leading engineering components manufacturer to be freed up to focus on higher value-added tasks.
Challenges:
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Manpower crunch from shrinking workforce during COVID-19.
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Space and process limitations on the shop floor that requires AMR to dock in tight spaces.
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Multiple pickup and dropoff points.
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Quick turnaround time for transfer of critical raw materials, process parts, and finished goods in a low volume, high mix precision machining manufacturing process involving small batch production.
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Customization of AMR to allow hands-free activation for operators engaged in processes in the production area.
Solution:
Magnus Lifter was used to automate the transfer of raw materials between Warehouse and Production station, transfer of completed goods for quality inspection and packing between Production and Quality station, and transfer of inspected finished goods for delivery or warehouse storage from the Quality to Warehouse station.
The Magnus AMR’s sensors enable docking in tight spaces within the space-scarce facility’s unique layout. A one process call button was customized in the production area to enable operators to activate the AMR without having to use the standard tablet UI. This allows operators to focus on the production process. When the call button is pressed, the AMR will arrive to pick up the trolley to send over to the Quality control (QC) unit station, followed by delivery or for warehouse storage.
Using the Magnus Lifter to retrieve and transport raw materials and finished goods saves time within the production process, eliminating repetitive tasks throughout the day for small batch production and delivery.
Outcome:
The machinists, QC teams, and warehouse staff can now focus on their core responsibilities rather than being involved in the manual transfer of materials and parts, which is a low-value but critical activity within the manufacturing process. This frees up manpower and ensures the timeliness of materials transfer during back-to-back jobs with just the push of a button. Productivity levels increased by 15% to 20% as the company was able to accept and process more orders.