Transitic designed, developed and installed a connected intralogistics solution which facilitates the automatic transport of front and back car bumpers through a network of overhead conveyors within one of Plastic Omnium’s factories.
Transitic x Plastic Omnium
TRANSITIC X PLASTIC OMNIUM
Project
Overhead conveyor system for the automotive industry
Client
Plastic Omnium
Location
Vernon, Normandy, France
An overhead solution designed and developed for the automotive industry
The aim of this intralogistics solution – developed for the automotive industry – is to improve provisions of supplies. It ensures supply disruptions are removed in the processing of parts and limits manual handling of them, while still ensuring they are of good quality and can be tracked. In the automotive industry, processed and transported parts are distinctive according to their size, weight or volume. From the door panel to the dashboard, as well as the bumpers, each of these parts must be transported along adapted workpiece holders, which can work individually or as part of a series.
The TRANSITIC solution is tailored to car bumpers
Everything begins at the loading stations where the suspended swing trays (workpiece holders) are loaded by operators in order to then be sent into the circuit. The discharge of a loaded swing tray automatically leads to a new swing tray being supplied. The swing trays in transit are sorted and directed to their respective storage lines in order to then be placed into the sequence before loading the wagon. To move trolleys, we use motor-driven conveying for the horizontal sections of the circuit, and gravity is used for the buffer lines.
The automated functioning of the installation is paired with our WCS system to allow it to connect with the WMS of the customer – Plastic Omnium – a connection which is required for orders to be processed. The delivery between the manufacturer and the end customer occurs by way of specific wagons. These are equipped to receive parts with their workpiece holder.
In this operational set up, the Plastic Omnium factory is fitted with a receiving loop to allow the wagon to be connected, and the final recipient is supplied with the same workpiece holders. Once the wagon is docked, the operator – after connecting it to the network – can remove the empty trolleys and feed them into the circuit. The suspended trays in automatic transit will be separated in order to be guided and placed into stock in their respective areas.
After unloading the empty trolleys, the task of loading the full trolleys can be carried out. All of the trolleys to be loaded will be placed into the sequence and checked before being fed into the wagon. Each load will be approved and confirmed on the customer system.
The installation of the network was completed over an area of 670m2 for a circuit of 400 linear metres in length. What makes this circuit unique is it can integrate various forms of mechanical and automated technology along with computerised control in order to process the flow and sorting of parts in an automated way.